After an average 2013-14 season, Sam Allardyce and his men were tipped for a similar campaign in the 2014/2015 Barclays Premier League. Finishing 13th in the league last year, West Ham United were also thrashed in the FA Cup and League Cup, losing 5-0 to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup and 9-0 on aggregate to Manchester City in the Capital One Cup semi-final.
The Upton Park outfit struggled to find the back of net as record summer-signing Andy Carroll, signed from Liverpool for £15million, missed the majority of the season through injury. Their struggles in this department caused the manager to bring back the released Carlton Cole to the East London club, yet they managed just 25 league goals with skipper Kevin Nolan as their top-scorer with seven goals.
Allardyce’s tactics were in question as West Ham struggled to find the net with fans and co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold expressing dissatisfaction with Sam Allardyce’s direct approach and crying for an exciting style of play—something the Hammers boss has managed this season. The Hammers are currently fourth in the league after seventeen games with 29 goals in the league—more than they managed the whole of last season.
The performance of West Ham this season has brought them plaudits, with coach Sam Allardyce and striker Diafra Sakho picking up Manager and Player of the Month awards for the month of October. The Senegalese striker is the Hammers top scorer with seven goals. The summer signing, along with a group of others—Carl Jenkinson (loan), Morgan Amaliftano, Cheikou Kouyaté, Alex Song (loan), Enner Valencia, Mauro Zarate—have been instrumental in the Hammers’s good run of form.
Last season’s Achilles heel of being short of strikers has been replaced with an abundance of quality in that department. The return to full fitness of Andy Carroll adds to the options the Hammers boss has to choose from.
West Ham United, currently enjoying their best season ever, sit in the Champions League places and are in that position for the first time in a while as the season approaches the festive period. The Hammers didn’t have the best of starts this season, picking up just one win against Crystal Palace in their first four fixtures, losing to 1-0 to Spurs and 3-1 to Southampton in the process. The Hammers also crashed out of the Capital One Cup within that period, losing to Sheffield United 5-4 on penalties.
West Ham’s good run started with a 3-1 home win over Liverpool, with Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho and Morgan Amaliftano among the goals. This victory was followed by their third defeat of the season, losing to 10-man Manchester United, who had skipper Wayne Rooney sent off for a large part of the game. However, wins over Manchester City, Newcastle United and Swansea have put Sam Allardyce’s team in a strong position ahead of the festive period.
West Ham United have lost four games so far this season, losing to Tottenham, Southampton, Manchester United and Everton. With their third defeat of the season in late September, the Hammers have lost just once since that time. Big Sam’s men have not only picked up wins but have played brilliantly in each of their games, creating chances and taking them. Big Sam’s change in tactics has paid off with fans enjoying their football particularly at the Boleyn Ground.
The Hammers have only dropped points twice at home: the defeat to Southampton and a goalless draw with Aston Villa. The manager’s calls have produced the results with the West Ham boss having to select from Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia, Mauro Zarate, Carlton Cole and the fit-again Andy Carroll to spearhead the Hammers attack. Big Sam has opted for a 4-3-3 formation for most games so far this season, with Alex Song and Cheikou Kouyaté manning the midfield, but with the return of Andy Carroll, Sam Allardyce has alternated between the 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations. Inspite of the flurry West Ham possess in attack, one man has been key in their performance this season.
Stewart Downing has rolled back the years with his performance this season. The rejuvenated midfielder has been pulling the strings in midfield and provided assists with his set-piece deliveries. Big Sam has played the Englishman on the left side of the three-man midfield and on the wings in the 4-4-2 formation. Downing’s performances earned him a call-up to the England team in November after a two-year absence in the national team set-up. His technical ability has been immense in West Ham’s new approach.
The attacking set-up of this West Ham side is very different to that which Jose Mourinho described as “19th century” earlier this year, with only Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Arsenal scoring more goals than the East London Club.
With the first half of the season almost over, there is talk of West Ham playing in Europe next season given their current standing. However the season is still young, with the decisive part yet to be played, therefore talks of West Ham playing in Europe are pre-mature. The Hammers faithful can be forgiven for aiming so high given the fantastic job the manager and his team have done so far, but the league is never decided in December. With games coming thick and fast in the festive period, West Ham’s new signings would have to adapt quickly and playing Chelsea and Arsenal in the space of two days is no easy task for any team in the world.
West Ham could lose four of their players to the African Cup of Nations to be played in Equatorial Guinea, with Guy Demel, Cheikou Kouyaté, Alex Song and top scorer Diafra Sakho almost certain for call-ups. Combine this with the introduction of the FA Cup, fatigue and injuries, and calls for European football could be a bit too much for the Hammers this season. A top ten finish won’t come easy but if Sam Allardyce can get his team playing like they have so far, then talks of European football could become a possibility.
Do West Ham United have enough quality and depth to maintain this kind of form? The second half of the season has the answer to that question.
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