It feels as if remarkably little has changed for West Ham since the half-term report I wrote almost midway through the season, around the time of the World Cup break.
Still, David Moyes’ side are yet to truly click into gear, still they face the very real threat of relegation and yet, still, they retain a shot at European glory.
Standard Sport takes a look at the state of the club heading into the business end of the season...
Prospects for the rest of season in one word
Bipolar.
Verdict so far compared to pre-season expectations
Pretty darn dreadful, as far as the Premier League goes anyway. A huge summer spending spree was supposed to sustain the progress of recent seasons and while a period of transition might always have been likely to bring a small drop-off, that is not the same as a plummet into the bottom three. And yet Europe remains…
How is the manager doing
Pretty well to still be in a job, if truth be told. Patrick Vieira’s sacking at Crystal Palace leaves West Ham and Nottingham Forest as the only clubs in the bottom half not to have changed their managers so far this season. The club’s backing of Moyes has been admirable, but there is a sense he has been aided by a lack of viable alternatives.
Reason to be cheerful
West Ham have won ten games out of ten in the Europa Conference League this season and Belgian side Gent stand between them and a second successive European semi-final. There, it would be AZ Alkmaar or Anderlecht (again) for a trip to Prague for the final.
Reason to be fearful
It hardly needs reiterating, but relegation would be absolutely disastrous for the Hammers, probably more so than any other club in the mix for the drop. Perhaps most troubling is the sheer number of teams involved, with just four points separating the bottom nine. West Ham must finish above at least three of them, but none of the others have the European distraction and several are showing more signs of life.
Fans’ mood
Many now want Moyes out, with the travelling support having turned on the Scot during the 4-0 thrashing at Brighton earlier this month, which prompted chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing”. Another European away day next month offers some respite, though.
Overall grade
At present, with the Irons in the bottom three, it has to be an ‘F’, though there is still scope for a late charge up the class if survival is secured and paired with European glory.
