Thursday evening's fixture against Dinamo Zagreb will provide a firm indication as to whether West Ham have 'turned the corner' or are still the underperforming mismanaged 'sleeping giant' they always have been since the glory days of the sixties.
Fans who think Zagreb are going to be a walkover might wish to remember it was Zagreb who tonked 'Tottingham' last season, they are by far the strongest competition in Hammers Europa League group and will be backed by a boisterous home crowd at what will be a packed Stadion Maksimir.
The breathalyzer checks made on supporters on entry might go some way to curb the enthusiasm of the home crowd, but only a spirited away performance from the Irons will quieten the home fans properly. Irrespective of which team David Moyes selects, the players will definitely know they have been in a game after 90 minutes of what will probably be a fiercely contested tie.
West Ham have dropped four points in their first four Barclays Premier League games, not bad but not good either, the Europa Cup fixture swiftly followed by the Manchester United double header and the game against Leeds, will show more clearly if last season's success was merely a flash in the pan, or the beginning of something quite special that can be built on for the future.
West Ham fans have spent far too long dwelling on the past because there appeared to be no future, well there is one now and we are about to discover just how much of one there is! -Ed
