Personnel

I've noticed over the past few weeks that we're back to grasping at straws as to why we aren't playing well? Is it the formation? The manager? The stadium? The owners? The players? The fans? Well I think it's all of it. But mainly it;s the players. Firstly we've never been a side that smashes the minnows, why do we now think we are? I think we've forgotten how we capitulated a top four finish from January onwards last season. Yes we left the Boleyn on a massive high, but as always we didn't win anything for it. I think as fans we are the most nostalgic, sentimental and over emotional fans out there. What we are and have always been, apart from a couple of years in our history, are also rans. We see "86 as our greatest season, when really it was our biggest failure. We've always tried to be everyone else's other team. The reason we were because we're never threatened anything. Now we're expected to win every game. Why? Because of Payet? He's maybe not even the best player at West Ham let alone in the league. Yes he's a world class International, but only if he fancies it. In the last 30 years we've had three stand out players, Di Canio, Tevez and now Payet. Arsenal have three now in Sanchez, Ozil and Cech, Man City have them in Aguero, De Bryne, Silva and Sterling. Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U, Tottenham all have more than one player and have had every season. This is why they should, and do beat the crap teams and why they challenge. We are in a different league to them, we are in with the likes of Everton, Southampton, Stoke and Leicester. Leicester won the Premiership because three of their players were better than everyone else last season. This season they're not and they're struggling by comparison. If we are to get players of the ilk of Sturridge, Fabregas and Joe Hart I think we could push up to where Tottenham are. In my eyes it's as simple as that. Better players equals better results and performances. The manager, fans, stadium are all secondary in my book. As great a career as Pep Guardiola has had, he's always managed the best players in the League he's been in. Bilic wants to play like Conte does, but Conte has better players, that's why it works. No round pegs in square holes, two quality players for every position. Bilic has a thankless task of trying to find a way of getting Payet, Noble, Lanzini, Kouyate, Carroll, Cresswell and Reid all on a pitch that suits them all. If he had better players he would start with his formation and style of play then fill in the names. I think he's got a difficult job, and by the sounds of some of you on here, very little time, which surprises and doesn't surprise me at the same time. Whoever comes in 442,433, 541,352, 532 whatever I just don't think we have the personnel to commute any higher than a top 10 team.