Pellegrini's Oxford U Turn

Up until a couple of days ago Hammers starlet Reece Oxford looked to all intents and purposes as if he was on his way out from The London Stadium, but manager Manuel Pellegrini, known for his man management skills, has apparently sat down with the lad and had a good heart to heart about how things should progress. The meeting, which was held without Aidy Ward of Colossal Sports management being present, was to clear the air because of all the negative press surrounding Oxford and the club.

It should be noted that Aidy Ward is also Domingos Quina's agent and not above forcing a move for his clients, after all it was he who forced through the transfer of Quina to Watford. An agent's role is to get the very best deal for their client, which of course inherently is a good deal for the agent due to their perentage commision which can range from 10 - 25 %. The Oxford situation is unique in that Ward has already managed to negotiate a very healthy deal for his young charge, so there is litttle else he can do to extend his commision apart from moving his client on to another club.

Hammers ludicrously extensive injury list has also rather dictated the club's stance on Oxford leaving, if the injuries continue to be accrued at the present rate there will be a need for back up players, and why not Oxford? Pellegrini has already shown that he is not afraid to use young players, Oxford's attitude cannot be that bad can it? There are obvious similarities between Reece Oxford and Ravel Morrison, even the mighty Sir Alex Ferguson couldn't tame Morrison and neither could anyone else, including Sam Allardyce when he was Hammers' manager.

Before accepting Oxford's departure as a fait accompli, it is worth remembering the 'redemption of Robert Snodgrass' that was instigated as a result of Pellegrini's management skills, perhaps it can still happen for Oxford. - Ed