Looking ahead to the 2019-20 season

It was an excellent debut season at the club for Manuel Pellegrini last campaign.

However, the coming 2019-20 season will bring with it a rise in expectations and the Chilean will be hoping to meet all hopes that the Irons faithful have. The tenth place finish was a welcome return for the club after nervy ends to the season in recent years was something that the club's fans didn't want. The £100 million that was spent by the club in the off-season in 2018 went a long way to showing the fans that there were high hopes for the side.

Felipe Anderson was an excellent signing for the club, and he will be expected to play an integral role in the development of the squad for next season. The same can be said of Declan Rice who enjoyed a coming of age season in 2018-19. Meanwhile, the summer looks to have started progressively for the club, with major reinforcements already brought in.


Transfer Window

There has already been minor work conducted by the club this summer, with the significant arrival of Pablo Fornals from Villarreal being the obvious stand out for the Hammers. The £24 million move for the Spaniard came as a shock for many as the midfielder has all the qualities that could see him effortlessly slot into a Champions League teams’ line-up. Meanwhile, the additions of goalkeepers David Martin and Roberto from Millwall and Espanyol respectively will compete for the second keeper spot which was relinquished by Adrian following his departure.

The club has been linked with the highly touted Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez. The striker enjoyed an excellent season in Spain last season and has been highlighted as the possible answer for the goals problem that West Ham have. While incomings are obviously essential, the outgoings will also create questions. Declan Rice has been muted as a possible target for Manchester United and City, but the Englishman has been quick to declare his intention to stay at the London Stadium. Meanwhile, Marko Arnautovic's future has been in the air since January, and the club could decide to cash in on the Austrian if they can bring in Gomez.


League Ambitions

While the places in the Premier League's top four may be a bit too high for the Hammers to aim for, they could realistically target a top six finish. The problems that are going on at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge have been well documented, while Arsenal's inability to spend money they don't have could also open the door for a club like West Ham. Should they keep hold of their best players and add significant players in the areas where they are weak, then they could feasibly finish inside the top six. The Hammers are currently 9/1 to finish in the top six.

Their home form will be vital if they are to achieve this, and towards the back end of last season, the London Stadium was becoming a fortress for travelling sides. Betway is the official betting partner for the club, and they believe that relegation shouldn't be an issue for the coming season as they are priced at 1/50 to stay in the Premier League. While the same bookmaker are also offering a price of 5/4 for the club to achieve a top ten finish; which would undoubtedly be a significant achievement in Pellegrini's mind. They are also offering free bets to new customers, and you can find them all on here on bestbetsfree.com. The project is a large one at the London Stadium and should the club, and fans remain on board with their Chilean manager there could be bright things to come.


Cup Competitions

Last season was a disappointing season for the club in terms of cup performances as they were knocked out in the fourth round of both the FA and League Cups. Tottenham Hotspur knocked the Hammers out of the League Cup, while it was a disappointing defeat to AFC Wimbledon that ended their FA Cup dreams.

It has been 38 years since the club's last trophy, should the team change that this season then Pellegrini would go down as a club legend. On a one-off occasion, the Hammers could hold their own against the best teams in the division, but for too long the club have fielded weakened sides in the competitions. Hopefully Pellegrini changes this long-run tactic and goes all out for some silverware this season.


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