Irons may not be as “massive” as some believe

By CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings

It’s all too easy to get carried away sometimes – especially where football supporters are concerned – and I don’t just mean West Ham supporters.

Get a couple of wins and a decent run of form under our belts and we’re all the same – there’s instantly a feeling ‘this is it’! We’re on the way to the big time. Of course, but for the very privileged few, the reality is never far away to bite us on the bum.

David Moyes has worked wonders at West Ham over the past two seasons. Even his detractors, and there are still plenty of them amazingly enough, have to begrudgingly admit to that.

When he arrived for the second time we were a shambles, but in two seasons he’s brought proper European football back to the east end – the Europa League last season, the Europa Conference next season, and we’ve finished sixth and seventh in the Premier League, both remarkable achievements.

But have we allowed our imaginations to run away with us just a little. Are we really as ‘massive’ as the song claims? Or in reality is that kind of statement still a good way off?

Should we maybe first look at being the equal of a team like Arsenal, still a huge name in English football, before we start contemplating matching up to the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool?

David Moyes is tasked with a difficult job as he strives to bring in much needed new faces and add strength and depth to our squad. Of course he’s going to talk-up the team and the club as he seeks out new recruits. Why wouldn’t he?

He now has the carrot of being able to offer newcomers a second season in European football. But with the best will in the world it’s not the Champions League – and that’s where the very best want to be playing.

And we’re definitely not as cash-rich as some others are in the Premier League. So is he wasting his time when we’re told he’s been linked with the likes of Kalvin Phillips or Darwin Nunez – two transfers that ended up with Manchester City and Liverpool respectively?

Is Moyes, as was suggested yesterday, in danger of thinking West Ham are a much more attractive option than we really are? Should he forget trying to tempt the ‘big boys’? Maybe lower his sights a little?

Trouble is whatever the manager does and whichever route he goes down there will be those who insist he’s taken the wrong turning. We all know that from experience.

Many will continue to claim if we really want to be dining at the top table we have to do our shopping at Harrods – no matter what it costs.

Others will insist we should go shopping in the lower leagues for bargains that we can develop and grow which in turn will bring the cry “shopping at Primark”!

Of course if Moyes did steer that route there would more than likely be a settling in period, a check in the club’s recent momentum and very possibly a falling-back from where we are now. How well will that go down with the fanbase? I can guess.

It’s a highly delicate balancing act – a tightrope that’s oh so easy to topple from. And as always there will be plenty of people just waiting to pull the net away if the manager falls.