Whilst some have been surprised to see West Ham languishing down at the foot of the table this season after performing above expectations last year, our current position should not come as a huge shock.
There are several reasons why we are where we are at the moment; a perfect storm of injuries, second season syndrome, a lack of major investment in the squad combined with an ‘all the eggs in one basket’ approach to the investment that was made, have contributed without doubt. But the bottom line is we have not picked up enough points.
The impending stadium move has meant that investment is being kept to the minimum required to keep us in the Premier league. Not because the Olympic Stadium is costing West Ham untold millions and reducing the available transfer funds. But rather, maintaining our Premier League status must be achieved in addition to considerably reducing our debt over this period.
It is both of these things, in conjunction with moving into a huge, state of the facility makes us a very viable proposition in the future and would likely prove very profitable for David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady. In this respect, our owners have worked wonders; consistently reducing our debt and providing us – regardless of this season’s outcome – with a sustainable future.
“Last year, 37 points would have secured Premier League status (or 36 with a goal difference of -25 or higher), while this year the total points required to ensure safety is likely to be similar, if not slightly less.”
With that in mind, West ham require 25 points to reach the vital 40 point milestone. With just 18 games to go until the end of the season, to reach this figure will require attaining more than one point a game.
While that may seem like a tall order, in reality there are many teams performing poorly throughout the league this year and with this kind of inconsistency evident, it is unlikely that 40 points will be anywhere near the final total required to stay clear of relegation. Last year, 37 points would have secured Premier League status (or 36 with a goal difference of -25 or higher), while this year the total points required to ensure safety is likely to be similar, if not slightly less.
Despite our relatively lofty position last year, throughout that campaign we were never more than a few points from danger. It wasn’t until a strong run-in that we pulled away from the drop zone. Even then we finished only nine points above 18th placed Wigan and just five points above 16th placed Newcastle.
Whilst 40 points may be beyond our reach this season, simply ensuring that we are not one of the three worst teams is something that we are still capable of achieving.
It was disappointing to hear Big Sam’s assertions that cup competitions don’t matter earlier this week. It’s easy to appreciate that Sam would rather just focus on results in the Premier League, however I believe that this kind of thinking totally neglects the positive effects that a cup run can have; boosting the confidence and morale not just of the players but the fans too.
Reaching the semi-final of the Capital One Cup is a great achievement and could do wonders in helping kick start the rest of our season. Man City have looked invincible at home so far and despite their away form picking up recently, they can be beaten. Our team is low on morale at the moment but a great FA cup run, or a giant killing against Man City would do wonders to turn that around.
On the one hand both of these competitions add extra fixtures into an already congested calendar. On the other, they can provide incredible momentum, which is just what we need right now.
