This preview appears in the August 2021 edition of FourFourTwo.
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In the past 10 campaigns, 31 English clubs have qualified for the Europa League via the league – and only nine have improved their final position the following year. Of the non-Super League types, only Southampton and West Ham have managed it, the latter through cunningly getting knocked out before the kids were even back at school.
That West Ham likely won’t add to that number this year, however, says more about the impossibly successful nature of their 2020/21 season and less about how they’re likely to fare this time. The squad is surely too thin to cope with both European football and the annual Hammers injury crisis, but this was also true last term and they essentially ended up missing out on the Champions League because they couldn’t beat Newcastle. And they say football clubs have lost touch with their past.
With manager David Moyes fully rehabilitated and deservedly rewarded with a three-year contract, we will soon see if he has gained any political real estate internally. Chairman David Sullivan still likes to exert control over transfers, and has been so successful that he has only once purchased a player and sold him for a profit of greater than £10 million. Dimitri Payet was so impressed with the club’s direction of travel in January 2017 that he went on strike.
Moyes has managed to revitalise things, installing professionalism and playing his part in the best value top flight signing of the season – £5.4m full-back Vladimir Coufal – along with the ludicrously effective loan of Jesse Lingard from Manchester United. More astute signings will be needed for the Hammers to cope with their increased workload, while the club still recovers from the pandemic/wild extravagances of Manuel Pellegrini’s stint in charge.
Such squad management will undoubtedly be key to the forthcoming campaign, and Moyes’ battle for control with Sullivan will be his most vital victory of the season if he prevails. Alphonse Areola excelled on loan at Fulham last term and will challenge the ageing Lukasz Fabianski in goal, with reinforcements at centre-back and up front particularly necessary. The Hammers will be desperate to keep hold of Euro 2020 star Declan Rice, too.
The punishing Thursday-Sunday merry-go-round is designed to ensure that upstarts such as West Ham don’t go upsetting the established order and doing something silly like reaching the Champions League. Especially post-Super League.
However, a Europa League run would be a lovely, surprising consolation prize, and the Irons will gladly accept a lower-placed league finish in exchange for some Air Miles and famous foreign triumphs.
The five-point plan
1 Enjoy home comforts
Despite playing in a desolate bowl built over an ancient burial ground, West Ham somehow managed to produce the second-best home record in the Premier League last term. They picked up a remarkable 34 points at the London Stadium in a year when away teams were triumphing at historic rates, and something similar would be a huge boost as fans trickle back.
2 Win the crowd
Plenty have said that home record was driven by not having critical Irons fans in the ground. That’s mostly rubbish, but the Hammers faithful might get jittery if the counter-attacking style is employed in their own back yard, despite its success last season. A restless crowd could be a problem. Patience, please.
3 Replace Lingard
After his arrival on loan from Manchester United, Lingard scored nine goals and added four more assists (smashing his 5.1 xG and 1.5 xA projections). He got hot at the best possible time, and whoever comes in to replace him – ideally Jesse himself – can’t be expected to deliver like that. Some slack will need picking up elsewhere.
Michail Antonio scored his second winner in four days as his stunner lifted West Ham up to seventh with a 2-1 victory over West Brom. Report and highlights ⬇️January 19, 2021
4 Support Antonio
Historically, a new season suggests that West Ham are being linked to a new striker who will disappoint and leave for a loss soon enough. The only joy in recent years has come from Moyes converting wingers Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio to central positions. Micky produced one of highest xG ratings every 90 minutes (0.52) in the division last season. He needs some support, particularly given his scheduled mid-season hamstring hindrance.
5 Test the big boys
There remains a suspicion that Moyes is too cautious against the stronger sides, leading to just one point from a possible 24 against last term’s top four. This is overblown, but timid home performances against Liverpool and Manchester United were outliers in a campaign of bravura displays. The 18 points gleaned from Wolves, Leicester and Aston Villa is a better reflection of how well this team can play.
FFT verdict: 11th
Backing up last season may be tough, but never doubt Moyes’ desire to confound the naysayers.
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