Former England cricketer Darren Gough believes West Ham can realistically finish fifth or sixth place in the Premier League this season.
The Barnsley supporters told listeners on his TalkSport radio show:
“West Ham are in the best shape they have been for a long time, that top four (players) they have got there, and this is not with Antonio who is injured, they have got Anderson, Lanzini, Yarmolenko and Haller. That is a good four that, that is a very good four going forward with the way Pellegrini has gone about it and the club has invested.
There is a lot of negativity about West Ham, I know someone picked up on me saying are a lot of tourists there with £4 tickets, there are not really £4 tickets, I was just being sarcastic.
I am praising West Ham here, consider where they have come from, no-one wanted to leave the old Boleyn ground, I get that totally, If they had been playing there now with these players it would have been unbelievable, that atmosphere, that belief, being very hard to beat (at home).
Does it feel like home for West Ham fans?
Would they be even stronger if they were back in their own ground? It was very difficult to beat them there, I played there in a charity game, it was unbelievable!
West Ham have got a good team, they have a good bench as well and realistically fifth or sixth place is not out of the equation for me”,
“West Ham are in the best shape they’ve been in for a long time.”
“Realistically, 5th or 6th place is not out of the equation for me.”
Agree with @DGoughie on #WHUFC?
Where will the Hammers finish this season? pic.twitter.com/q0uiTE50WU
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 5, 2019
Claret and Hugh say:
It is nice of Barnsley fan Goughie to say we have a realistic chance of fifth or sixth place this season although we need to keep our feet on the ground before we face tougher opposition in the Premier League.
There is a good chance Manchester United and Chelsea could struggle his campaign to finish in the top six so games against them will crucial to understand our chances.
However, I do struggle to see his argument that West Ham would be even stronger if we still at the Boleyn Ground, after three years we have so moved on from that suggestion and it is time to let the past go and move on.
A counter-argument could be whether Felipe Anderson and Sebastien Haller would have considered us without a big stadium and world-class manager. There are so many ifs and buts its is pointless, we need to look forward not backwards.
Must be a slow week to have this reported! I’d disregard much of his football opinions..they change on the basis of 2 or 3 matches. He’s been desperately trying to sound like a football pundit for several years to justify his TS fee but just doesn’t cut it for me.
Of course it’s a slow week
Fifth or sixth place is not out of the equation is he mad, definitely second or third
Too early to judge a) how good we are b) whether a few of the big clubs are going to be weaker this season. But Gough could at least have checked his stats on how ‘difficult to beat at home’ we really were at the Boleyn. Oh sorry, he knows because he played in a charity match there. That’s ok then.
The atmosphere was more intimidating at the Boleyn when we had terraces, I don’t remember it ever being that bad as all seater and tbh the best atmosphere I felt in a couple of decades was the midweek cup game against Chelsea when we turned them over first season at the LS. That was an old school atmosphere. At the moment we are on track for a 6th place finish but it’s a long season. If we win at Villa, and turn Utd over will be very interesting. I had a bet with a Watford fan £50 we would finish top 6 so I am hoping we do if not 7th and 8th are neutral so I am confident I won’t lose money COYI!!! Let’s do it !!!
Once we play the likes of Manu,Spurs,Chelsea & Arsenal then let’s start talking about top 6.I am excited about these fixtures and believe in a good day we can beat them all.