West Ham’s players will not receive any bonuses if they qualify for Europe this season claim the Daily Mail
The Hammers are currently in fifth position in the Premier League table which would secure a Europa League place at the end of the season.
The report says captain Mark Noble negotiated the players’ collective bonus pot with the West Ham board last summer.
West Ham qualified for the Europa League in 2015 and 2016 but were knocked out in the qualifying rounds and have not played in a main European competition since 2006, when they were beaten 4-0 on aggregate by Palermo in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
West Ham’s bonus pool this season is understood to be largely based on where the club finish in the League rather than rewarding European qualification claims the tabloid adding that there are also major penalty clauses that apply in the event of relegation which is now not a concern for this year.
Let’s enjoy the moment but not get carried away. Yes, at the moment we are ahead of Chelsea but they have a strong squad, packed with international quality players, and seem to be a better structured team under Tuchel, although it’s early days.
Whisper it quietly but we do seem to be moving in the right direction and at the end of the season, if we’re still ahead of Chelsea, then we will have had a season that I’m guessing everyone felt was highly unlikely after the Newcastle game on opening day.
David Moyes and his coaching staff deserve immense credit for the amazing turnaround in our fortunes in such a short time. And his ability to source such bargain signings as Soucek and Coufal, at a combined cost about half what Manchester United paid for Donny van de Beek who can’t get a game with them, should also be noted.
But a word of caution. I’m in the monority but I hate our bloody anthem !! And the words of it should give us all a cautionary tale.