After an emotionally exhausting 90 minutes at Wembley on Saturday, West Ham fans throughout the country will be debating their ideal and realistic transfer and points targets for next season.
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Watching the entire Hammers squad in absolute ecstasy on the pitch after the game, spraying Champagne on one another in true Formula 1 fashion was sweet imagery for East London after enduring painful television material of the same celebrations from Reading and Southampton three weeks before. It did however spark debate into which squad members will be utilised for next season and who will be let go.
The squad already has a decent share of Premier League experience in its spine with Robert Green, James Tomkins, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole all boasting hundreds of appearances playing in the world’s most elite league.
The owner’s first aim will be to tie Robert Green to a new contract that will avoid any temptation the England no 2 may have of playing for big-spending Malaga.
Then attentions will be shifted to our transfer targets to improve the balance of the squad. There are no doubts that a complete overhaul is not necessary. Many have stated that we need just one quality defender, midfielder and striker to top off a squad that some may say would be more suited to playing Premier League football anyway (Jack Collison, Ricardo Vaz Te and Nicky Maynard in mind).
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Sam Allardyce will be keeping a close eye on his team in pre-season training calculating his best 11 for the upcoming Premier League campaign and how any new players blend into the team’s most efficient formation. From then, the season will be very much decided on how we fare in our first 6 games of the campaign. If we struggle to get anything less than at least 5 points from our first 6 (as we did in Avram Grant’s 2010-11 season), a long winter of a relegation dogfight may have to be endured. However, if Sam’s men surprise the expected critics amongst the media with two or three impressive wins and 8-12 points achieved from the first 6 games (as achieved under Pardew in 2005-06), it could be one hell of a ride in store.
A realistic target would be 20 points under our belts by the New Year, an attainment that would mean the Hammers are halfway there in achieving their Premier League status for the second year, with 40 points usually being sufficient (typically bar the year we were relegated in 2003 on 42 points!)
However, Big Sam really must secure his hands on another guaranteed goalscorer for the Premier League. As good as Carlton looked in the final 4 games of the season, 15 goals for the campaign in the Championship is not sufficient for the elite league’s defensive standards. Ricardo Vaz Te is potentially a 15-20 goal scorer in the Premier League, but holding onto this hope is simply not convincing enough a plan.
Do so and we may well be equipped to enjoy a fantastic year back where we belong!
COYI
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Personally I would like us to sign hargreaves on a pay as u play deal along with undoubted young talent of Zaha from Palace and snodgrass from Leeds! Michael owen could become a real decent signing (if he stays fit) as he is a natural goalscorer! Also I no this will be unpopular but I would seriously consider a return for Defoe! Still need a decent center back to play with Tomkins as still not 100% sure on Reid! Overall a couple of decent signings I think we could have a good season! Coyi
I’d like to see us move away from signing old crocks like Owen and Hargreaves. I’m encouraged by the fact that we are already releasing older players like Faye and Diop.
I’d like to see us sign three or four quality players on long term deals, all in the 19-25 years old bracket.
Players like Snodgrass, Whittingham, Zaha, Moses, Clyne.
There seems to be a consensus on some of the potential incomming players, like Zaha and Snodgrass, but I think full back, experienced centreback and of course a striker (Why let Nouble go?) because goals win games…
Personally I think Reid is a superior player too Tomkins! Still can’t believe we didn’t take the £5 million Newcastle offered!
Have you ever been to Upton Park?
Reid not bad but Tomkins is a class above…
Joe 74 – get your head examined you mo ron