WEST HAM – TALENTED BUT BATTLING THE DROP?

Slaven Bilić was labelled a hero for taking West Ham into the top 7 last season. The magic from Dimitri Payet and the confidence within the team helped the Hammers negotiate past difficult fixtures and reach – subject to qualification, which they in fact lost to FC Astana – the Europa League.

Two months into the new season and West Ham currently sit in the relegation zone. This doesn’t mean they’re going to be relegated, of course not – just look at how Leicester negotiated away from the drop, but it’s a sign of genuine worry.

West Ham have lost their sparkle that took them to new depths last year. The cohesion in the team seems to have broken down which is alarming given that this could well be West Ham’s best team ever.

Having brought in: André Ayew, Manuel Lanzini, Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri, Gökhan Töre, Sofiane Feghouli, Álvaro Arbeloa among others, the Hammers have acted in a similar way to Spurs did when they lost Gareth Bale.

While the Hammers haven’t lost anyone that cost £85m, they’ve spent as if they have had to replace their superstar player. A list of 11 players were brought in this summer when quality was needed over quantity. They may have lost a key player in James Tomkins, but that obviously doesn’t warrant bringing in nearly a dozen new players.

When Spurs sold Bale, they brought in 8 players – all but two are still at the club – and suffered the consequence of doing so. They failed to gel as a team and it took a season for players like Erik Lamela to adapt and hit the ground running.

West Ham are in a very similar position. They did brilliantly well for a club of their stature last season, so why change so much in one summer when there was no real need?

It’s a case of trying too much too quickly. Throwing players such as Zaza into the deep end when they need time to adjust and adapt to a new country and league. It might be a cliche to some to say that the Premier League is completely different to other leagues, but it’s true. Serie A and the Premier League could not be more opposite.

On paper, West Ham have a brilliantly balanced and creative team. The likes of Payet and Antonio provide a constant stream of assists and goals while they have Mark Noble in midfield to provide an insurance in midfield.

The problem so far has been Bilić, this season, doesn’t know his best XI. He has constantly chopped and changed and there’s not a better example of Michail Antonio. The defender-cum-midfielder-cum-forward has literally played everywhere down the right-hand side.

Against Middlesbrough last weekend, the England international played as a lone striker. When your team is constantly trying out new formations and positions, there’s no wonder it’s going to take time to become accustomed to perform at the required level.

The key this season is to continue to give Payet the confidence he needs in order to punish the opposition. The Frenchman scored a goal of the season contender against ‘Boro last weekend and it’s goals like those that give teams important morale boosts.

It’s still early days, but West Ham don’t want to be in a position where they’re scrambling for points by Christmas and even worse come April. An international break is now the perfect time for players to recoup and get their heads clear. Their new season starts when Premier League football returns.