If West Ham don’t make any more signings during the rapidly closing transfer window how will the rest of the season shape up?
If West Ham don’t make any further improvements, and don’t lose anybody either, they’ll be in a pretty decent place compared to last season. The hardest part though will be acknowledging that with their closest competition for cracking the golden ceiling of the Premier League’s top-6 being Everton – the team who have strengthened the most this off season – the Hammers could very well be a better side in a worse final league position next season.
The team is incomparably better than they were last season in which they were a fractured excuse for a football club. The Payet scandal as well as other issues rocked the club in many different ways and quite frankly simply a steady ship for a season or two might be just what the doctor ordered.
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On Paper v on the Pitch
The issue is unfortunately that the entire division goes on a strengthening mission every summer. That and the guaranteed points that existed against bottom feeding sides from last season no longer exist. Huddersfield are a legitimately good side, not a good recently promoted one, a good one. Brighton are decent and might end up being the weakest of the three promoted sides. Then Newcastle have Rafael Benitez who for all his waiter like sartorial choices is worth points just in guile alone.
The weak teams are all stronger. Everton have spent 100 million quid alone. West Ham though having made good signing are vulnerable simply because of the amount that other teams have strengthened. West Brom have gone out and bought over 4 new players all of whom are quality. Leicester added Iheanacho, who the Hammers should have, and they look better if they can keep Mahrez.
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West Ham are in a dangerous position. Having become a better and more expensive side they have made a series of financial commitments that only the Premier League’s economy can support. The issue is that simply strengthening isn’t good enough in the Premier League. You need to improve substantially in every single sector of the team or be caught out simply because the quality of the league is so quickly growing.