What Now?

Can we talk about beating City, Liverpool and Arsenal a bit more, I haven't had enough yet?!

So, 6 games in, we're on 12 points. What now? 28 points to safety or 78 to become champions?

The Newcastle game (and the Boys of '86) reminded me of the night that we won 8-1. I was walking him from youth club with a West Ham supporting mate, and we were discussing whether or not this could be our year. In those days, it wasn't a pipe dream. If there was a 'big four' in those days, they didn't have a monopoly on the league and certainly not in the cups. In recent years Forest had won the league and Villa the European cup. Anything and everything was possible.

I have watched with dismay as the money has flowed in to top tier football and how it has created a divide where small clubs from the TOP DIVISION winning something is an upset and if they do dare to have a good season, they are mercilessly stripped by both the big clubs and mercenary agents.

Having said that, I have never lost that faith, albeit it has usually been vastly misplaced. This season though, we seem to have a team that can not only give anyone a game, but also a strength in depth that I have never ever seen in a West Ham team, I mean c'mon, our record £15m striker was an unused sub! On that note, BFS would probably have stuck him on in the second half against City, rationalising by saying that we could have lumped the ball up to him to relieve the pressure. Instead, we relied on pace and intelligence along with our backs to the wall defending.

So, a great team, quality depth, a tactically astute away formation and an amazing start to the season. All the newbies seem to have settled.

Has it revised where you think we will finish. Bear in mind everyone else's start as well. Liverpool, Spuds and Southampton have stuttered, whilst Swansea and bizarrely Leicester are right up there.

My fiver (and my heart) had us as champions at the beginning of the season. My head would have been happy with 10th again.

Now? I want 5th. Realistically Citeh, Chelski, Arsenal and Man Utd will finish above us. Can we maintain form and stay ahead of Spurs and Liverpool? Overtake Southampton and Swansea?

Bilic seems to have a system in place that works well away, I know we won't always win and he seems to have learnt from the mistakes at home.

So depsite early days and forget the 'party line' of securing our Premier League status for the all important debut system at the Olympic, after those three incredible away wins, what do you want us to achieve this season?