It’s a season like no other with Leicester City top having made the best start in their 131 year history just 10 days before Christmas.
It’s another of those little ironies that Claudio Ranieri was mentioned in dispatches as a future Boleyn boss at one stage but, as well as he’s doing, I’d sooner have Slav at the Hammers helm.
Chelsea are in 16th, Liverpool celebrated a home draw against West Brom on Sunday by linking hands in front of the Kop to celebrate and Spurs were nailed by Newcastle who turned up at White Hart Lane in the relegation places.
West Ham, meanwhile with five massive players injured, sit in eighth place after a thoroughly competitive performance at Old Trafford and a highly entertaining display against Stoke City.
Yet I continue to read comments from fans on social network claiming we are worse off as far as points are concerned than we were were last year. The fact that we are also fewer off the top is conveniently forgotten.
These comparisons and complaints are best ignored in a season when the likes of Palace and Watford are directly above us – emphasising again this abnormal season when everybody is beating everyone else. We were victorious against one of those teams and beaten by the other.
Given this topsy turvy season, and with the news that Lanzini and Payet are on their ways back ahead of schedule, I’ll make the same forecast as I made a few games in.
I believe we will finish in the top six and that our last season at the Boleyn will have started with European football and end with us having qualified to take our place in the Europa League next season.
And that will be the perfect end to our final season as we wave farewell to the ‘old lady’ who has had our hearts for so long and will remain there forever.
Love Hammerau’s comments. Under Bilic (bar spuds) we always have a go. Look we are West Ham. We may not win, but we have a go, we try to entertain. Even wins under big sam rarely gave any pleasure. This is our leisure time, all we ask is to throw the kitchen sink at everyone. Tbh Leicester are great at the moment, so ballsy, sticking it up everyone. That’s what I want. Common boys lets ave it !!!
The Spanish connection agrees with Australia,might not get to sit at the ground anymore but have never lost the love of being entertained by our team
Don’t understand the moaning
Spuds,Bournemouth,Leicester and Watford were not good results but
We got draws with Everton,West Brom,Stoke and Man U normally we don’t take many point off these clubs
Then there have been the great results against the top teams,
Just one big smile for Xmas and we could or should pick up 6 point before the new year,
That would throw the doom merchants in to a frenzy
for me it is simple- I followed the Irons since ’74”- was a season ticket holder for years and then moved to Australia 8 years ago- I get up at 02.00am to watch every game live on foxtel home and away- last year was so painful I nearly cancelled my subscription- this year irrespective of points I cant wait for Sunday morning- we play football, we compete and win lose or draw (except the Spuds game) I have been entertained – simply thats all I want. Looking forward with hope to the next game is all I ask- Slav and Davids have delivered that for me and deserve the credit- if we trust the manager then we do not need to keep commenting on his decisions, he has the best performance at heart and actually goes for the win with subs – COYI
you only have to look at Leicester and see how the whole team put in 110% effort for the team before themselves but it is they who benefit in the end.
Zarate does not fit into this team ethics and would probably not even get on the bench for Leicester.
That’s’ the difference between us and Leicester we have better talented players but you need all 11 on the pitch doing this at the same time one or two at 99% and you will lose.
FFS Leicester have Huth and Morgan at the back and they are playing out of their skin.
Bilic should show them all videos of Leicester.
Zarate is capable of scoring like Mahrez did last night but laying the ball of when needed.
I totally agree Hugh.
This season has been a huge leap forward so far and some people are choosing to compare the high point of last season with the low of this season and find that (at this point) last season was a fraction better…. that’s not going to be the case for long. Last season descended into complete farce & this season will grow into a complete success when the injured return. Even with the awful injury’s we currently have we have only lost 1 of the last 5 games and should have won at least 2 of the draws. This season we will gain significantly more points than last season & play much more entertaining football to boot.
I’m really impressed with how we have coped during this difficult time & if Leicester had suffered 5 of their best attacking players out at the same time they would never have coped as well as we have.. in-fact just Vardy & Mahrez out would end their amazing run.
I have a feeling that season’s like this will become more of the Norm than a freak occurrence as the middle & lower premier league clubs have their own wealth that makes them able to compete with the traditional super powers.. I see success being spread out more evenly over the coming years & that’s got to be great news for us.
We have a better chance than ever to win a cup or qualify for Europe via the league.. this new era will be very exciting indeed