West Ham United upset the odds 2 seasons ago by finishing in 7th place on the table at the end of the Premier League season.
It was manager Slaven Bilic’s maiden campaign with the Hammers, and they broke several records as a result, including the highest number of points (62), the highest number of goals in a season (65), the least number of games lost in a season (8) and the lowest number of away defeats (5).
However, they failed miserably in their attempt to go one better last term, earning just 45 points, scoring 47 goals, and finishing in 11th place.
The club replied by spending £36million to bring Marko Arnautovic from Stoke (£20million) and Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen (£16million) this summer, while landing Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart from Manchester City on a free and on loan respectively.
Surprisingly, the results haven’t gone their way, as West Ham have only managed a win in 4 games.
The slow start to the campaign has seen former manager Alan Pardew change his mind, despite earlier believing they could finish in the top half of the table this season.
However, the one-time Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss believes they have a chance to given the huge support they get from their fans.
Pardew told Sky Sports’ The Debate: “I think Slaven is ok at West Ham, they’ve got good players. “When I looked at that squad at the start of the season I thought it was a top 10 squad.
“I’ve probably changed that opinion since, but I looked at it and thought that was a strong group. (Don’t get me wrong) West Ham could still finish in the top 10, they’ve got terrific support.”
The Hammers faithful cheered their side to victory in their first home game at the London Stadium, and Bilic would hope they can for the rest of the season like they did back in his first and last season at Upton Park.
