Two pre-season games under the players’ belts at the moment, but the real test is yet to come. Pre-season results aren’t the be all and end all of the actual pre-season, it’s more about getting fitness back to high levels and getting used to playing 11 v 11 in a proper sized pitch again after a well-deserved break.
With four players in already and Enner Valencia having apparently passed a medical, that leaves us with only a few kinks to iron out, one would have to imagine the spending is nearly done. However, the rumours are still flying around with Loic Remy, Esteban Cambiasso, Ivan Strinic and Vitorino Antunes all linked in the rumour mill.
It’s very hard to judge the potential of the players at the minute but I think we have a good idea of their skill and ability. Aaron Cresswell was one of the best left-backs in the Championship for the last two years and Diego Poyet was the Charlton Athletic Player of the Year, despite only making his full debut in January.
Mauro Zarate had a decent showing during his spell at Birmingham City but declined slightly when he moved to Italy, scoring 27 goals in 126 games. He picked up again in his home of Argentina netting 19 goals in 29 games, 13 of which came in the league making him the top scorer. Cheikhou Kouyate has impressed a lot of people in the first two games and has been described by some fans as Yaya Toure-esque, which is very exciting, and he also brings European experience, which could be invaluable in years to come.
I think the spine of the team is a good mix of youth and the experienced. People can say what they like about Kevin Nolan but he has bagged a lot of goals for us and is the captain for obvious reasons. Mark Noble is a top class player and with Winston Reid and James Tomkins behind his I can see a lot of clean sheets again this season. Andy Carroll played well when he was fit last season, allowing Big Sam Allardyce to fully implement his ‘direct style’ of football. Stewart Downing and Matt Jarvis are average enough in my books and players are definitely needed in those wide positions. I fear we are buying Valencia for the wing which I don’t personally think is a good idea, and hopefully I’m wrong.
Finally, my prediction. I think we will definitely improve on last season. My prediction is based on the teams I think are better then us, obviously finishing higher up the table. I think for me we are, at the moment, definitely a top 10 team. Stoke City and Newcastle United both finished in the top 10 last season and I believe with the reinforcements we have added this summer we have a much better squad then Stoke and are on par at least with Newcastle. I think Southampton will really struggle this season and unless Everton get a top class striker, like Romelu Lukaku, I also think they will underperform.
I believe we can finish as high up as 7th this season. With Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs all finishing ahead of us. It would be a dream come through to see us finish ahead of Spurs and nip a Europa league spot, but maybe that’s a bit too greedy for this season.
Laughable article. Silly pikey team with pikey fans
3-0. 2-1. 2-0 ^^^^ enough said ta da 🙂 wish we could play you tinpots every week 🙁
Just reading all these coments and the spuds fans say we are obsessed with them? Your having a laugh ain’t ya your whole fanbase has been on here today loooool
I bet you’re one of the silly mugs who bought an embarrassing t- shirt to celebrate your 3 cup final victories last season. Just about says it all. Better start the kids for a quid campaign again if u want to fill that white elephant when u move in
Spam haven’t won anything since 1980. Since 1980 we have won 3 x FA Cups, 2 x League cups and a Uefa cup..and we won’t bother mentioning what we’ve won before that.. And they think they are as big as us..possibly one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.
As for the bigger fanbase, we have 31k on the season ticket waiting lost, you have to sell your tickets for a quid, just so it looks like you can fill your stadium.
You have to move into a RENTED athletic stadium which you’ll have to share, we are building a new state of the art FOOTBALL stadium, where we can actually see the pitch.
We had our worst season for a few years and still finished 29 points ahead of you..
If you still think you are remotely close to us then I’m afraid I can’t help you.
DELIDED DELUDED DELUDED DELUDED..
“we have 31k on the season ticket waiting lost”
Mad Spurs fan, that 31k is your club membership, it just so happens it also acts as a ST waiting list. You have not a single glue what percentage of those 31k would take up a ST if offered.
