On the 22nd of July 2017, Marko Artnautovic left Stoke City and joined fellow Premier League club West Ham United for a club-record fee of £24 million, signing a five year contract. The saga surrounding Arnie's departure from Stoke, and his resulting recruitment to West Ham's ranks, has been a fascinating one not least as Stoke have lost one of, if not their most, key player whilst the Hammers may have replaced their former star man Dimitri Payet, whose departure in January was a hot topic in the footballing community. To get more insight on the issue, I have enlisted fans of either club to give their view on the deal, on the West Ham side is Ed Jones and on the Stoke City side is George Lovatt (who previously wrote on the 2016 PDC Darts World Championship), both of whom will now weigh in on Arnie's big money move. Enjoy!
My Thoughts On The Arnautovic Deal-Ed Jones (West Ham Supporter):
"After last year’s abysmal transfer window, it is no surprise
that as a West Ham fan, I am slightly sceptical about this deal. With the fee being
reported at £24 million, Arnie joins the likes of Andre Ayew, Andy Carroll, Matt
Jarvis and Kieron Dyer as West Ham’s record signings (no pressure Marko). At such a high fee I can’t help but see
Arnautovic’s weaknesses in abundance. For example, his attitude has been
criticised in the past, during the 2009-2010 Arnie was on loan at Inter, who
had an option to buy permanently at the end of the season. However Inter
decided against this with Jose Mourinho saying: “Arnautovic is a fantastic
person but has the attitude of a child.” As a result Marko signed for Werder
Bremen and even before he had played a match, German legend Torsten Frings and
then Bremen captain branded him as “arrogant.” Furthermore, towards the end of
his Bremen career Arnautovic and then team-mate Eljero Elia were both caught
speeding and consequently suspended by the club. During his time in Italy and
Germany, he was view by the media as “the bad boy of Austrian football” and it
was also widely publicised recently that he told Mark Hughes that he wouldn’t
play for the club again in an attempt to force through the move (though this is
only a rumour). Such an attitude could have a harmful effect on dressing room morale
which could hurt the performance of the team on the pitch. For example, Dimitri
Payet similarly had a poor attitude at the beginning of last season, perhaps
one of the reasons for West Ham’s poor form. Although on the other hand,
speaking on his own attitude Arnie admits that he is “not an angel” but also
insists that the birth of his daughter has made him grow up and it must be said
that whilst at Stoke, he has rarely been involved in any off the field antics,
so perhaps his attitude is no longer an issue.
My Thoughts On The Arnautovic Deal-Ed Jones (West Ham Supporter):
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| New Signing... |
Whilst we can cast some doubt on his attitude, I am fairly
confident about his ability. He has arguably been Stoke’s strongest performer
over the last two seasons (even out performing Xerdan Shaqiri and Glen Whelan),
popping up with some vital goals in victories over Chelsea and Manchester City.
Arnautovic offers West Ham’s attack some much needed creativity and can play
anywhere in the attack. Since taking over Bilic has often opted to play a
4-2-3-1 and I would imagine Arnie will slot in on the left, where he featured
most at Stoke, with Lanzini in a central attacking role and Michail Antonio on
the right. At 6 ft 3 inches tall, Arnie is certainly a physical presence and is
blessed with quick feet and an eye for goal. But perhaps most importantly, he
is a player proven in the Premier League, unlike Simone Zaza, Gokhan Tore and
Havard Nortdveit, who all joined last year and failed to perform. After last
year’s fiasco, West Ham’s board have made it clear they are only looking to
sign players with Premier League experience, as shown by the additions of Joe
Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez and with 45 goals and assists
(combined) in 125 Premier League games, Arnautovic certainly fits the bill. Whilst
£24 million is a lot of money, this is simply what Premier League proven players
cost these days. This is the same window where Kyle Walker cost Manchester City
£50 million and Gylfi Sigurdsson is supposedly worth £45 million, so the £24
million paid for Arnautovic seems about as fair as one could hope for.
So despite the scepticism, common in all football fans over
a new record signing, I think this a really good signing for West Ham, not
least as they have weakened a rival whilst bolstering their own attack. I can
see him linking up well with Lanzini and new signing Chicharito. Already this
transfer window looks far superior to last year’s for West Ham, and as a Hammer
I can only look forward to the kick-off in August."
"And So Begins Life After Marko."- George Lovatt (Stoke City Supporter):
"And so begins life after Marko.
Marko Arnautovic joined Stoke City in 2013 as a talented maverick, clearly a
skilled player but inconsistent and marred by his off the field antics. However,
by his third year at Stoke, he had developed into a genuine team player, still
with the talent but also now with the considerable work ethic and drive to get
better. In the 2015-16 he scored 11 goals in the Premier League, a drastic
improvement on the solitary goal he scored the season before, and last season
he managed to tally up 6 more strikes. However, the next chapter of Marko
Arnautovic’s Stoke City career will remain unwritten, due to his £24 million
move to West Ham United.
