Fans are not backwards in coming forwards with their own prescriptions for next season with the Hammers now battling for their lives in what may be a forlorn attempt to escape relegation.
Here, Claret and Hugh reader Richard provides a pretty decent summary of the state of flux at London Stadium with just three games left in this season’s Premier League campaign:
Guest post by Richard:
There is so much up in the air at the moment. Even if we just take it as fact that we’re relegated, we don’t have a CEO, Paco – the man who is largely credited with the turn around in form – is out of contract, Nuno hasn’t given a “I’m here regardless” statement and there’s those Sullivan rumours that continue to destabilise.
What we do know is that we are in dire need of cash. From past experiences, the boards solution to this is borrow more! As a Championship side, that must become more difficult.
We know Disasi will be off, and that Adama and Wilson are out of contract. Other players you’d suspect will follow suit would be Bowen, Fernandes, Summerville, and Mavropanos. Diouf, Todibo, Areola and Soucek also have question marks about whether they’d stay at the club.
Mavropanos – another who is catching the eye of suitors across Europe
Casey seems to have had a decent time at Orient, and you’d suspect that Earthy and Marshall might find themselves as squad options next season. If there is a change of manager (which I suspect will happen), you’d imagine that we might finally see better performances from Ward-Prowse, and potentially, Cornet. Alverez and Fullkrug, you’d suspect, will be joining the leavers.
Planning for next season must be happening now. First, the board need to decide how we’re getting out of the financial hole we’re in. Next they need an answer about whether Nuno stays or whether they need to go and find a new coach (Scott Parker…?) and then decide whether the coach is picking the transfer target, whether Sullivan is going to remain defacto Director of Football or whether they’ll finally give control to someone who knows what they are doing.
However, this is West Ham. I’m sure there are focused on other… things… than next season at present.
I reckon Bowen and Soucek stay. The other mercenaries will b****r off.
Westham are effectively relegated and Sullivan is staying . 100 percent Sullivan stays because he will not sell at club valuation of 300 million or less and no one’s going to overpay at a valuation of 600 million or more . This is horrible news for Westham who will continue to be run into the ground as a club . All good players sold cheap and bad ones suck the finances out of the club . Westham may be playing Leicester in a couple of seasons , third tier or worse .
Let me remind everyone there are still three games to go. Nothing is done and dusted. Reading C&H is depressing Nothing is ever set in stone. The time for recriminations is not now. What’s needed is for one and all to unconditionally get behind the team. Where is a siege mentality needed now. I hate defeatism. SO COYI ⚒⚒⚒⚒
The trouble is, Cliff, anyone writing impossibly upbeat ‘it’s still possible’ articles gets laughed at or ignored. It isn’t a question of getting behind the team. we’ve all done that in different divisions before. it’s about being realistic.
When the news is all about players leaving, club in turmoil, finances falling apart, and the bl@@@y Chairman staying put next season regardless, there really isn’t a lot of GOOD news to write about.
We don’t make the news, we report on it.
By all means, write and tell us why you think the Hammers can still pull off the great escape and I’ll be delighted to showcase it. And I’ll take great delight in buying you a beer if you are proven right.
Agree with Clifford.
Spurs are in better position but Wolves and Villa were not great wins only from points view.
Comments from their fans you would think they’d won the league.
Can’t afford to lose against Arsenal even if we don’t win.
Leeds and Everton won’t be push overs and Spurs could come back down to earth.
There are three games to go but the worrying thing is everyone about us are winning. even if we magically win against Arsneal, Newcastle and Leeds and take 9 points we could go down with a new record.
I could easily see us finishing on 42 and still going down. I have said on these pages for weeks that 42 probably won’t be enougn.
For all the bad manangement its now down to the the players and us the fans, We need the players to be really up for it and we the fans have to urge them on regardless we need to be the 12th, 13th and 14th man. COYI 3 wins !
Well said.