Ahead of today's crucial 'live on sky' clash with Watford at Vicarage road we look forward with hope and reservation as to what fans can expect now and up to the January transfer window. West Ham finally called time on Slaven Bilic’s reign as manager after the team's wretched start to the season and the club moved quickly to install David Moyes as his replacement. Moyes, who’s last job involved relegation at Sunderland, will be looking to not only change West Ham’s fortunes but also his own.
Since leaving Everton for Manchester United things just haven’t gone to play for the Scotsman but he will be certainly looking to get back on track with The Hammers. So what does Moyes need to propel West Ham back up the table?
Well first of all it’s not just about new signings. Moyes has already spoken about how the players need to step up and take more responsibility and that’s going to need to happen if there’s hope of a revival. West Ham have some good footballers already at the club but they certainly need to do more to get them out of the current situation they find themselves in. The likes of Joe Hart, Aaron Cresswell, Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio, Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll are all players who have shown their abilities in the past so it’s about getting them back to that level.
In terms of recruitment, West Ham will require a couple of new faces, even if just to breathe fresh life into the squad. There was a lot of talk that William Carvalho would join the club in the last transfer window but the move failed to materialise. The Portuguese midfield enforcer was a target for Moyes in his time at the helm at Old Trafford and Carvalho’s fight and determination could be just what The Hammers need to help them through their current struggles.
The reality is that West Ham already do have a very capable squad, with strength all over the field, they just so far have failed to perform. Moyes has already set about improving the players’ fitness dramatically and by the time January comes he will certainly be looking for them to give him more in terms of work rate and stamina on the pitch. This will go a long way in making them more competitive during fixtures and it will hopefully see them win more games than they lose. Sports betting sites like Unibet will need some convincing as the Hammers are 9/4 to be relegated, with Swansea, Palace and Huddersfield the top three picks for the drop.
You’d say while Moyes will want to bring his own players in, with the likes of William Carvalho and Marouanne Fellaini already being linked, he will know that he’s already got a very talented bunch at his disposal right now. He’s likely to move on some players who don’t fit with what he’s asking for and this could leave the door open for further signings to be made. West Ham also have a few players who have come through the youth system such as Declan Rice and Toni Martinez who could add something different to Moyes’ options. Their hunger and desire to succeed is without doubt, especially in Declan Rice’s case, as he’s already turned out for the first team this season at the age of 18. Martinez has been prolific in the U23s in terms of goals scored and he will be waiting for his chance to impress too.
Moyes will receive a baptism of fire in that the fixture schedule for the next six weeks is outrageous, Sunday 19th November away to Watford, Friday 24th November home to Leicester City, Wednesday 29th November away to Everton, Sunday 3rd December away to Manchester City, Saturday 9th December home to Chelsea, Wednesday 13th December home to Arsenal, Saturday 16th December away to Stoke City, Tuesday 19th December EFl Cup Quarter-Final away to Arsenal, Saturday 23rd December home to Newcastle, Tuesday 26th December away to Bournemouth, Sunday 31st December away to Tottenham Hotspur, and Tuesday 2nd January home to West Bromwich Albion.
That is 12 games in 45 days! There has been much talk of raising fitness levels of players, but looking at that schedule it will be a wonder if most of 'Slav's slackers' will actually be able to run let alone sprint! - Ed