As for recent trophies, well it’s now over 6 years since either of our clubs won anything. So who is deluded, us or Spurs fans who think they are in “a big” club?
Come on, which one of you bubble blowers wouldn’t want to get rid of big sam and move onto the next level. We may not be the biggest club in the prem but we consistently compete in the top 5 of the prem with rich teams that spend what we did last year every year. Sam will never get your lot anywhere near the top end, you need a new manager and some spending power to get to our level let alone above. Last seasons results against us do not mean you are suddenly the dogs b—-cks in the prem. We have at least been on the verge of something special you’re just a yoyo championship club lucky to still be in the prem, what is it now 2 or 3 relegations, sorry I’ve lost count.
“I believe we can finish as high up as 7th this season. With Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs all finishing ahead of us”
Billy, your a prick!
Read above and tell me where it says we think we are bigger than Spurs?
And is that rented stadium the same one your club wanted? Lets see how paying for your own stadium effects your transfer funds.
Ha ha. ” you have not a single glue”. Oh dear picking up on people’s typos and coming out with that.. Now that is embarrassing.
It’s 6 years since WE won anything.. But 34 years since YOU won anything.. I know it’s embarrassing but don’t try to make up stuff just to cover it up..
Oh wait a minute, unless you are including coming 3rd in the lower league as winning something?
I guess you must be, as winning the play-offs is the biggest day in your clubs history. Hahaha big club ????
“verge of something special”
Classic, next year will be our year rubbish.
Spurs fans mistake is that they think Hammers fans see our club as a big team like Spurs. No, no & no we just know that Spurs are a upper mid size team like us
us. You are the ondeludeded about your importance.
No, no mistake I think you’ll find spurs fans think of your club as not being a big club too and on the verge of something special is closer than being relegated and yoyoing up and down. bubble blowers still talk in terms of the great bobby moore etc. He’d be well impressed with your progress now wouldn’t he. Should rename your new stadium downton park, much more in keeping with your status these days.
We’ll overtake Spurs when they’re paying off their stadium and we aren’t. There are going to be rich new owners coming in and Sam will move on. Can’t wait COYI
You won’t be paying off your stadium because it ain’t yours. It’s a rented athletics stadium, unfit for football..
Just to put things in perspective, who’s the better off, someone in a rented council house, or someone in a 4 bed detached house which they own????? Who’s got the brighter future????
It’s a well known fact that Spam fans are stupid but there is no need to abuse the privilege.
Spurs have become boring and dull. We can’t win Jack, have crap players and couldn’t beat an egg. But we’re still better than SAMs longball merchants.
You spent more than us by about 90m last season so beating you was cause to celebrate. The tops are just banter and this article is just a way of looking at how much we’ve moved forwards since last season.
Why do you Spurs tw@ts feel the need to come on a hammers site and tell us you’re a bigger club. It just sounds desperate and pathetic.
Basically you spent more than us and so should finish above us, the only way (before big buyers come in post entering the Olympic Stadium) we can finish above you is if you mess up.
Last season you were a laughing stock, wasting £100m by selling the best player you will ever have and sacking 2 managers because the fans and board think the club is bigger than it is.
Ponch had no pressure/expectation at Southampton, some of their fans were fed up with him towards the end and he’s never managed a big club. He could turn out like another Ramos in which case we’ll be looking down on you at the end of the season.
Your messages just sound like you are trying to convince yourselves of something and comes across as though you are little scared of what this season will bring.
Stop worrying about us, WE DON’T CARE what you think
We sacked our manager because we weren’t happy with the style of football.. You would love to sack your manager because he is the Worst, most boring manager in prem history.
That’s why you booed your team week in week out, even when you won you booed, but you can’t afford to sack him, that’s because you are a cheap little club, run by perverts.
Your dream is to finish above us, but you all know it won’t happen, even the season when we had 2 points in 8 games, and you lot were wetting yourselves about us going down, we still finished higher than you.. You are a boring little nothing club that keeps getting relegated, but at least you give us a laugh on a regular basis.
