West Ham United captain Mark Noble and club legend Tony Cottee have spoken out about the club’s terrible start to the season, but both have got it wrong.
West Ham players look dejected after Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse scored their third goal
Infighting amongst fans, resentment towards owners and concerns over safety at the club’s new 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium home have soured the Hammers’ campaign so far.
Slaven Bilic‘s side have lost five of their opening six Premier League matches – their worst ever start to a season – conceding 11 goals in three back-to-back defeats against Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.
The Hammers were also embarrassingly dumped out of the Europa League by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu for the second season running.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic with empty seats behind him
Pundits, fans, West Ham’s players and Bilic himself have struggled to put their finger on how things have contrasted so sharply to the Hammers‘ fantastic farewell season at Upton Park.
After the 3-0 reverse at home to the Saints on Sunday Noble, who is very much West Ham’s fan on the pitch, gave a forthright interview describing the team’s form as ‘laughable’ but said there was one positive.
“It could have been six in the end and I think Adrian pulled off some good saves.
“On the bright side, I don’t think it can get any worse,” Noble said.
Tony Cottee
Since then legendary Hammers striker Cottee – who scored 115 goals for the East Londoners – was asked by Sky Sports if the present situation can get any worse for his boyhood old club.
“I don’t think it can,” Cottee told Sky Sports.
Well one glance at the fixture list is enough to prove both respected Hammers wrong.
A look at the fixture list will have heads spinning if you are a West Ham fan given the four games Bilic’s side face consecutively in November and December.
On current form the Hammers would not stand a chance of picking up any points during that time as they face a daunting trip to White Hart Lane followed by Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arsenal at home and Liverpool away.
West Ham fans and stewards
In the last campaign those four matches would have held no fear for the Hammers, indeed they relished them.
But lacklustre defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City this season do not bode well for the old adage that West Ham turn it on against the big teams.
That only serves to increase the pressure on upcoming games against the likes of Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Stoke City and Everton where the club must surely win at least three or four to give themselves a fighting chance of Premier League survival this season.
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