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How are West Ham doing in pre-season?

I really don’t care.

In these summer months, we are starved of football, and so understandably, we jump at any opportunity to watch our teams play. However, regardless of who that game is against, football fans of all clubs, will over analyse the results, for good or for bad.

However, if we look at the facts, these results really mean absolutely nothing when it comes to early form in the upcoming season.

Lets have a look at the respective pre-seasons from the last couple of seasons, compared to our form in the first 10 games of the season that followed…

Pre Season 2014/15

.vs Wellington Phoenix – L (2-1)
.vs Sydney – L (3-1)
.vs Schalke – W (0-0 FT, 6-7 on Penalties)
.vs Malaga – L (2-0)
.vs Sampdoria – W (3-2)

Early Season Form 2014/15
L W L D W L W W W D

Verdict

The preseason of last year was pretty atrocious. Back to back losses to Wellington and Sydney, where if I remember correctly, a pint of beer was thrown over Allardyce by a disgruntled fan, were followed by a pretty dismal “Schalke 04 Cup” mini tournament, where we failed to score a goal from open play in both of our matches.

The only redeeming moment of the event came when we managed to beat a German team on penalties.

However, funnily enough, this proved to have absolutely no bearing on the start of the season, as pretty much all of our later signings, including Diafra Sakho and Alex Song, all hit the ground running, and we went on to have our best start ever start to a Premier League season.

Pre Season 2013/14

.vs Cork City – W (2-6)
.vs Boreham Wood – W (0-3)
.vs Bournemouth – W (0-2)
.vs Colchester United – W (1-2)
.vs FSV Mainz 05 – L (4-1)
.vs Hamburger SV – W (1-3)
.vs Enintract Braunschweig – W (0-3)
.vs Pacos de Ferreira – W (2-1)

Early Season Form 2013/14
W D L D L L W L D D

Verdict

Here we have the polar opposite to the 2014/15 seasons pre season results. We won all but one of our pre season games, the loss coming against Mainz, and although there were some poor sides in there, some players were said to be impressing, such as Ravel Morrison, for example.

However, when it came to the start of the season, this optimisim dissipated quickly. We had a terrible start, picking up a win against Cardiff on the opening day and then losing to the likes of Stoke and Everton at home.

Whilst we somehow managed to unforgettably beat Spurs 3-0 away, the first of our three wins over them that season, that was only the second win of that season, and it came in October.

In a nutshell here we have the exact reason why fans of any club should not too much, if anything, into their pre season results.

The games are played for match fitness and match fitness only, and whilst its certainly exciting to see new signings bedding in well, a few wins do not mean you will be challenging for the top four, and a few losses against minnows does not mean that you will be relegated, either.

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