West Ham Season Preview

Time for a pre-season view of how things may pan out this season.  I guess the best place to start is by looking at our strongest team

Green
Macca – Upson – Ferdinand – Behrami
Etherington – Parker – Noble – Faubert
Ashton – Bellamy

Subs: Lastuvka, Neil, Mullins, Boa-Morte, Sears, Cole, Spector

So, I’m making an assumption about Behrami being any good, but I felt Neill was a bit of a liability there for us last season, so would like to see what he is made of.  Etherington filling in on the left may be controversial, but apart from that, I’m not imagining too much debate from fellow Hammers on that team.  And, on its own, it’s not a bad starting eleven.  On the other side of this, we’re only a couple of injuries away from;

Green
???? – Spector – Davenport – Neill
Boa-Morte  - Quashie – Mullins – Bowyer
Cole – Sears

The lack of quality cover is going to be the real issue for us this season.  Yes, Sears is a hot prospect, Cole works his socks off, some love mullins.  But there are just too many weaknesses exposed throughout the team with no real cover at left back either.  With Bellamy and Dyer already suffering crocks and niggles, we are set to simply repeat last season’s activities of a patched up squad doing the best they can, which is frustrating as we have the capacity to do much better.  Without a new left back, centre mid (and now winger) and striker, I think our ambition will be very limited this season.

I think we’ll have an okay start with a couple of wins and draws but as the season goes on, the injuries will start to take a toll and we’ll be left fighting for draws where we should be winning and losing games where we just are not at the races. 

But how will our rivals perform?  Blackburn seem to be in a state of flux, Everton possibly over-performed last season and may find it hard to replicate that, particularly with the lack of additions to their squad.  Spurs have bought some quality, but the loss of Keane and inevitably Berbatov will level that out and it may take some for them to gel.  Portsmouth will do probably about as well as they did last season.  Hull and Stoke will be whipping boys.  I think the most exciting team of the season will be Aston Villa, with Martin O’Neill having had the time to build the squad he wants.  In the top half, I think Arsenal may stutter a bit and Liverpool may have to be taken more seriously with a front pairing of Torres and Keane, that’s as good as any in the league.

I believe it will be the lack of pushing on from our rivals that will save our season and will result in the Premier League looking much like it did last season.  We will finish somewhere between 9th and 12th, lower than that should be considered failure, higher than that success.  A cup run would be nice and I think European football, either through the league or cup, should be our top priority.  Come on you Irons!

Anyhow, let me know what you think via the comments, am I being too pessimistic or just realistic?!

Comments

[Nick]

I have a bad feeling about this season, maybe its a lack of quality signings that can play now not just "prospects", the lack of clearing of deadwood, the lack of any buzz about pushing on after the last two seasons. Maybe its because I like many others dont think Curbs is the right man, he kept Charlton mid table for how many years and after last year it looks like he is repeating it. Lets hope we keep the good players for a change bring on the youngsters who do have so much promise and attact more quality players, not just journeymen as cover!!

[aardvark]

realistic

but wrong about villa

and spurs

[Tom meadows]

I think curbs is an idiot. saying he has dramatic plans. 9/10 he wont sign any top names; or even any one we heared of before.

I think if we are offered £20 million for dean ashton. Accept it. Then add up the £6.3 mill we got for zamroa and painstill. We could buy i really decent forward for that price.
Adriano??? Tevez back??? even ronaldo (the brazilian)

Also we should get a left back, nick shorey!

And i understand what your feeling about salano. I am the most gutted about it; but to find out he let lumberg go... i mean; now there aint no international player sparks. The rest are england wanna be's or forriegners players who arnt famous

dont get me wrong im claret and blue through and through. But i dont have a clue how we will get into the top siz.

DO you?

[Jman]

Your scenario would not be acceptable to BG and it would spell the end of Curbs. Now for some that would be a positive thing but look at the Spuds, they have brought in a good manager in Ramos and he still needs time to turn things around at WHL ( hope he fails though), so we would face a similar problem if Curbs left, whoever we brought in. My disappointment is this belief that the injuries profile is going to be different this year, already Dyer has had a setback, Bellamy is out for 4 weeks, Upson is returning from injury and so the very players that could indeed push us to Europe are likely to be the very players involved in injury issues again at some time during the season and with no real quality back ups we will be in trouble. We are continually told about the club's ambition, well it's about time they put the words in to action and ensure we have the team that will propel us to the promised land of being able to compete on the European stage as that will not only bring in more revenue but ensure our best players stay and that we can also attract the best from around Europe. Another mid-table would be offensive to all those who have paid more than ever to support the club, so they have until the end of the month to establsih the sort of season we can expect and the relationship they will have with the fans.