In 2024, when David Moyes stepped away from West Ham United, most fans believed it was the right time to part ways. The Scot had done the seemingly impossible, lifting a trophy with the Irons. He won the UEFA Europa Conference League and came close to winning the UEFA Europa League, as well. However, many could argue that the fire had dimmed a little, and it felt like a good time to part ways.
Ask any Hammers fan in 2026 if they feel the same, though, and answers are more mixed. Time heals all wounds, and many fans who had grown tired of Moyes’ more methodical style might be wishing for a bit of that ‘boredom’ back in their lives. After all, since Moyes left, they’ve since hired Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and now Nuno Espirito Santo. Two were sacked quickly, while Nuno has failed to really build much of an upturn since he came into the dugout.
So, with all of this in mind, what does 2026 look like for Hammers fans? What do the bookies say?
The Premier League: Will West Ham Stay Up?
At the moment, the Irons are sitting in the Premier League relegation zone. They are on 20 points, six behind Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, and nine behind Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur. While the five-point gap down to Burnley – and the twelve-point gap to Wolverhampton Wanderers – gives them some breathing room, the bookies aren’t painting a particularly rosy picture.
At Irish bookmakers Tonybet, the Irons are 2/5 to go down, while Ladbrokes has them at 1/3. While those odds are better than Burnley (1/25, 1/33 respectively), the fact that Leeds (11/2) and Forest (7, 13/2) are so far ahead on the odds paints its own rather bleak picture.
They say that you need 40 points to stay up in England, though West Ham have tested that theory more than once. This year, we could see something in the region of 36-37 points being enough. Can West Ham pick up the best part of 16-20 points in the next fourteen games?
In the league, they’ve managed just 29 goals and average just over ten shots per game. They average just over 42% of the ball, too, and complete less than 80% of their passes. Arguably, their best player, Lucas Paqueta, has now departed the club, taking his talents back to Brazil to play for his boyhood club in Flamengo.
The only consistent performers include Jarrod Bowen, who has been an ever-present in an increasingly chaotic era for the club, and Mateus Fernandes. With eleven goals between the two of them, they’ll need to get close to double that figure by May to stay up.
Prediction: Relegated, 18th place
The FA Cup: Can West Ham Spring A Surprise?
Having been put out of the League Cup long ago, the only chance West Ham has to win a trophy this year is through the FA Cup. While the club has a romantic relationship with the famous old trophy, winning it this year would be the culmination of orders.
At the moment, West Ham are rated at 40s by Bet365, Ladbrokes, BetVictor, and a host of others. The ‘best’ odds for them to win the cup were 28s at William Hill, so that should give you a clear indicator of how the bookies see a West Ham trophy parade in May being.
Still, fans can point to the Alan Pardew days when they went all the way to the Final. Miracles happen, and we have seen clubs like Wigan Athletic win the cup and go down. Performances would need to improve drastically, or they would need some incredible luck to survive.
Managerial Situation: Will Nuno Last The Season?
Brought in after an acrimonious end to his spell at Forest, Nuno arrived in East London with the reputation of someone who turned Forest around by being methodical and logical. He’d also flamed out badly at Tottenham before that, so it’s fair to say most West Ham fans weren’t exactly certain he would take them to safety.
Nuno’s odds of being sacked (20s at William Hill and BetVictor) aren’t at the top of the list. The managers ahead of him, though, are either at loggerheads with their current clubs or look utterly overwhelmed by their current situation. You’ve got Oliver Glasner (3s and 4s) and Thomas Frank (5/4, 4/5), who are both in pretty bad situations at Palace and Spurs. Meanwhile, only Arne Slot (3s) and Pep Guardiola (20s) have ‘better’ odds of getting the bullet during the season.
Given Slot won the league, and Guardiola is due a statue at City, we’d imagine they’ll both outlast Nuno at one of England’s most chaotic clubs!
Prediction: Nuno stays, leaves in the summer
Top Scorer: Who Could Score The Goals To Keep Them Up?
Sitting on 8 goals, Jarrod Bowen is almost certain to be the club’s top scorer. Callum Wilson has five, but looks likely to continue playing second fiddle and super-sub roles this season. Paqueta, on four, has already left, while the likes of Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville look unlikely to get close to double figures for goals.
Prediction: Bowen, 10+ goals in all competitions
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