It’s not been the start to the season, and indeed the new era at the London Stadium, that West Ham United fans would have been hoping for after last term’s seventh place finish in the Premier League.
Slaven Bilic’s side have picked up just one win from their opening seven league games – a scrappy 1-0 success over AFC Bournemouth – and lost five of the other six.
Hammers boss, Bilic – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
They also got knocked out of the Europa League in the play-off round by Astra Giurgiu back in August, and scraped through to the EFL Cup fourth round after an extra-time victory over League Two side Accrington Stanley.
All in all, there hasn’t been much to shout about for Hammers fans so far in their debut season at the London Stadium, but there is definitely room to be optimistic for the season ahead.
Here are THREE reasons why West Ham will turn their season around…
They’ve got Dimitri Payet
Key man, Payet – Photo: Charlotte Wilson / Offside.
If there is a standout reason why West Ham fans should remain optimistic, it’s because they have Dimitri Payet on their books.
The Frenchman was outstanding for the Hammers last season, helping to inspire them to a seventh place finish, and he then continued that excellent form into the European Championships, scoring three times to help France reach the final.
Payet’s quality is evident for all to see, and it was a great effort by West Ham to keep him over the summer given that there was interest in the 29-year-old.
The long summer doesn’t appear to have taken its toll too heavily on Payet either, given his unbelievable individual goal against Middlesbrough last weekend, and moments of magic like that could galvanise and inspire the team to move away from the bottom three.
Home will eventually feel like home
Photo: Charlotte Wilson / Offside.
Moving to a new stadium can’t be easy for any player, especially those who have played for the club for a long period of time at the old ground.
The Boleyn Ground was West Ham’s home for well over a century, but moving to the former 2012 Olympic Stadium in the summer was seen as a way of taking the club forward.
As of yet, their performances there have not been at the same level as last season, but the players need time to adapt to a home ground that is, in reality, quite alien to them.
Arsenal took a while to acclimatise to the Emirates Stadium when they moved there in 2006, and it’ll be the same for West Ham at the London Stadium.
Injured players getting back to fitness
Striker, Carroll – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.
According to co-chairman David Gold, it looks like Andre Ayew, Andy Carroll and Aaron Cresswell are all due to return to training over the international break, perhaps ready to take to the field within the next few weeks.
Cresswell, 26, was one of the standout players in the Premier League last term, and was arguably unlucky not to get an England call-up. West Ham have conceded more goals than any other side in the league this season, so welcoming back Cresswell within the next month is sure to give the back four a boost.
The same can be said of Ayew and Carroll. The former injured himself almost immediately after arriving from Swansea City, while Englishman Carroll always gives West Ham another option upfront.
Welcoming back first teamers is sure to give the place a lift. Their returns will feel like new signings.