From my perspective, the
departure of Marko Arnautovic has represented the worse of modern football in
every aspect and his manner of departure has certainly left a sour taste in the
mouth. In the Premier League, there is a lot of talk of monetary investment,
the millions of pounds pumped into every club across the league; however there
is a far more important type of investment that happens in football, it is the
emotional investment that every fan gives to the players on the pitch. It is
meant to be trust between player and fan, the fans trust the players to give
their all for the club and the players trust the fans to support them in every
moment good and bad. In this time, a connection is built between fan and
player, they will never meet but for the fan they feel love to the player and
the relationship between the Stoke City fans and Marko Arnautovic was no
different.
It was believed that Arnie along
with Xherdan Shaqiri and other big names could bring the good times to Stoke
City football club, to bring European football or a trip to Wembley, something
to remember. In the recent weeks and days, that connection between fan and
Arnautovic, the memories he brought on the pitch have been severed. Marko
Arnautovic’s career was going nowhere when he signed for Stoke, valued at just
£2 million by Werder Bremen and described by Jose Mourinho as being impossible
to manage. Whilst at Stoke due to the work and affection of Mark Hughes and the
Stoke City fans as well as his own endeavour, Arnautovic became the focal point
of the Stoke City attack and scored against the likes of Manchester United,
Manchester City and Chelsea in just one season. However, during the move away
from the club, Arnautovic has shown no gratitude for the support of the fans
and the risk taken by the management and the owner. His comments about his love
the for the fans and the connection with his fellow professionals, most notably
Ramadan Sobhi who he described as being as a ‘little brother’ to him and about
how much he loved playing with the current crop of players now appear to be
nothing more than empty platitudes. All the great moments that he brought to
Stoke are now ruined due to the fact that he demanded a transfer request
demanding to leave, moving primarily for the money to a club which is
effectively at the same level as Stoke. If he was taking a genuine step forward
in his career to a genuine top six club then it would be acceptable, football
players have a short career and therefore want to achieve as much as they can
in the playing time they have. However, this move to West Ham, a club who have
not beaten Stoke City in nearly half a decade, is merely a sideways step to
earn a few more bucks. His literal two finger salute to the Stoke City fans, as
it has been interpreted by some in a Snapchat, has brought about significant
upset for those who invested so much in supporting Marko during his Stoke
career. Marko Arnautovic’s classless move has once again confirmed that
although the fans remain loyal, the players are largely mercenaries, treating
each club like an ordinary organisation and are merely seeking to maximise
their own pockets.
The £24 million figure also
brings about some disappointment. In a transfer window in which Michael Keane,
a centre-back with just two seasons worth of Premier League experience has gone
for £30 million, Jordan Pickford who got relegated was worth £25 million, and Kyle
Walker, a right back, went for £50 million. In this crazy world of football we
live in, £24 million just does not feel like enough money for a player who was
our main attacking threat and arguably our best and most important player. To
lose him for that value feels unnecessary especially with 3 years left on his
contract. I highly doubt that Stoke will sign a player of his quality, who has
Premier League experience in this transfer window, especially when Stoke have
been linked with virtually no attacking players.
So, what does this departure mean
for Stoke? Well the picture is pretty bleak. Two stalwarts and genuine club
legends in Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan have moved on for measly figures in
comparison to the effort they put in and their value to the clubs fortunes. As
already stated Marko Arnautovic has gone and it also appears Giannelli Imbula
is also on the way out. The futures of club favourites Bojan and Marc Muniesia
appear uncertain as well. The only signings that have been made are Darren
Fletcher on a free from West Bromwich Albion, Josh Tymon from Hull City and Kurt
Zouma on loan from Chelsea (who should hopefully sure up the defence). With a
marquee signing looking unlikely, Mark Hughes will have to make best with the
inconsistent talents he has at the moment. For me the most important player for
Stoke will be Ramadan Sobhi, as he has showed glimpses of remarkable skill and
talent, and Stoke fans (myself included) will hope that he can really kick on
and get the playing time he deserves and not just be another Brek Shea. The
future is uncertain, but whatever happens the club, and the fans who adore it,
will go on. Marko Arnautovic had the chance to represent Stoke City and the
city itself, to lead them to glory and to never be forgotten if success had
come, the affection of the people of Stoke-on-Trent is worth more than the
extra pennies he will be earning in West Ham, so enjoy your money Marko as
Stoke City will always be bigger than any player."
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| Bidding Farewell... |
So there we have it, the view from two men either side of the coin of what will surely prove to be an intriguing deal when the Premier League kicks off again next month. I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and seeing contributions from two other writers, both of whom I thank for their efforts. As always feel free to leave suggestions for new posts, and keep your eyes peeled for new articles in the near future.
Thanks for reading,
James
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