Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Alex Keble takes an in-depth look at each of the 20 clubs.
West Ham United
Drama has never seemed far away from West Ham. Granted, these last four years under David Moyes have been a period of unusual stability, but only three months after winning the UEFA Europa Conference League reports that hint towards disharmony behind the scenes will concern fans.
Videos of Moyes dancing and singing after winning the club's first European trophy for 58 years (and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League in the process) were heart-warming – and instantly put into the back of people’s minds West Ham’s poor league performance in 2022/23.
But a frustrating summer, coupled with reports of differences in approach between Moyes and the new technical director Tim Steidten have put doubts over whether the Scot can remain in the post should West Ham make a slow start.
The last three weeks of August could well define West Ham’s season and make those jubilant scenes in May seem a lifetime ago.
Performance last season
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 |
Wolves
WOL
|
38 | -27 | 41 |
| 14 |
West Ham
WHU
|
38 | -13 | 40 |
| 15 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
38 | -34 | 39 |
| Competition | Performance |
|---|---|
| FA Cup | Fifth round |
| EFL Cup | Third round |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | Winners |
PL performance last five seasons
| 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 16th | 6th | 7th | 14th |
How to improve on 2022/23
A small backwards step is only to be expected with the loss of Declan Rice, the club captain who grew from defensive midfielder into a box-to-box player at the heart of everything West Ham did.
The timing of the loss was not great. The UEFA Europa Conference League glory papered over some big cracks last season as Moyes’s side retreated into a more conservative set-up that disappointed fans, and, if reports in March are to be believed, some players as well.
Things did improve, with Lucas Paqueta leading a more attack-minded system in the final months of the season, but Moyes will need to commit fully to these ideas if he is to take West Ham back into the top half.
Key transfers
After months of nothing, apart from the exits of Rice and Gianluca Scamacca, finally a breakthrough has appeared with the signing of Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez, who could become a new metronomic presence in the team. Further bids have supposedly been made for Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay.
Tactics
Moyes has never been an attacking coach, but West Ham’s caution went to new levels last season. Their average possession dropped from 47.9 per cent in 2021/22 to 41.1 per cent. Their average goals per match decreased from 1.53 to 1.1. Their “build-up attacks” dropped from 69 to 51, according to Opta.
This hesitancy led to an increase in West Ham’s counter-attacking approach, with long balls launched into the channels for Michail Antonio to chase down, while defensively they often dropped into a passive shell.
Paqueta, if he stays amid reported interest from Manchester City, and Alvarez could form the basis of a more progressive approach, but it remains to be seen whether Moyes has the capacity to change the club’s tactical set-up – or if he will be given the attacking additions needed to make it work.
Reasons to cheer
Qualification for the Europa League makes it three consecutive seasons of European football. Two years ago Moyes led West Ham to the semi-finals of UEFA’s secondary competition. Supporters should not be shy to anticipate another deep run in the competition.
Reasons to fear
No manager should be under this much pressure before a ball has been kicked in anger, and if West Ham’s football is prone to becoming insular and hesitant, the current situation may make things worse.
A lack of new signings so far makes West Ham look as if they have moved backwards compared with the likes of Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion. This makes a top-10 finish arguably the main realistic goal for the campaign ahead.
TV Info - Broadcasters
Opening six matches
West Ham’s first match of the season is hugely important. A trip to AFC Bournemouth could be their best chance of a win, because they face a very difficult set of fixtures after that: Chelsea (H), Brighton (A), Luton Town (A), Man City (H), and Liverpool (A). It’s bad luck that what looks the easiest of those fixtures happens to be promoted Luton’s first home match of the season.
Predicted XI v Bournemouth
4-2-3-1: Fabianski; Kehrer, Zouma, Ogbonna, Emerson; Soucek, Paqueta; Benrahma, Fornals, Bowen; Antonio.
