Yes it is only February and West Ham are still a long way from returning to the promise land but as a Happy Hammer it is hard not to get carried away. A hard fought draw with promotion hopefuls Southampton kept the East Enders clear at the top of the Championship with a game in hand in midweek.
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Southampton have the opportunity to leapfrog the Hammers today but the future champions will have two games in hand over their rivals. I am not suggesting that Peterborough and Blackpool away will be easy games, quite the opposite, but four points from them two will be sufficient to be comfortable at the summit.
I for one would be confident in saying that Big Sam’s team will achieve automatic promotion at the first attempt come May and preparations for keeping West Ham in the best league in the world will commence. New signings in January have given the Hammers boss some excellent options going forward that were severely lacking in the first half of the season and should result in better football and more goals being scored from now on.
However, one thing I noticed in January was the lack of departures from Upton Park. Admittedly the squad is not the biggest, but with only five substitutes allowed and the worst of our injury problems seemingly behind us *grabs wood to touch* there are certainly some big’ish names that will now have to sit out for long periods. Mr Allardyce will be fully aware that there are a number of players in the first team squad that won’t cut it in the Premier League next season and so expect a lot of outgoings as well as new signings in the summer.
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Mr Gold and Sullivan are funding plenty of deals for the club after failing to sack Avram Grant this time last year but somewhere along the line they will need a return of some sort. There is no doubt that Sam will want to keep hold of his best players and thankfully the owners are singing from the same hymn sheet so expect the majority of ‘squad’ players to depart.
Youngsters such as Freddie Sears, Frank Nouble, Callum Driver, Jordan Spence and Marek Stech have surely got to be sold on permanent deals to get them off of the wage bill as they are going to struggle to make any sort of impact at the club next year, but other products of the academy, Robert Hall, Dan Potts and Cristian Montano are worth keeping hold of.
Obviously the current players on loan at Upton Park, Henri Lansbury, George McCartney, Brian Montenegro and George John are obligated to return to their parent club, however don’t be surprised to see McCartney stay as he is out of contract in the summer and the left back position is one where strength in depth and experience is not our strong point.
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Elsewhere in the Hammers squad the list of possible outgoings grow as the likes of Freddie Piquionne, John Carew, Joey O’Brien and Gary O’Neill will not be guaranteed much if any game time next year as well as the returning Pablo Barrera from his loan in Spain. That is already more than a dozen names that could and probably should leave Upton Park in the summer as well as a slim chance of Rob Green not signing a new deal and Allardyce’s desperation to get rid of Carlton Cole; who seems to want to stay put. First team members such as, Sam Baldock, Jack Collison and Papa Bouba Diop may even feel that playing once a month is not enough and look for a way out of Sam’s revolution.
There could well be a very new look Hammers squad in five or six months time and with the wage bill reducing considerably; just like it did last summer; a fresh, experienced team will be built to keep West Ham consolidating and start what could be a long and unattractive route back to the top half of the Premier League where we belong.
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keep brian montenego and welcome back barrera never given a proper chance under grant
I really don’t see the need for us to sell the likes of Jordan Spence etc he’s a young lad, come up through the ranks with international recognition. He’s learning his trade & could still develop into a very good player (it would cost more to buy them back!) I’d concentrate on getting the last of the deadwood(Piq) + the slight panic buys (John Carew)first! We’re in a good place to add some more quality to add to the spine of home grown players with the right attitude (Tompkins,Noble,Collison) Obviously we need to get promoted first anyway….lets keep grinding away & go up as champs to give us time to do the right business early!
Considering he’s our best player, why is it that most hammers fans don’t even know Tomkins’ name? It’s annoying! Anyway I agree about Barerra, we’ve been lacking a decent wide man all season and even though Vaz Te was a very good acquisition I still think Barerra could develop into an essential first team player. Can’t see any reason for Greeno not to sign a new deal as us fans have always been right behind him so i cant imagine him wanting to move. And we should be in the premiership next season which helps!
I highly doubt we will get rid of baldock more like carew
I think big sam knows who to move on already, but the main job is to get out of this division. the 2 new lads look good,and both need to start next up-with tomkins returning to the back four, he has done ok in midfield-but we need more craft in this area, and with 2 games in hand for the first time this season we could start to build a gap and put some pressure on chasing pack.
Piq, Carew, Linda, O’Neil, O’Brien and Diop fine. Barrera and Montanego I’d like to see given a go, but Barrera isn’t doing too well on loan and maybe Montanego isn’t impressing in training. I’d keep Cole, like Noble he loves and bleeds the club, we need that especially if we’re building up for a player/dressing room divide.
good comments lads, Barrera looks like a world beater when he plays for mexico but falls flat at club level. I reckon he may be one of these latin players who do not adapt well to Europe. Carew . Piq and Sears need to move on. I have friends in Argentina after spending some time living there they all say Montenegro is special and that if he had gone to Argentina he would have been offered citizenship (Something that happens a lot in S. America half the Paraguay team where born elsewhere) I am 100% behind BS as I think he is the man to get us promoted and I would rather be ugly winners than pretty losers. I go to UP every home game I can and it seems like a role reversal now its us who dont play great stuff yet win ! as opposed to hammering teams and losing 1 nil.
Agree with spuds, but Nouble should be given a chance aswell
I’ve heard that Barrera isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. The boss of Zaragoza leaves him on the bench as he isn’t physicall enough! For the spanish league?! If he’s deemed not physicall enough there then surely in the Prem he will struggle?