West Ham Pushing For Champions League Spot In Extraordinary Season
At the start of this season, West Ham went into the campaign as one of the teams which were expected to be fighting relegation. The Hammers narrowly avoided the drop last year and with no significant investment in the team, they looked to be one of the teams which were going to struggle.
A relegation scrap has been anything but the case for the East London club this season as they are having their best-ever Premier League campaign. At the time of writing, David Moyes’ side were the highest placed London club on the table. They sit fourth in the standings, a position which would see them qualify into the Champions League next season.
Qualification into Europe has been the goal for the club ever since they moved into the London Stadium. Unfortunately for those connected, progression on the field has not quite gone to plan before this season.
The prospect of some of the leading clubs in Europe like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid visiting the Stratford-based stadium next season, will be getting the board, supporters, and players very excited. There is still a lot of work to do over the next couple of months to secure Champions League football, however, the Hammers are well in the mix.
West Ham are 7/2 in the Premier League betting for a top-four finish this season. Chelsea are one point behind the standings, while Tottenham and Liverpool are three points away. All three of those leading clubs will be chasing down the Hammers over the final eight games of the campaign.
Moyes In Contention For Manager Of The Season
A lot of credit must go to Moyes for the way his side have performed. This is his second spell at the club and it is going far better than his first. It is a club he appears very comfortable at and he has been able to instil a lot of confidence in his players.
One of the notable strengths West Ham have had this year is they are very organised on the pitch. This is particularly the case from set-pieces. This is something they clearly work on during their time in the training field.
Moyes’ reputation in the game has suffered a little after spells at Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland. What he is achieving this season is going a long way towards rebuilding his reputation as one of the brightest British managers.
Lingard Loan Signing Has Given Them A Bigger Edge
Moyes boosted his squad earlier this year by bringing in midfielder Jessie Lingard on loan from Manchester United. The Scot was the player’s boss when he was in charge of the Red Devils in 2013-2014.
Lingard has been excellent since he arrived in East London. Not only has he produced some sensational goals, but he has also elevated the Hammers’ attack. His form has earned him a recall back into Gareth Southgate’s squad. Something which is timely ahead of the European Championship this summer.
If West Ham does qualify into the Champions League at the end of the season, their recruitment drive in the summer could be much different to 12 months earlier. Many top-class players will jump at the chance to move to East London.
Category: Student Sport
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