17 Comments

The next level? Here’s what it’s NOT

 

 

By CandH’s Allen Cummings

 

 

So at least one decision has been made.

It won’t be David Moyes we’ll be looking to, to take us forward to that often quoted “Next Level”. An over-used cliche so many seem ready to throw out there on a regular basis.

But whether it’s likely to be Pellegrini, Benitez, Emery or someone else, do we really know where we want to be heading? What actually is it we’re searching for? How do we get to this ‘Promised Land’ whatever that is andwill we know it when we do?

When David Moyes arrived we were in the basement level of the Premier League -the relegation zone. Hovering over the gaping trap door that would have engulfed us and ta ken us down even further.

The fact that we eventually finished in 13th place might suggest we had already aspired to the ‘next level’ from where we were then – the level that finally provided us with a safe haven.

Thirteenth might have been lucky for us this time. But clearly that isn’t enough. So where should our sights be set? What level should we be aiming for?  Will it be a realistic level? Or a La La Land beyond our capability?

Since I began supporting West Ham in the late 50s we’ve always been a club that flattered to deceive, a club capable of producing three true legends instrumental in winning the biggest prize in world football but at the same time capable of being humiliated by so-called minnows in cup competitions, even with those three self same footballing heroes in the side.

It’s what we did…what we’ve always done. We’ve enjoyed good seasons, and sometimes great seasons. But more frequently we’ve found ourselves flirting with relegation – and on more than one occasion succumbing to it.

So would the ‘next level, for us simply be a sustained period of Premier League stability, the best league in the world. Tony Cottee, not adverse to giving us the benefit of his wisdom, at the bequest of his paymasters on Sky, certainly seems to think that’s where our top priority should lie.

Reliable and rock solid stability in the bread and butter of the league, but at the same time happy to let our hair down, so to speak, in the cup competitions, always ready to play our strongest team in the hope of making that glorious trip to Wembley and the prospect of winning some silverware.

Or maybe the next level to some is playing with a swagger and style – a swash and a buckle with the emphasis very much on attack,happy to accept the prospect we’re likely to concede a few goals, but always in the hope we can manage to score one more than we let in!

Pleasing on the eye, full of entertainment…dare I say it: “The West Ham Way”. But is that philosophy really practical in today’s football where if it goes horribly wrong failure can be catastrophic for a club.

Maybe we should seek a return to the days when we produced a significant number of our own players, bringing them up through the ranks forgoing the temptation to go out and make those marquee signings that seem so sought after in certain quarters.

Would our fan base be happy with that? Is that the level they would like us to operate on? Almost certainly not is my guess.

Without doubt there would always be the clamour for more. For bigger and better. We want “top six” I hear the call. European football. Champions League. World class players in a world class stadium.

But is that really possible? Is that level realistic? There is such a massive gulf now between the current top six and the rest, us included, isn’t bridging that gap just a pipe dream? Don’t get me wrong. I’d love for us to have a seat at the top table.

But I’m a realist not a fantasist. An old timer  who believes he knows what’s practical and achievable. Like it or not, whatever level we finally settle at, that’s one level I believe will sadly remain beyond us!

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

17 comments on “The next level? Here’s what it’s NOT

  1. I agree that there is no prospect in the short to medium term of us breaking into the top six ( the odd ‘Leicester’ season is possible, but it would be followed by a Leicester like follow up). That simply reflects the financial position of the owners, who are not mega rich by PL standards.

    If you accept that you have to lower your aim to staying in the PL, you have to follow through the logic & ask what is the best way to do that. Some might be happy to go gung ho & risk relegation but I don’t think most fans would. The sad fact is that the ‘successful’ sides (those who have exceeded expectations) outside the top six would in my opinion be Burnley, Brighton, Newcastle.The common feature here has been sold defence, percentage football, effort over artistry. Look in particular at goals scored. I don’t want us to only score 26 goals, or even 36 goals per season. We actually scored a healthy number. But nearly came unstuck because the defence leaked like a sieve. I think the challenge is to find the players & system that enable us to combine that good attack with a sound defence. I think we have it the easier way round at the moment, so providing we tweak the attack it should be possible for a decent manager to strengthen that defence & give us some good days out, where we are scoring a few against most sides but seldom getting ripped to shreds. So we are back to the manager who could do this. And oh yes, it will also need some money from the board to buy the defenders. And buy wisely.

