Post by QPR Report on May 19, 2010 5:47:34 GMT
The Times
West Ham United owners unveil vision for the future
(Adam Davy/PA)
Ben Smith
Having narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League, West Ham United’s owners have outlined their vision to improve the fortunes of the club.
In an e-mail sent to the club’s supporters, David Sullivan and David Gold say they are determined to improve upon the performance of the squad last season, having sacked Gianfranco Zola last week.
Their ten-point plan includes some of the more obvious choices, such as appointing the right manager and signing new players, but it also outlines the owners’ determination to secure a move to the Olympic Stadium and their willingness to invest in the academy. “It may be the close-season but here at West Ham United we are all busy preparing for 2010-11 and putting in place the next steps to take this club forward,” the e-mail read.
“This ten-point pledge is just the start. We are here for the long term and our goals will evolve as we progress. We are proud to be here and will never stop working for you. All of us share the same hopes and dreams. It is not just about aiming for cup finals or derby victories but about feeling part of something together and all pulling in the same direction. As the name says, we are very much West Ham. United.”
Zola paid the price for a campaign in which the club finished only one place above the drop zone and that prompted Sullivan to say that it had fallen “below the expectations at the start of the season”. The statement continued: “Our efforts are focused on recruiting a high-calibre manager with the necessary experience to deliver good football and, most importantly, results. A shortlist of candidates has been identified and the appointment will be made with enough time to prepare for pre-season.”
Sullivan and Gold addressed issues including rebuilding the team and pledged to keep investing in the academy, which previously nurtured the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole. “For too long, the focus has been on players leaving rather than arriving,” added the statement. “We will strengthen in the right areas to ensure an exciting and balanced squad that is well placed to cope with the rigours of a Premier League season.
“Our main aim will be to bring in players hungry to do well who share our ambitions and aspirations. We will make sure homegrown talent nurtured in the ‘West Ham way’ will always be given the chance to complement established players brought in from elsewhere.”
West Ham’s precarious financial state was also addressed by Sullivan and Gold, who assumed control from the club’s former Icelandic owners, who were thrown into crisis by the global economic downturn. “We have a responsibility to ensure this club is never again placed in a perilous position,” Sullivan and Gold continued. “Great strides have been taken to get us on a sound financial footing but there is still a way to go.
“Difficult decisions have had to be made - and that will continue to be the case - but our bottom line on the bottom line is to ensure the club survives.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7129528.ece
West Ham United owners unveil vision for the future
(Adam Davy/PA)
Ben Smith
Having narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League, West Ham United’s owners have outlined their vision to improve the fortunes of the club.
In an e-mail sent to the club’s supporters, David Sullivan and David Gold say they are determined to improve upon the performance of the squad last season, having sacked Gianfranco Zola last week.
Their ten-point plan includes some of the more obvious choices, such as appointing the right manager and signing new players, but it also outlines the owners’ determination to secure a move to the Olympic Stadium and their willingness to invest in the academy. “It may be the close-season but here at West Ham United we are all busy preparing for 2010-11 and putting in place the next steps to take this club forward,” the e-mail read.
“This ten-point pledge is just the start. We are here for the long term and our goals will evolve as we progress. We are proud to be here and will never stop working for you. All of us share the same hopes and dreams. It is not just about aiming for cup finals or derby victories but about feeling part of something together and all pulling in the same direction. As the name says, we are very much West Ham. United.”
Zola paid the price for a campaign in which the club finished only one place above the drop zone and that prompted Sullivan to say that it had fallen “below the expectations at the start of the season”. The statement continued: “Our efforts are focused on recruiting a high-calibre manager with the necessary experience to deliver good football and, most importantly, results. A shortlist of candidates has been identified and the appointment will be made with enough time to prepare for pre-season.”
Sullivan and Gold addressed issues including rebuilding the team and pledged to keep investing in the academy, which previously nurtured the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole. “For too long, the focus has been on players leaving rather than arriving,” added the statement. “We will strengthen in the right areas to ensure an exciting and balanced squad that is well placed to cope with the rigours of a Premier League season.
“Our main aim will be to bring in players hungry to do well who share our ambitions and aspirations. We will make sure homegrown talent nurtured in the ‘West Ham way’ will always be given the chance to complement established players brought in from elsewhere.”
West Ham’s precarious financial state was also addressed by Sullivan and Gold, who assumed control from the club’s former Icelandic owners, who were thrown into crisis by the global economic downturn. “We have a responsibility to ensure this club is never again placed in a perilous position,” Sullivan and Gold continued. “Great strides have been taken to get us on a sound financial footing but there is still a way to go.
“Difficult decisions have had to be made - and that will continue to be the case - but our bottom line on the bottom line is to ensure the club survives.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7129528.ece
