Part of the reason for Andy Irving’s unsatisfactory loan stint at SK Austria Klagenfurt can be attributed to West Ham United’s inability to provide a clear plan for his future.
Günther Gorenzel, managing director of Klagenfurt, has criticised West Ham for their handling of the 23-year-old.
Irving left Klagenfurt for West Ham in August of last year in a €1.76 million move, but he was sent back to the Austrian team on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
He has made 23 appearances in the Bundesliga for them thus far, making him a regular.
However, he hasn’t been in the team since the middle of March, playing just 18 minutes, 31 minutes, 33 minutes, and 45 minutes in his next four games.
This has coincided with the club’s bad run of form, which began with a loss to Blau Weiss Linz in February and has continued with six straight losses.
Gorenzel feels that the player’s parent club is to blame for the predicament he’s in right now.
“He is constantly being monitored. There is also monitoring on his nutritional supplements, where certain things are specified and then athletic monitoring of training and games,” he said, as reported by Sport Witness.
Andy Irving faces uncertain future at West Ham.“But yes, of course the transfer does something to a player and it’s the same with him. Andy was still in the third German league two years ago. It’s a huge step for Andy, this transfer, and it’s done something to him.
“I am convinced that he will still play an important role in the remaining games, and we will see where we go but this all has something to do with a young player not knowing exactly where he will be next year.
“We will see whether he will actually train with West Ham and play or whether he will continue to be loaned out.”
West Ham United need to make their stance clear
It seems like Irving is going through a phase of uncertainty in his career.
The 23-year-old is unclear about his future and West Ham United have failed to clarify that.
As things stand, he does not know where he will be playing in the future. Whether he will return to the club or continue to be loaned out remains to be seen.
West Ham will need to provide the player assurances for his future and what their plans are for him, in order for him to have a clear mind so he can focus on his game.
It seems that the move to West Ham has not helped the player but that could change in the near future.