West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic was busy over the summer recruiting 13 players and one of those signings is surprised he is still at the club.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
A terrible start to the season, infighting amongst fans, resentment towards owners and concerns over safety have soured the Hammers’ season so far.
Slaven Bilic‘s side have lost four of their opening five Premier League matches and scraped past Bournemouth in their solitary victory.
The Hammers were also embarrassingly dumped out of the Europa League by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu for the second season running.
Back-to-back 4-2 defeats to Watford and West Bromwich Albion have left the Hammers in the relegation zone five games in.
West Ham United’s Adrian, Dimitri Payet and team mates look dejected
Pundits, fans and Bilic have been left scratching their heads to pinpoint what is going wrong this season.
Bilic signed 13 players over the summer and many point to the fact the squad is unsettled and hasn’t gelled yet as one of the main reasons for their struggles.
But one of the rare bright spots has been the cameo performances of young striker Ashley Fletcher who joined the club from Manchester United.
Despite joining the club just two months ago in the middle of July, the talented star has admitted in an interview with West Ham’s official website that he is somewhat surprised to still be at the club.
West Ham United’s Ashley Fletcher has a shot at goal
“I’ve definitely had more first-team chances than I expected,” Fletcher told whufc.com.
“Obviously those opportunities were down to injuries, but I hope I’ve done enough to stay in and around the squad and I want to keep coming off the bench, if that’s what it is, and doing well.
“It was a huge confidence booster for me, knowing that the manager wants to keep me here (rather than send me out on loan).
“I appreciate his support and that can only benefit me going forward and hopefully I’ll get more chances.”
West Ham’s Ashley Fletcher takes on Manchester City’s John Stones
Fletcher is expected to start for West Ham when they take on League Two side Accrington Stanley in the League Cup at the London Stadium.
Supporters were very impressed with the fleet-footed striker when he came on against Bournemouth in the side’s only win of the season so far.
He also impressed against Manchester City but West Ham did not see much of the ball for long spells so he was starved of service.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
