All the talk at West Ham United is currently about the management, and this is understandable. It has been a rotten run for the Hammers, made worse by some terrible lapses in discipline (three red cards in six games).

Fingers are pointing at David Moyes, with many fans calling for him to go, so what is the rest of the season likely to look like? For most fans, it feels like it is fizzing out, but there could still be moments of brightness in the remaining months.

The Rest of 23/24 – What the Bookmakers Say

West Ham fans miss the days of Prague and the glories of last season, and it is looking like mid-table mediocrity in the rest of 23/24. How many points will they pick up in the coming weeks? The odds are available for some of these upcoming games, such as matches against Brentford and Burnley, at Bodog betting, with people able to bet on the result they see as most likely, and the odds tell a story – In spite of a poor run of form, West Ham’s odds on these games are not long, and it seems likely that 4-6 points from the next home games could be attainable. A look further into the future shows tough games against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, where the odds of a West Ham win are likely to be long.

Yes, the mood is low, but the bookmakers’ odds show that it still could be likely West Ham will easily cross the 40-point threshold in March, something in recent years Hammers fans would have been pretty happy with.

Where will West Ham finish overall? While watching the games, it looks likely that European football might be too much of a leap, a run of form could still see the Hammers sneak into the Europa League. Not many West Ham fans are confident amid rumors of the manager losing his job soon, but you won’t find huge odds on West Ham featuring in some level of European competition.

Summer Strengthening

A look at the contracts expiring in the summer as well as the areas where West Ham have struggled will show a few potential places where the squad could need attention. One thing is for sure, money will need to be made available to either Moyes or whoever his successor is to try and take the club forward.

Left Back

Emerson has done a good job for the majority of the season, but with Cresswell being his only backup (and surely leaving in the summer) there is no way that the Hammers can’t look at signing someone in this position for next season. Emerson is also not the youngest, and there needs to be some succession planning in this area. If Coufal’s two-year club option isn’t exercised, both full-back positions are looking rather light.

Striker

If you ask Hammers fans what they’re desperate for, some will tell you it is a striker. Bowen’s incredible form when played there has cooled a bit, and it seems like the club could be looking to spend big in this area. Kudus has done well as an attacking threat at times, but he’s not the out-and-out goalscorer that the club will likely need.

Of course, Antonio has been a great servant to the club, but he’s another of the expiring contracts and news on an extension has gone very quiet since reports in 2023 he was going to sign a new deal.

Even if Antonio stays, the time seems right to try and find a striker who can score goals and take some of the burden from Bowen and Kudus.

Wingers and Creative Midfielders

If Kalvin Phillips can be convinced to stay at the club (and stop getting sent off) then there is a chance that the focus in midfield areas will shift to wingers as well as creative forces in midfield. They’re notoriously expensive, but even with Kudus playing in forward positions and Bowen returning to the wing, the squad is severely lacking in depth there. Cornet has not pulled up any trees since joining and it could be time for some fresh blood.

Conclusion

You can see the number of question marks hanging over the club right now. The lineup on the first day of next season is a total mystery, right down to who will be on the sidelines calling the shots. Bookmakers are offering the shortest odds on either David Moyes or Vincent Kompany to be the next Premier League manager to leave their post, and many fans don’t think he will see out the season.

Whatever happens, summer will be a time of rebuilding with some big contracts coming to an end, and hopefully a big list of transfer targets.

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