New signings
If this season has shown us one thing, it is that the squad lacks enough depth and quality.
For West Ham to not face any sort of relegation worries, and be able to look up the league rather than down next season, some new signings need to take place.
Whilst there are plenty of good players already at the club, when injuries have hit to key players such as Winston Reid, James Collins, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll, and a loss of form to others, such as Mohamed Diame, especially in the first half of the campaign, the lack of quality replacements were laid bare for all to see, leading to a pretty abysmal first half of the season.
Although things have picked up since the new year, and the club look to be safe from relegation worries, the performance levels overall just haven’t met expectations. Particularly in the central midfield and attacking areas, there requires some significant funding in the squad.
Although, many have turned against Sam Allardyce at times this season (and others from the very start of his reign), generally he has done a good job in his time at Upton Park, and has achieved everything that has been asked of him so far. Therefore I think he should be trusted and backed in the transfer window to select the players that he thinks will improve the squad.
To start to develop a younger team
With the out of favour Ravel Morrison the only player in the current first team squad under the age of 25, it is clear that we are too reliant on older players. This is understandable to an extent, as it does not appear that there is anyone from the youth team ready for first team football, but a more concerted effort to bring in younger players and develop a squad for the future needs to be made.
This won’t be easy, and will no doubt take time, but I am hoping that one or two younger players will be bedded into the team next season, who can be helped along the way by the more experienced players already in the squad. This would mark a slight change in tack in transfer policy from Big Sam during his time at the club, but I hope at least some effort will be made to sign younger players.
Mark Noble to be made club captain
I am doubtful that this will happen, but, this season, Mark Noble has been the true leader on the pitch, rather than Kevin Nolan. Noble has been the heartbeat of the side in so many matches, and his energy and desire should be the example that is set to his team-mates.
I like Nolan, as I think he has contributed greatly to the team in his time at the club, providing excellent leadership skills on and off the field, and whose goals have been a big part of our promotion and stabilisation in the Premier League. However, it has been clear in too many matches this season that age is catching up with Nolan, and barring his form in the month of February, has struggled to contribute the way he used to, even when Andy Carroll, with whom he has a great record, has been back in the side. I think he knows this too, and his stupid sending offs this season were probably borne out of frustration of his decline.
Nolan should take a step back next season and be used as a bit part player, and allow Noble to take the reigns of captaincy.
More inventive attacking play
Generally, West Ham’s goalscoring record has not been too good this season, and in too many matches have looked completely devoid of creativity and ideas, with last Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace a case in point.
A reliance on crosses into the box for a single striker to get on the end of has made our play far too one dimensional, and goalscoring hasn’t improved even since record signing Andy Carroll has returned to the team.
A lot of teams have worked out that they need to either stop the wingers’ deliveries, or simply crowd out Andy Carroll, and West Ham’s threat is diminished.
New ways of creating chances need to be found; whether that be with a different type of striker than Carroll used on occasion, or someone with more creative flair in midfield being bought in the transfer window who can open up defences with runs or passes.
Crowd support
On so many occasions during this and other seasons, the West Ham faithful have proven how great they can be. Who can forget that atmosphere when we won 3-0 at White Hart Lane earlier this season? Or those supporters who made the trip to Manchester on a Wednesday night to see the team get thrashed 6-0 but still sung non-stop the entire match?
However, a few home games recently have highlighted a small minority who have booed or sung negative songs aimed at the team and manager. Whilst of course entitled to their opinions, they should ask themselves whether this is going to help West Ham play better in any way, shape or form? This even happened after winning a game!
I have also been disappointed with the way we have played at times this season, including Saturday’s match, but if you look at the bigger picture, things really aren’t that bad when you compare it to what went before.
Under Avram Grant I don’t remember hearing such a poisonous atmosphere for example, so why now? At least we are fairly secure in the Premier League and the future looks to be bright for the club. So I would like the whole crowd to try and remain more supportive of the team next season, as we all know this can make a real difference.
Good article James , it’s been a tough season to be a supporter of the Hammers no doubt ! But i think you already know the answer to why Avram among others did not get as much stick as Big Sam .It is because of his alleged style of play tag that has been with him since his Bolton days .It
is basically discrimination really .When the team performs badly have you noticed how it is always BFS ‘s fault , never the players under performing ? Now don’t get me wrong ,if a better manager makes himself available to us and can improve us ,i would have no objection to a change as that would be in the best interests of the club ,but boy am i glad we did not change horses in mid stream when the pressure was on , i think we may well have been down already . Lets hope for a better season next year eh!
It is still possible for Cardiff, Fulham, Sunderland &/or Norwich to take the relegation margin to 39 pts on 11th May. I am not going to comment about any more plans for next season until we get to 39 or 40 points or it becomes mathematically impossible for more than 17 clubs to go past 37 pts
I’m sorry, but if Sam & West Ham can’t get 40 pts, then they are failures
In fact it’s still possible for Sunderland & Norwich to get 41 pts each, so how about 41 pts as a relegation margin? regardless of what Cardiff & Fulham do, unlikely but still possible. Lets just hope that Sam gets it right this weekend & that others slip up!
Good points and I agree to most if not all. I however belive the whole team is good enough to go forward and become a formidable side in the EPL. We just need to add with quality but above have numbers to be able to charge direction.
