Getting used to the new Premier League season after a first day loss is nothing new for West Ham United fans: I should have taken more notice of past history rather than getting high hopes for our home fixture against Aston Villa. With the worst opening day record of any club in the Premier League, it should have been no surprise to fans – me included- that the first game was a ‘nil points’ affair.
In fact, looking at the history of the Premier League, The Hammers have lost their opening day PL fixture a whopping sixteen times, more than any other team.
Bowen Scored for the Hammers on opening day 2023/4
Fresh in the memory is the 2023/4 draw- a positive really – against Bournemouth- but in recent years there’s been the 0-2 loss away at Manchester City in 2022, while the worst losses in recent years were the 4-0 loss to Liverpool in August 2018 and even more forgettable – the 0-5 thumping we endured against Manchester City a year later!
Feeling better now – a narrow 1-2 loss this weekend against Aston Villa isn’t stinging quite so much.
High point must be the 2-4 thrashing we dished out to Newcastle United away at St James’ Park in 2021. Happy days. In contrast remember the season before, 20/21, when the same side inflicted a London Stadium 0-2 defeat on us on opening day. (Callum Wilson-pictured- scored, as usual).
Despite a poor start to that season (which we really could now call a ‘customarily poor’ season opener) we qualified for Europe in 6th spot at the end of that campaign.
I hadn’t realised just how the ‘form’ suggested we were going to get beaten against Aston Villa. Heart ruling the head I suspect. What is clear is that it has no bearing on the rest of the season! So now this weekend’s opening fixture has been put into context, we can look forward to tweaks, debuts, improvements in fitness and coaching – and steady progress through the campaign. Sixth again, as in 2020/1 would be massive, too.
This is precisely the history which made me comment, on this site on Friday, that I thought that we would come away disappointed from the Villa game. That , & the fact that we had so many new players & associated high expectations. You don’t watch West Ham play for 66 years without regular doses of disappointment; & feeling a little let down by the team !
West Ham doesn’t work that way !
I think before last season we had something like 6 or 7 seasons on the bounce where we played one of the top six on the opening day.
Only one I remember us winning was 2-0 at the Emirates.
As Kcockayne refers it is a typical West Ham response to all the pre-game hype. Like him I have supported the Hammers what feels like for ever,well 1965 actually and you get used to the ups and downs but I am surprisingly confident in Jaylo and his purchases,to me they seem sound. It won’t be an overnight transformation,he was left a small squad of aging players and he is building a team. OK we didn’t win our opener against Villa but just for a change we actually had 51% possession if statistics are to be believed and that is a blessed relief from Moyesball.
COYI.
As kcockayne says, like him having watched West Ham for over 75 years I never expected to see anything definite in this first game, though I was pleased to see them pressing more up the pitch but we have to sort out this defensive system. Think the players are not yet fully comfortable after having Moyes type defensive block thrust down their throat for the last 4 years. So as they become more customized with Jlo’s methods and the new players are more embedded into the team, then I look forward to seeing more expansive format, plus a more solid defence setup. The only thing that disappointed me was not seeing a few more of the new boys on from the start like Fulkrug, Todibo and Summerville. One final thing we have to get some cover for Paqueta as I do not think Ward-Prowse is fully up to it.
There aren’t too many teams can say they’ve had as many opening day fixtures as West Ham. In fact only eight clubs have had more Premier League seasons than West Ham.
The record that scares me is that both Pellegrini and Avram Grant lost their first four games – so I am anxiously awaiting our first point or points – after last season and Florida I would be happy with a point at Palace just to get us on the board
COYI
Much better than your “Lopetegui’s Lack Of Ambition” blog!!!!