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Expectations this season and European football next season

Bondsy's picture
Submitted by Bondsy on Wed, 10/02/2021 - 19:29

David Moyes has about 15 or so players who have totally taken on his way of training to be fitter, way of defending first and counter attacking. All at pace and when it breaks down get back in shape and defend get the ball and start again. Sounds simple but playing two games a week with a small squad leads to injuries and fatigue. We have been lucky with injuries until last night seeing Yarmalenko and Diop go off. Antonio is struggling and without a striker we are limited to the goals we can score against the top sides in the Premiership.
Soucek and Coufal looked burnt out and Rice fatigued against Man U last night and the team struggled until Johnson and Fredricks came on to inject some pace.
We lost and in a way I personally see only playing Premiership games now gives us a slim chance of European football next year.
Moyes has got rid of the players not willing or unable to play and train his way but in doing so we are now left with a depleted squad.
Can we make that European spot with our current squad? I hope so but have my doubts without a recognised striker. What do you guys think!

mcbikeman's picture

Nil......squads to light in crucial areas and that will cost us but the eujoker cup i wont cry about not being in it.

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16 users have voted.

Its a wonderful season,and im pleased where we are,but have to be realistic,we are not ready for Europe yet,if we did make it we would be out first round,the team is looking tired,though still extremely capable of holding our own,and defending,the final third needs attention,centre forward area,but sure as ive stated in previous posts could be dealt with using the players we have,Benny,Bowen,Lingard,Lanzini,Antonio,Fornals.The pace and strength there is formidable,and a proper handful for any defence,but Moyes dosent seem to want to give it a go.

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22 users have voted.

You may get your wish next Monday against Sheffield United essex, all those players (Antonio possibly) are the only front players fit.
We will have to buy more players if we do get into Europe though and we did not last time (2015) and went out in the preliminary rounds

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29 users have voted.

A D Bonds

Deluded Hammer's picture

Have always been low. We are extremely fortunate to be in the position we are having only performed decently against Leeds at home and Villa away. Other results have fortunately gone our way more by luck than judgement and that was with a full squad and a fit Antonio. I'm expecting the rest of this season to be played out in typical Moyes negative style. Europe isn't even on the radar in my expectations.

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18 users have voted.

with all above as said having a good season really enjoying it such a shame fans cannot be there and make a good atmosphere. I wouldn't be disappointed in not playing in the europa cup as this seems to burn out players to quickly in the early season start .look at wolves for instance without a big squad qualifying has been to their detriment in the league.... up the hammers!!!!!

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18 users have voted.

I agree, and we know that to play in Europe you need to have a bigger team. At the moment our players seem very tired, we don't have adequate changes, and above all we don't have another striker and Ogbonna out for a few weeks. The next few matches will be difficult.

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26 users have voted.

A good season so far but i do think that this season is giving fans false hope, due to covid and playing behind closed doors it seems to have made a much more level playing field, teams like Liverpool, Spurs, Man City and Man Utd have no consistency, Chelsea are having a rebuilding stage, Arsenal are poor by their standards, i don't think any of those teams mentioned will have seasons like this again so for me this is West Ham's chance, unfortunately we don't have a striker and i think the last couple of performances have been poor, i think they'll finish in the top half so that's always a bonus.

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24 users have voted.

I think as fans we would have been frustrated at times and vented our feelings when losing the ball or having an off day if we had been allowed in the stadium but some of the football has been brilliant this season. The fans would also have given a lot of praise to the teams performances. We might not be happy with SGB but given our small squad imo we are doing a hell of a lot better than some teams who have bigger squads and are going backwards.

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25 users have voted.

A D Bonds

Thats right Bondsy,the highs and lows like with any other season we have had,us fans would of responded accordingly to what ever situation arose,but with this season we have had more highs than lows,and im sure if we could of attended the lows would of been even less than they have been,not like some posts on here have stated that us fans would of worked detrimentally to the team.

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19 users have voted.

Totally agree, i said more or less the same thing on another post DH, no crowd has been easier on the players and manager when the games aren't going their way, some teams need a crowd to urge them on but i think some tean's confidence are hindered by a crowd.

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18 users have voted.

Imagine if we did pull off a top 4/5 and qualified for the champions league? Tickets to see West Ham play their first ever game in the Champions League at the Olympic Stadium would be like gold dust, and what a piss up that would be regardless of the result!!!

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22 users have voted.

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