    So not much hope then…lol

  2. Nice post my son get your point but I really think many of us have this brain dead thought Allen that were not a big club and we need to feel lucky to be finishing half way every season and maybe a cup every ten years is great. If you look at our fan base and it’s always been there Allen since I was taken by my dad when Vic keeble and dicks were playing it was working class with a board of the cearns that never invested in our club like Brown followed on and only when the Icelandic board came in did we start thinking we would change at last. Huge money huge support and we know what happened there with the banking crisis world wide kicked in. Back again to sully and gold and these money men were only interested in making more and still are. Now being so unpopular with the lies told and our third biggest stadia sold out with twenty thousand waiting for season tickets we have a large voice and now the penny’s dropped Sullivan at least realises he either sells to someone who takes us to challenging top six or he invests. Well if pelligrini comes I hope or even Benitez we shall have to push for a top six and invest. So my point is let’s start expecting our great club to be contenders and not be pessimistic any longer. Coyi

  3. To me it is simple where we should be as a club.We should be fighting the likes of Eveton for 7th place and should have a strong enough squad that we can always field our best side in the cup competitions to give us every chance in the cups.With a decent manager appointed and given a war chest of 100 million(net,not Brady figure) that should be achieved.The reason we will need to spend so much this year is because of the gross negligence by the Board in the last few transfer windows.I believe this level to be well within our grasp.-Over to you Mr Sullivan.

    • Sorry mate..
      Even 100 million pounds is insufficient for ‘real’ (top 6) EPL aspirations..
      Let’s be realistic-200-300 million quid for summer signings is the bottom line, irrespective of who the next manager would be.
      Do Sullie and Goldielocks have the dough, or more importantly, are they willing to put their hands in their pockets?. If not, time for them to go, and bring in a ‘true WHU believer’ who understands what football philanthropy is about!

      • True max but let’s be honest does pogba deserve to be a top payed player and his transfer fee is really a show for juve and how clever they were to get that money for a good but not brilliant player that manure already had earlier seasons ago. Watching probably the second best player in the world at present hazard play today shows money is often given to buy players that are not in that class of him or number one in the world Messi. Even salah great season he had needs to be doing that every season not just one and I doubt that he can. I think with what we have in arnie lanzini rice Hernandez Antonio and maybe a few others and 100 mill plus the cash we get for the others sold like cresswell Reid and others we can get a top side together to become in that top six or seven imo

  4. That north London outfit managed to bridge the gap. They did it by sticking to a good, solid business model, a positive playing style and an established 5/10 year plan. Buying 1/2 key players each year and improving steadily.

  5. Spurs got a bit lucky with garath bale though didn’t they five years ago. Selling him gave them enough money to buy a whole new team. Spurs spent 110 million five years ago. It would be a lot more now. It didn’t pay off overnight but it’s no coincidence they moved up a level after that. You are what you spend in the premier league.

  6. The majority of us are not unrealistic. We should be finishing every season 8-12 somewhere, without ever worrying about relegation. The next level would be challenging for 6/7th every third season or so with a bit of European football resulting from that. The odd cup run will also help. I really do not believe that is beyond our means as things currently stand.

  7. We had our own Gareth Bale in Payet. He set the PL alight with his skill, he was a revelation at Euro 2016. Scored world class goals ……… and then we sell him for £29m. The world of football was laughing at West Ham over that. I matters not that he was angling for a move. We should have stuck to our guns and said NO to him. Sully decided that half a loaf is better than bread and he caved in. Our mismanagement was compounded by the signing of Snodgrass to replace Payet, We were and continue to be a laughing stock. Our current crisis will drag on and on and it will impact on signing new players. A convenient excuse has been manufactured for Sully and he will blame anyone and everyone for our bad transfer window …… again.

    • I thought Payet wanted to leave because of the style of football offered by Bilic. It was Bilic that went to the board and told them to sell Payet after Sullivan said that he was prepared to let Payet rot in the reserves. The fans wanted Bilic.

      • Payet wanted to leave for one reason only that was to go to Marseille again where his family wanted to go back. Relationship with slav was fine only sully wanting to get top money was the problem and that’s why he said let him rot in the reserves and slav was for pushing for cash straight away to put into the team. Didn’t happen I know hence why we went downhill as sully wouldn’t put any money back into buying quality. Now his so unpopular that he has to change or sell up which he doesn’t want to do for a couple more seasons due to tax payments end of. Now with pelligrini we have a great coach that will need support and cash which I think he will get and were become a force at last imo coyi

  8. Then lucky spurs have Harry Kane coming through their ranks. Who could have predicted that. Years ago we had Cole Carrick lampard Defoe Rio etc. Imagine if we’d kept hold of that lot.

  9. Allen Cummings is he for real? We didn’t want “top six”, European football. Champions League, World class players in a world class stadium” until we were promised it by GBS to con us in leaving UP for the soulless bowl.

    • Talk for yourself most fans wanted that for years only the ones that think with small minds and like boards that gave us minimal help like cearns Brown and this money grabbing lot we have now think that’s all we can achieve. Now this lots last chance has them thinking were not a bunch of mugs as demos prove and forcing them to start funding in this modern game today .

  10. An American-based takeover is not far away friends and sports-fans (and not 2023).
    Start thinking of 5-8 (USD) and think of what that may do for the fortunes of our club.
    An offer will be made fairly soon, which will be impossible for Sullivan and Gold to resist, while “trott” will remain as a minor investor.

  11. 5-8 USD’s? what you doing Max buying a scarf?

Comments are closed.