Guardian writers’ predicted position: 9th (NB: this is not necessarily Michael Butler’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 9th
Prospects
Perhaps no team in the Premier League has undergone a bigger overhaul than West Ham, both in terms of personnel, playing style and ambition. The David Moyes in/out saga finally ended with the non-renewal of the manager’s contract at the London Stadium – an amicable way of getting rid of the Scot, who had brought both a stoic brand of football and European glory to the self-branded ‘academy of football’ since rejoining West Ham in 2019.
The Moyes debate was not unlike the Southgate dilemma at England. A decent man with integrity, not without achievement, but ultimately a flawed coach, ever-so-slightly out of step with the modern game. Moyes was a defensive coach, yet only the three relegated teams conceded more goals than West Ham last season. For both England and West Ham fans, it’s permitted to be grateful to the departing man and excited for what is to come.
In Moyes’s stead comes Julen Lopetegui, who has been sold to fans as a more attacking, exciting head coach to work alongside Tim Steidten. The technical director was banned from the dressing room under Moyes, but Steidten is now front and centre of the revolution at West Ham. Niclas Füllkrug – who played under Steidten’s watch at Werder Bremen – Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Guido Rodríguez and Jean-Clair Todibo have all been brought in at cost of well over £150m.
There is still work to be done but this summer has been a good start, even if it may take a few months for the players to gel and for Lopetegui’s style to come to fruition. While the spending this summer has raised expectations, West Ham fans will have to be patient if there is a sluggish start to the season as players and Lopetegui’s ideas bed themselves in. A top-half finish and a strong cup run are realistic aims.
The manager
It is unfortunate that Lopetegui is best known for the controversy that led to him being sacked by Spain at the 2018 World Cup for announcing his departure to Real Madrid during that tournament. By October of that year, Lopetegui was then sacked by Real Madrid after a string of bad results. But since then, the Basque manager has rebuilt his reputation at Sevilla, where he won the Europa League, and at Wolves, where he was quietly impressive in difficult circumstances. How quickly he is able to implement his style and new signings will be the key in east London, although there does seem to be some confusion over tactics: earlier this summer West Ham bid £32m for Jhon Durán, before eventually landing Füllkrug – two entirely different types of strikers.
Off-field picture
Fans have mixed feelings about the summer spending and the current wage bill – Danny Ings is said to earn a weekly six-figure salary – against the backdrop of increased season-ticket prices (above inflation) and the withdrawal of some concessions for disabled fans, under 21s and under 18s, with some forced to move to more inaccessible and undesirable parts of the ground, splitting up families and friends. Supporters are angry and there is a petition opposed to the changes. Hammers United, an independent supporters group, said: “Our concessions are being taken away all for a few hundred thousand pounds a year and yet the owners are gaslighting us that unless fans pay more, the club will not be able to compete. Given that revenue from ticketing represents no more than 17% of all income, these changes represent a huge price rise for fans and a rounding error for the club, which has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.”
Breakout star
Not many people will know of Luis Guilherme but after signing the Brazilian from Palmeiras for more than £25m, technical director Tim Steidten has said the 18-year-old “is ready to make an impact in the first team”. Already with a Brazilian Série A title, Copa Libertadores experience and capped internationally at youth level, Guilherme is a pacy, tricky winger who can play anywhere across the front line. Another to watch out for is Freddie Potts, son of former West Ham player and current under-21s manager Steve, who has started all but one match in pre-season. The 20-year-old is yet to make a senior competitive game for West Ham but could see himself in Lopetegui’s squad after being voted the Supporters’ Player of the Year while on loan at League One Wycombe last season.
A-lister
West Ham players were asked in pre-season for one word to describe Mohammed Kudus. Almost every one said “starboy” – including Kudus himself – although a few opted for “flairy”, “ridiculous” and “the best”. Kudus is the undisputed maestro of this team, of most teams, capable of match-winning moments, even if his debut season in the Premier League was disrupted by injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite this, nobody completed more dribbles in England’s top-flight last season. A graduate of the Right to Dream academy in Ghana (which has also produced Brighton’s Simon Adingra), Kudus should flourish even more under a more attack-minded manager but West Ham will be fearful of losing Kudus if they do not challenge for a European berth this season.
What they did this summer
Seven internationals representing six nations competed in both the Euros and Copa América, although no West Ham player made a lasting impression. Jarrod Bowen played just 35 minutes for England, Alphonse Areola didn’t manage one for France, Czech Republic (Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek), Mexico (Edson Álvarez) and Jamaica (Michail Antonio) failed to make it out of their respective groups, while a disappointing Brazil (Lucas Paquetá) were sent packing by Uruguay in the Copa América quarter-final. On a lighter note, Bowen got engaged to influencer Dani Dyer last month and will now count Danny Dyer as his future father-in-law. “The most beautiful couple in the world,” quipped the former Eastenders star. “Right … better start writing that speech”.
