Technical director Tim Steidten insists he’s only just getting started at West Ham and is honest on his relationship with David Moyes.
Last July it was claimed Tim Steidten could walk away from West Ham less than a month into the job.
Journalists Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth were speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast when it was stated Steidten could be prepared to walk away from his role as Hammers technical director due to difficulties striking up a working relationship with manager David Moyes.
At the time Hammers News put those claims to a very senior source close to the West Ham owners in the hope of quashing the rumour.
But the response from was far from reassuring as the top source told us: “Who knows (if he’ll walk). He finds the manager very hard work.”
The Guardian also claimed Moyes had serious reservations about some of Steidten’s transfer recommendations.
Steidten and Moyes: a mutual respect earned
Thankfully Steidten stayed at the club, though.
And he helped oversee one of the best summer transfer windows in the Premier League.
Steidten ensured the Declan Rice money was expertly spent on the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
But Moyes, whose power of veto on all transfers was at the crux of the early issues between he and Steidten, deserves credit for signing off on them too.
It has been made perfectly clear that Steidten will have full control of recruitment from this summer.
Because even if Moyes does stay at West Ham, the Scot’s new contract – should he sign it – is ‘subject to terms’.
It is reasonable to assume those terms centre around removing Moyes’ power of veto on transfers as he cedes ultimate say to German Steidten.
Steidten says West Ham project is five-year job
Nowadays the pair are regularly seen sharing chats on the pitch pre-match.
They even took in the England vs Brazil game at Wembley together recently.
West Ham feared losing Steidten when both Liverpool and Newcastle were heavily linked.
But the appointment of his brother Moritz and fellow German Max Hahn to the scouting department suggested Steidten intends to stay at the London Stadium.
Now that has been confirmed by the man himself. Steidten says he feels building a new-look West Ham team is a five-year project.
In an interview with NWZ Online Steidten says he’s only just getting started at West Ham amid big changes. And the former Bayer Leverkusen ‘pearl diver’ is honest about how he and Moyes earned one another’s respect.
‘Euphoric’ Steidten opens up on Moyes relationship
“I am euphoric at every game and every training session because I feel that I am in the right place, in the right league,” Steidten said.
“I wanted to have overall responsibility (and) I wanted to take control myself. It was a stark change for all three (Sullivan, Moyes and Steidten).
“David Moyes – I think – noticed through my transfers that my work was important. Conversely, I learned an incredible amount from him when it comes to perspectives on football.
“A squad restructuring is always a four-to-five-year project. I was at Werder for 18 years and could probably have worked there longer.
“But I also wanted to experience something different and never have to say to myself: I should have done that. But what I experience in England is particularly good for my development.”