West Ham United – the season in review

It has been a campaign of marked improvement for West Ham United with the club on the periphery of a top five finish, which would guarantee European football at their new home next year – the Olympic Stadium.

This wasn’t expected from West Ham this year with many predictions such as the Premier League predictions at thatsagoal.com predicting a mid-table finish.




Obtaining this symbolic £700 million arena could prove to be a significant coup in the progression of the East London club, giving them the opportunity to compete at the summit of English football. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes it will transform the Hammers into regular title contenders and will allow them to enrich their playing staff for the 2016/17 season.

The enthusiastic approach of Slaven Bilic has inspired his side to some famous successes on the road with West Ham becoming only the fourth team in the competition’s history to win at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the same season. French magician and PFA Player’s Player of the Year nominee Dimitri Payet has proved to be a revelation, adding a creative flair that has been missing in years gone by.

However, the club’s form has begun to stutter with the Hammers having now drawn their last four Premier League matches as well as falling short in what looked on paper a very winnable FA Cup quarter-final tie at home to an unpredictable Manchester United side.

West Ham have gone completely under the radar because of the incredible exploits of Leicester City, and there was little to choose between the two clubs on Sunday as they shared the spoils in a thrilling, but highly controversial 2-2 draw. It was the in-form Andy Carroll who rightly felt aggrieved when he was adjudged to have fouled Jeffrey Schlupp in the box, convincing referee Jon Moss to point to the spot.

The aerial threat of Carroll gives the Hammers a different dimension to their alluring style of play, although the 27-year-old accepts he and his team-mates must start making their performances count and turning draws into wins if they are to make the top five. Carroll told Sky Sports: “It was disappointing. We've got to take each game as it comes and hopefully get a few more points before the end of the season."

After suffering the heartbreak of being one extremely harsh decision away from being only the second team this season to take maximum points from the King Power Stadium, the Hammers will need to get back to winning ways quickly. Wednesday night will provide them with this opportunity as they entertain Watford at the iconic Upton Park, knowing that victory is imperative if they are to keep their fading dreams of playing in Europe next season alive.

Should West Ham pick up maximum points, they will once again be hot on the heels of the Red Devils who will be visitors in the penultimate match of the season, for what will be West Ham’s last ever game at Upton Park. In a season that continues to astonish the neutral and tear up the scriptbook, my gut instinct tells me that West Ham will pip Manchester United to the final European place.

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