It is that time of year again for the hammers – Andy Carroll has suffered another setback and will be out of action for at least one month.Last season, West Ham were simply sublime as they finished seventh, just one point behind sixth-placed Southampton.
This year, the sky is the limit for Slaven Bilic’s men but the Croatian may need to invest heavily if the Hammers are to climb into the top six…
“West Ham United” (CC BY 2.0) by joshjdss
The likes of Chelsea and Liverpool are both much improved this season and West Ham face a real job on their hands to pip one of England’s elite clubs to sixth place.
At the time of writing, the Hammers are 3/1 in Bet365’s Premier League top 6 odds and plenty of fans will be fancying a punt on Bilic’s men this season. After all, the Hammers showed enough class throughout the previous campaign – but consistency is key to their aspirations.
With just over a week until the transfer window slams shut, David Gold and David Sullivan must focus on bringing a new striker into the club. It looked like Carlos Bacca was all set to move to the Olympic Stadium this summer but nothing has materialised and time is running out.
Bilic may trust his current squad but most Hammers fans believe that at least one more decent signing upfront is required to challenge and compete; particularly as Carroll won’t return for at least a month.
West Ham's Andy Carroll faces another spell on the sidelines after it was confirmed he has another knee injury. https://t.co/kRHVBamQoE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 21, 2016
Wilfried Bony is available for the right price and the Manchester City man could certainly do a job for Bilic’s men. The Hammers are in dire need of an out-and-out goal scorer and Bony proved his worth during his time at Swansea City.
Unfortunately, it just hasn’t worked out for him at the Etihad Stadium and a move to the Olympic Stadium could be exactly what he needs to reignite his Premier League career.
But the Hammers shouldn’t go out and panic buy. Remember, Dimitri Payet is edging ever closer to a full return to the starting line-up and Bilic won’t want to upset the balance of his squad.
The Frenchman was West Ham’s best player by a distance last season and he could be the man to fire the Hammers into the top six. Payet was instrumental at Euro 2016 as France reached the final and West Ham supporters will be desperate to see him back in the starting line-up.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gXgBa4cf5rY
On their day, West Ham are capable of going toe-to-toe with England’s top clubs. Right now, it is hard to imagine Bilic’s men pipping their rivals to a place in the top six but stranger things have happened.
West Ham’s team spirit and mental strength may count for a lot more than simply spending money – just wait and see…
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