Moving Forward End of the Season and Summer

This summer is poised to be an interesting one at West Ham.

Unless some miraculous transformation happens on the field then it appears that the Hammers will have deeply underperformed this season. Why is that? Some of the blame may lay at the feet of Slaven Bilic, some of it at squad balance, others could say injuries and simple “bad luck”. The truth is that somewhere between all of these things is the answer to West Ham’s embarrassing league position.

A club with a sixty thousand seat stadium and a premium position in the cultural fabric of London simply does not finish 10^th in the league. Maybe the old West Ham but not the new one. The sites have been set higher and they are within reach make no mistake about it but as of now and without some change they simply will not be met and that is no longer OK.

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Slaven Bilic has had to deal with a lot this season. Between injuries, the loss of a club record signing to the African Cup of Nations, and quite simply a Judas-like betrayal he hasn’t exactly had the easiest season so far. That said life is full of ups and downs and not to be too American but “when times get tough, the tough get going” and everybody at West Ham needs to grit their teeth and get a move on.

The race toward the end of the season should be about solidarity. Bilic should stay and be given a couple more years. In the end of the season he should give some youth players opportunities and try and solidify an 18-19 man nucleus in his squad. A group of men who best reflect his ideals as a coach and the character of the club. Following that, and hopefully a couple end of season lucky results West Ham will finish the season in the top-10. Not good enough but safe as well. No one could have predicted the amount of trouble the stadium change would cause but now hopefully with that behind them the team can move forward.

New Signings?

Next West Ham should try and make three key signings to change things moving forward:

The first should be Joe Hart. It is inconceivable to me that people are expected to pay to watch the horror-show going on between the sticks at the London Stadium this year. The only thing that matters in goalkeeping is consistency and somehow West Ham have found a collection of the least consistent players in the country. If they can’t sign Hart then Asmir Begovic of Chelsea would be a good move.

Secondly, Alexander Lacazette should be in East London next season. There were rumors that this could happen and it should. Lacazette is a genuine talent who puts defenders on the back foot. Adding this genuine firebrand of a striker would be pure gold to West Ham. It is sad to say but West Ham simply can’t count on Andy Carroll it appears.

If Lacazette isn’t available then the out of favor Daniel Sturridge I think would be the right player. He’s a genuine goal scorer and can be gotten for enough of a cut price that it is worth the injury risk. That’s the most risky option however. I believe that Sturridge still has a 20 goal season in him. He’s that good when he wants to be. He’s out of touch at Liverpool and a new home and mentality could be just the thing to set him right.

Does Mr West Ham have a place?

Thirdly, a quality midfield engine. Mark Noble is a leader but lacks in a lot of other areas he’s lacking simple genuine technical qualities. The first player West Ham should try and make a move for (hold your jeers) is Cesc Fabregas. He’s out of favor at Chelsea and if West Ham play a five-man midfield with Noble and another workhorse it could be perfect. Fabregas likes living in London and selling him on that as well as a relatively similar salary to what he is earning at Stamford Bridge could be a perfect move for the Hammers.

If they can’t get Fabregas the next move should be for Ivan Rakitic. This is where Bilic would have to step in. They know each other from their time in the Croatian national team set up. With Luis Enrique failing to play him or even explain why he isn’t Rakitic is said to be quickly losing patience in Catalonia. This would be a reach but these are the sort of players West Ham should be chasing now. You need Champions League players to play in the Champions League. At some point West Ham need to stop thinking like a little club because they aren’t one.

Option Number 3?

If both of those moves fail this is my favorite option. Riechedly Bazoer at Ajax is poised to leave the Dutch giants this summer and West Ham could make him a strong offer based on playing time. Bazoer is a gem. A total star in the making with all the best qualities instilled in the Ajax football school as well as those physical ones needed in England. It’s true Bazoer is one of my favorite young players in Europe.

Next: West Ham must beat Watford

He simply plays in a position that is full on most of the biggest teams so a middle step where he can continue to grow is the next most logical move. A central midfielder of his class and age would represent a literal steal for West Ham. He would improve the athleticism, technique and pace of the West Ham midfield simply on arrival. If he can be bought for anyplace between 15-25 million pounds then West Ham shouldn’t even make a counteroffer they should just sign the check.

West Ham can be one of the big clubs, one of the biggest, best and most competitive in the league. But it is about time they started thinking that too. West Ham fans and the London Stadium deserve better than what has been on show so far this season. What they deserve is a wonderful return to form next season.