Sam is not the devil everyone makes out, his style of football is successful at certain times. The problem arise with either his inability or reluctance to see its not working and change it earlier. Could this faut lie perhaps with his staff. I wonder if they have the guts to challenge. Everytime I look to the bench when he is cringing in the seat,they stair into space.
So in my opinion keep the players and add to them but bring in someone who can mix it.
So the common outcome must Sam and ALL his staff to go. We will however go through another ordinary season but perhaps a bit of flair and entertainment will be seen. Who knows perhaps Noble maybe seen smiling on the field of play !
Agree with all points, especially bringing younger players to the squad. No Joey Barton , LeeCattamole or El Haj Diouf type players thank you very much, if any are signed in the summer then its rugby for me.
I just can´t believe the drivel I’ve just been reading, unless the writer and the two posts above want us to be division one, thank BFS for his effort and say good bye along with the oaf of a striker he insisted on buying, get someone in who is in tune with the modern game and send noble for some sprint training (I’m 74 and I think I could outpace him over 20 yards……
That’s the real trouble paraiso , all these people talking drivel except you ! By the way looking forward to the race !
Yeah not much wrong with what you have said mate! It’s just that it’s hard to keep your perspective sometimes when we have had to witness some truly awful displays this season! I think we all know that past mismanagement, crippling debt and not enough quality in the first team and the squad overall,has largely led us to the situation we currently find ourselves in, but frustration can get the better of you! After all few could have predicted after last year what a disaster this season has turned out to be! We can only now look to the future! Team strengthening will now be the name of the game! How BS does this and who he can get in will be crucial not only to BS but to the club itself! There is a huge amount riding on getting the transfers right. With what went on last summer only putting more pressure on. We simply cannot afford to go through another season like the last one! But whether we can/will spend to the levels required to ensure there is no repeat, or if there is the money to do so, is THE question to be answered! Our very future may rely on getting this question right! COYI!
Maybe we could do an exchange deal with Adam Johnson for Andy Carroll. I mean Andy is a bit like Torres, in that is he ever gonna actually start firing?? He’s similar, in just as Torres didn’t when he left Liverpool. If Andy is missing Geordie land, then who better to get them back up, and Johnson, who is definitely “star quality” does not need to have the burden Of a huge price tag on his head like Andy has. A straight swop. A good idea, yes, no? & he stays in the Premier League, as I’ve got a terrible feeling that Andy will never really make it big with us & I am not quite sure that any other Prem club is interested in his style of play. Then there’s Oxlaide Chamberlain. Wenger was interested in Diame, how about a straight swap. Chamberlain is young, has great leadership qualities & get’s left out of Arsenal’s starting line up far too much. Sign Armero. Bring Carrick back. Even Parker can come back & play part games if Fulham go down, but Fulham may just stay up, worth watching though, BUT we need to watch ouselves because if we can’t beat a team this Saturday who’ve only won 6 games this season then we don’t deserve to stay up either, but I’ve got a feeling that none of the bottom 3 will get past 35 points, except Fulham who have a great chance of trading places with Norwich, so if that happens then Scott would probably stay with them, but if we can stay up & I’m fairly sure we’ve done enough already too, then keep an eye on those bottom 3 clubs. No players are loyal these days. Anyone good just changes clubs like changing a new suit.
I think as far as scouting & recruiting goes, West Ham always used to have just about the whole of Sth East England covered & under surveillance for talent at all the schools. West Ham used to have the lead in this area, but all the other London clubs would have cottoned on to the tactics used by West Ham’s great scouting & coaching academy. West Ham has never had enough money to buy who they’d like, so the academy was always so invaluable. I remember when I first became a West Ham fan in the 60s, West Ham’s first 11 comprised of 8 Londoners. I suppose West Ham just have to try & be quicker than all the other teams now in spotting schoolboy talent. There is also a problem in that any kid who’s any good now, will think he can get into a big club, even while he’s still at school. If Morrison has fallen out with Sam, then the two of them need to compromise, Sam has to realise that he is not always right & be a bit of a psychiatrist. Same with Diame, find their strengths & work with them, not dominate them. Look, overall, West Ham do lack star quality. Anyone watching on the box from around the world can see that. I tell you, the last time West Ham looked good for a reasonable period of time, was around 5 years ago, about the same time we had Bellamy & Scott Parker in the side. Under Zola, we beat Man City at the Etihad. We were even in 4th place around late 2008. The owners would not make funds available for Zola to buy players & then blamed him when things inevitably turned bad. Don’t worry, its not just Sam who is doing it hard under these 2 new owners, in fact most managers would struggle with a lack of funds. Steve Bruce did when he worked for the 2 Davids, so there is an answer to an article that follows this one, in that if anyone else could work on a 2 Davids shoe string budget, then David Moyes could. I think that only if David Moyes wanted to come here should West Ham dismiss Sam, if not? Then Sam is doing the best he can under the owners budget. Look, you won’t get inventive attacking play under Sam, as you know; defense comes first with him, with men like Zola, yes. The booing I’m afraid just comes with decades of being used to being let down by West Ham. We sort of always expect things to go wrong, so they do. The only thing that can fix that is a good long run, being a few years of success. We’ve waited 50 years or so, so let’s hope it finally happens sometime. Yeah good article James, well done mate.
Two fullbacks, 2nd striker, creative midfielder, holding midfielder, not Cattamole, and a right winger. All to go straight into the first team. Might improve things next season if Sam can control his preference for old end of career pro’s.