In their first season at the London Stadium, the Hammers will be looking to make an impact following on from a top half finish last year.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic before the game
West Ham United are entering a new era this season as they say goodbye to Upton Park and hello to the London Stadium, and with that comes a certain expectation from the fans. Whether it’s a top six finish or a cup run, the Hammers need to achieve something that proves the move to a new ground is warranted.
With an early Europa League exit to the same side for the second year in a row you could forgive the fans for being pessimistic. However the many signings they’ve made, which include names like Sofiane Feghouli and Simone Zaza, show the sign of intent from the club.
Premier League
After an impressive 7th place finish last season, it’ll be interesting to see if they can build on that success or whether the quality of the sides around them will prove to be too much. There’s some talented players within the squad but the pressure of the new stadium coupled with the team potentially not gelling together, it could end up being a disappointing campaign.
West Ham fans
Replicating their previous finish could be West Ham’s best hope for 2016/17, but it’ll all depend on how they improve as the season goes on. Inconsistency could be a problem but as long as they play to their full capabilities they should be hopeful.
Prediction: 7th
F.A Cup
Having come close to Wembley last season, the Hammers will be eager to go at least one step further this time around and if they can get some decent draws coupled with some home games, they could be on their way towards a potential cup triumph.
West Ham’s Sofiane Feghouli scores their third goal
It’s obviously all dependent on how they prioritise their season, but if a stronger league finish is out of the question that will allow them to transfer their focus onto things like the FA Cup.
Prediction: Semi-finals
League Cup
With Accrington Stanley at home to come in their first game in the competition this season, West Ham will have nothing to fear as they prepare for a potential run in the League Cup. Whether or not they’ll want to juggle the responsibility of two cup runs remains to be seen, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the talent necessary to pull it off.
If push came to shove the passion would reside in the FA Cup tie as opposed to a League Cup tie, but a place in the quarter-finals is still more than achievable.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyate scores their first goal
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