Keep trying to make us believe you Billy no mates. What a nob lol. Why do you feel the need to try and alate our club, some of you supporters are just classless and this is why most neutrals dislike Spurs, you take your selves too seriously. And you say you sacked your boss due to style of footy, what rubbish
Levy got rid because Sherwood weren’t a big name and you petty fans think you are better than you are.
Everyone thought Redknapp played a good style of football, oh you sacked him (the most successful manager you’ve had for years) for considering being England manager, what a crime someone who wants to do well for his country! You utter nobs p*ss off back to your rock nob ‘ead
Our supporters are classless hahaha.. That coming from the most disgusting classless fans in the country.
The same fans who sing a vile song about their ex manager, Glenn reeder having a brain tumour.. The same fans who mock, ex manager, Harry redknapp for having a car crash, the same fans who mock the killing of millions of Jews, despite their own club being owned by a Jew.. Yes what class you have.
Our fans are classless, hahaha this coming from the most vile and disgusting fans in the country.
The same fans who sing a vile song about their ex manager ( Glenn Roeder ) having a brain tumour. The same fans who mock their ex manager ( Harry Redknapp ) having a bad car crash. Plus a lot lot worse.. The irony is laughable.
Those fans who are rascist or taunt sick things are vile and the minority, most fans would agree (West Ham and all other fans) that it’s wrong.
Yet again though, a Spurs fan talks as if Spurs are a class above.
Sorry Billy boy but I’ve heard some sick sh*t from Spurs fans and most other teams’ fans.
Try and use your tiny brain please and realise that there are nasty people everywhere but you’re classless because you think Spurs are somehow better than everyone else.
Anyway loner why you still reading on a West Ham site?
I don’t think we are better than everyone. The table doesn’t lie.. I do know we are miles better than you as, once again, the table doesn’t lie..29 pts in fact.
And before you say you are better because you beat us….. Cardiff beat Man City last season…does that mean Cardiff are better.?
Notts forest stuffed you 5-0.. Does that mean they are better than you?
The league is over a season not a couple of games…
Omg lol at you. If you could read the message before you reply then you’d notice I said you think your fans are all saints(not southampton) and better than everyone else’s, we have some nasty fans but so do you and every other club.
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND now?
You dod better than us last season none of us have ever said otherwise, the article just says is it possible we could go above spurs next season followed by probably not.
But given where you came after wasting £100m and now too much on Ben Davies (in a relegation threatened team last season and not much better than Rose) with a new risky manager IMO it might be you completely under achieve again
I really don’t think we need transfer advice from you lot ( roger Johnson ) I remember you lot and arsenal fans having a pop at us for signing a certain Gareth bale, he didn’t turn out too bad did he?
That 100m you are obsessed with, was not an injection from a sugar daddy, we reinvested the bale money like any decent club would do.
Once again irony at its best, £15 m for 5 goals a season Andy Carroll, and £15m on the wrong Valencia.
I never said Bale was a waste, you’re generalising again. Also I believe a lot of Spurs fans wanted him out (including you no doubt).
Johnson is what happens when you haven’t got very rich owners (like yours), the £100m might be reinvested but the combined stupid wages on really poor players (apart from Ericsson) are much higher than Bales.
Carroll was less than £15m he will only be £15m once he has scored a certain amount of goals.
Carroll might turn out to be a bad move but he cost as much as any low end striker in the market these days. Left backs that aren’t anything special are usually a tad cheaper.
Lol almost forgot I would rather have Carroll &Valencia than Loldado. How much was he again? How many goals in open play from a pretty injury free season?
You are judging a player on one season.. That’s what people who know nowt about football do… The same people judged Bale after one season…..
Carroll has flopped everywhere he has been, that’s why Liverpool were prepared to lose 20m on him, he really is that bad..
The thing I would worry about is how you all treat him as your best player… Your owners embarrassed the club again when they were going to sue the FA because he was banned…i
Your best player wouldn’t even make our bench and that is why this thread is a total joke…
Billy you are still on here yer saddo. Let’s see who scores more between Carroll and Soldado. Redknapp was close to selling Bale so you’re saying he (and all you Spurs fans who were slating him knew nowt about football, ha ha).
