OPINION
Karren Brady has commented on West Ham’s current state in the Premier League in her column this week and her view is spot on.
In a column written for The Sun, Brady shared the Hammers’ recipe for success: “And at West Ham we have learned that a good boss, a solid team, a goal scorer, supportive owners and a full stadium are the key to being in the top-flight.”
Since their return to the Premier League in 2012 following a year-long spell in the Championship, West Ham have once again cemented their place in the top flight.
The club have definitely been looking back to their best this season, but fans will be hoping for more than just a mid-table finish year-in, year-out for the next few seasons.
Of course having a good manager is a key aspect of being in the top-flight, but the Hammers have also made some good signings since their return which have helped them to stay in the Premier League, thanks to the owners of the club.
However, arguably the Hammers don’t really have a prolific goalscorer. Marco Arnautovic is the club’s top scorer this season with 10 goals in all competitions, but the Austrian has fallen off the pace in recent weeks.
The attacker showed signs his form was recovering in the last outing against Southampton, but that’s not enough to make him dependable.
This is definitely the missing ingredient from Brady’s list which is hindering West Ham’s progress in the Premier League, especially considering that the rest of the formula seems to be all there.
There may be a cluster of goalscorers at the club, but none of them seem to have the ruthlessness needed to make a real impact at this level and this is something that may need to be looked at in the summer transfer window.
Arguably, West Ham still have lots of work to do if they are wanting to progress as a team in the Premier League, but it seems that the Hammers are well on their way in doing so, assuming they can bring in a top striker ahead of next season.
