Trying to get a handle on the strengths and merits of West Ham’s new competitors in the Championship – and assessing just how likely the Hammers are to thrive after the drop is a tough ask for those of us unfamiliar with the new surroundings of English football’s second tier.
A new article this evening provides some solace for Irons fans worried about the reputation of the Championship as being the most competitive, brutal league to try and escape in the whole of European football.
Footballleagueworld.co.uk, who as the name suggest, focus on the lower leagues, are upbeat about West Ham’s chances of making it back to the Premier League at the first attempt- admittedly this without any knowledge of the make up of the side the Hammers are likely to send out on 16th August to face Burnley.
Summing up the Hammers’ chances in one word, the report suggests a successful campaign is in the offing for Nuno:
West Ham United: “Bounce-back:
West Ham United’s relegation to the Championship is arguably one of the biggest relegations in the Premier League, as the Hammers are intrinsically a top-flight club.
The Hammers had spent 14 years in the Premier League before succumbing to the drop, winning European silverware just three years ago. They still have a squad filled to the brim with international talent, and even if the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville leave, they’ll arguably have the strongest squad in the division.”
And in summing up the Hammers’ chances of a return at the first attempt, one statistic stands out:
West Ham haven’t finished below a top-six position in their three second-tier seasons in the Premier League era, and they’ll be expected to bounce back once again this year.”