Best player wouldn’t make your bench, that’s what n*bs like you always say but is just ballz, Naughton’s hood and Soldado is useless, plus none of us fans would want Dawson lol.
If you are as good as you say you are then how the hell did we beat you 3 times! Once maybe but 3 times??? Maybe it’s because you wasted the money you had, and sacked manager (redknapp) who was any good. Seems to me your board are the joke. Go t*ss over Levy again, a man who buys late so to save cash and lose out due to the players having little pre-season.
You could’ve gone on to be certain top 4 each season, with another striker at one point could’ve challenged for the title but now you look miles off that lol.
Slow clap to the egomaniac Levy and the fans sucked into his ballshine
Clueless doesn’t come close to describing you…
VDV was bought on the last day for peanuts, I suppose you are trying to tell me that didn’t work out?
Dawson would walk into your team, be captain and win player of the season, yet he is finished with us.. That’s how it works.
Carroll is your best player and no he wouldn’t make our bench..
The season is judged over 38 games not 2… Check back the last 10 times we’ve played before last season… It’s very much in our favour, but you don’t hear us bang on about it every 5 minutes, that’s because it’s not our cup finals as it is for you.
It’s all you have.
How many doubles have you won? How many top flight titles have you won? How many FA cups have you won? How many UEFA cups have you won? How many CL appearances have you made?
The gap is massive, and you can’t even see it..
We beat you by 29 points last season, and that was our worst season for years. And yet you think you had the better season..
We lost to lesser teams it happens, just ask Forest… 5-0 wasn’t it?
Dawson is useless lol. We would never want him. Morrison showed him up last season. He’s too slow and past it. He was only ever any good with King next to him fixing his mistakes. Reid is miles better than Dawson and I prefer him to Chiriches and Kaboul (injury’s have ruined him). Vert is good but not for you as it was obvious at the end of last season he didn’t give a toss about spurs, he doesn’t want to play for you anymore. You can waste the money you get from Barca on lesser players though (that is how it works).
You can’t read, you’re a moron, you keep saying we’re saying things that we’re not saying.
Please cut your losses and move back to your own websites where you can suck each other over thinking your team is bigger than they are lol
I gotta add how can you be so thick as to bring in old trophy wins because I said, if none of our CURRENT players could get in your CURRENT squad how did we beat you 3 times.
I have to put CURRENT in capitals because you’re so thick lol
It’s funny how we keep WASTING money on players and yet finish way above yo EVERY year..
We should take a few tips off you I guess. I would love to know what it feels like to be in a relegation scrap every year.
Actually
Please tell me, what is it like?????
you seem to be getting confused, just because you beat us for one season, doesn’t mean your players could get into our squad… How can you not understand this???
Cardiff beat Man city, how many of their players would get in man city’s squad… I know you are not the brightest but it’s not that hard to comprehend..
Forest stuffed you and totally embarrassed you, how many of their … Oh hang on that’s not the best argument because probably half of forest team would walk into your squad, as would most teams in the lower leagues..
The difference is I can see how some of your players are shat and where ours are better. I would take Reid over Dawson all day (and given teams like yourselves and Arsenal are sniffing round him while teams like Hull are sniffing round Dawson I think those who know about footy agree) and you can’t bring Man City into it they are light years ahead of you, whereas there are a couple of Cardiff players I rate over a couple of Spurs players.
You can’t even read so I understand but please stop trying to tell me how good you think Spurs are, you’ve spent more and been in the Prem longer, you should be, no one has said otherwise you pillock.
And really what do you have to show for your so called amazing team, dull Euro football full of shat teams who don’t even play their strongest teams because it’s not that important (yet) playing on Channel 5, it’s better than nothing but hardly makes you look like a big club. If it did you would be able to sign better quality players like Arsenal do
Billy, Classless should probably stop wasting his time on you but you should leave before you make more of a tit of yourself