Positives for West Ham heading into the new season

After the shock sale of Grady Diangana a followed by a humiliating defeat in the Betway Cup at the hands of Bournemouth, it is difficult for any West Ham fan to find positives heading into the new season.

If we dig deep enough, though, we may be able to find some points for optimism as the opening game at home to Newcastle draws ever closer and prove that not all is lost at West Ham United.

Goals, Goals, Goals

No, not in the Irons’ net, but the oppositions. The Hammers may have conceded five against the Cherries, but they continue to bang them in at the other end of the pitch.

With the three scored yesterday, that brings the team total to fourteen goals in just four pre-season matches against Wycombe, Ipswich, Brentford, and Bournemouth, respectively.

Jarrod Bowen, in particular, has been in fine goal-scoring form during the off-season, as he has netted a personal tally of four goals in three games. If he can continue to find the goalscoring positions that he has been doing, accompanied by the creative side of his game that was on display towards the end of last season, he will be a threat for any defence in the league and will no doubt be pivotal to how West Ham’s season pans out.

If the club can spend the Diangana money on much-needed defenders, then David Moyes has a chance to resolve his team’s defensive issues and provide a platform for his attacking players to push on and score plenty more goals.

Key players are due to return

While there was admittedly cause for concern with the manner in how the Hammers conceded on Saturday, they were missing their two starting midfielders: Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

More from Green Street Hammers - West Ham

• Brighton vs West Ham predictions: Can James Ward-Prowse help end the curse?
• West Ham and two Premier League rivals made huge transfer stand
• Lucas Paqueta bet allegations discussed in West Ham and Man City transfer talks
• Bournemouth vs West Ham predictions: Premier League opener amid transfer chaos
• West Ham near Denis Zakaria transfer after final James Ward-Prowse bid

While this duo won’t completely fix the defensive issues for Moyes, they will no doubt provide much greater protection to the back-line than Mark Noble and Manuel Lanzini managed, followed later by Josh Cullen and Jack Wilshere.

Another important player that is set to return is Lukasz Fabianski who, like Rice and Soucek, has been away on international duty.

The ‘keeper will look to be back to his best in the Hammers net as he had a troubled campaign last time around, picking up two injuries which kept him out of the line-up for significant periods.

If the Polish international can reach the heights of his debut season again, he will prove to be another vital cog in the disjointed defense.

With Diangana now gone, Andriy Yarmolenko‘s return to East London is also much-needed as the options out wide for Moyes are scarcer than before. Not only that, but he can provide cover for Sebastian Haller and Michail Antonio up-front, who are now the only two senior strikers on West Ham’s books.

The transfer window is still open

With funds now seemingly in the bank following Diangana’s sale, it gives the chance for Moyes to finally go out and make some signings.

It is no secret that the Hammers are in desperate need of a left-back, with Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku considered by many as unable to provide the necessary cover to support their defensive counterparts.

Center-half has also been a cause for concern as links have been made with a move to sign James Tarkowski, who helped Burnley gain 15 clean sheets in the Premier League last season – 7 more than West Ham.

Even if the Hammers fail to land Tarkowski, it is pleasing that the club is looking to strengthen an area that needs bolstering if they want to avoid another campaign of slumming it out in a relegation battle.

Whilst these rays of light may not outweigh the overwhelming gloom that persists at West Ham right now, they provide a glimmer of hope that even the most negative Hammers fan must cling on to if they are to keep themselves sane before the season has even begun.