OPINION
Many West Ham fans will surely be over the moon as Michael Owen claimed that Manuel Pellegrini’s side would be the best of the rest in the Premier League in the 2019/20 season.
The former Liverpool player shared that he would be disappointed if the Hammers didn’t significantly improve on their 10th-placed finish from last season in his Premier League preview, and tipped summer signing Pablo Fornals to make a difference.
“I feel Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham will be the best of the rest in the Premier League this season,” wrote Owen for BetVictor.
“Another side to break their transfer record this summer – £45m striker Sebastien Haller – although I feel young Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals – £24m signing from Villareal – might make the difference.
“I will be disappointed if they don’t improve significantly on their 10th placed finish last term.”
Owen clearly believes the Hammers will be knocking on the door of the Premier League’s top-six based on his remarks, as he predicted them to finish seventh, and a large number of Hammers supporters will be thrilled that he seems so confident about their club’s upcoming campaign.
This is especially the case when you consider Owen seems to have doubts about other potential dark horses for the Premier League’s top-six in his preview, as he admits he is not confident Wolves can match their seventh-placed finish from last season, believes Leicester City need a quality defender if Harry Maguire exits and seems to be on the fence over whether Everton are stronger than they were last season.
West Ham finished 10th in their latest campaign with 52 points, meaning they were 14 points off sixth-placed Manchester United and five points off seventh-placed Wolves.
The highest the Hammers have ever finished in the Premier League is fifth, which is where they finished under Harry Redknapp in the 1998/1999 season, and since then West Ham have had a mixed bag of results.
West Ham suffered relegation in their 2010/11 season, they finished bottom of the league, but after instantly winning promotion back, the Hammers have dabbled with relegation battles while being a mainly mid-table side, barring their seventh-placed finish under Slaven Bilic.
So for Owen to be so confident that the Hammers will be the best of the rest, on the outskirts of the top-six places, then loads of Hammers fans will be over the moon that Pellegrini is leading the club in the right direction.
