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Can West Ham survive relegation and pull off the ultimate escape?
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- Can West Ham survive relegation and pull off the ultimate escape?
Can West Ham survive relegation and pull off the ultimate escape?
Well, it's safe to say that over the festive period, if you were a West Ham fan you probably didn't have much to look forward to, and relegation was looking like a very real possibility.
Despite getting off to a shaky start in the New Year, The Hammers began to steadily turn things around and have seemingly given themselves at the very least, a fighting chance of yet another season in the EPL.
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At the start of the season, in the lead up to the festive period, West Ham looked down and out. Their performances on the pitch showed them vulnerable at the back and lacking clinical finishing up front. Subsequently, they were punished week in and week out, and quickly slid down the table into the drop zone.
In recent weeks however, their performances have improved massively, and they currently find themselves 2 points behind 17th place Nottingham Forest , and 3 points from safety. If Nuno Espirito Santo's men can survive, surely it will be the escape the season, as odds from the majority of new betting sites still have them as third most likely to get relegated. If recent performances are anything to go by, that's certainly not out of the question.
Noticeable improvements
West Ham's start to the season couldn't have gotten any worse, kicking things off with a pasting at the hands of newly promoted Sunderland AFC . Things only went from bad to worse and the side looked deflated, lacking that fighting spirit that the Hammers are so well known for.
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Around November time however, the Hammers attempted to rally and even picked up a couple of wins on the bounce. As things currently stand, West Ham have picked up just six wins for the season, though before Saturday's game against Liverpool , there was a distinct light at the end of the tunnel, as three of those wins had come consecutively.
Unfortunately for Nuno's men, Liverpool were simply too good and emphatically swept aside the Hammers with a decisive 5-2 victory at Anfield .
Despite this however, there is a renewed sense of optimism around the club, particularly following a successful winter transfer window. Despite West Ham currently being considered as third favourites to go down besides Burnley and Wolves , there is still plenty of time to mount the comeback of all comebacks, particularly with Spurs suffering such a horrific dip in form and Forest still proving to be very up and down.
Off-pitch issues a factor?
While ultimately a game of football is decided on the pitch, we all know that in reality, things are never really that black and white. Ordinarily, if there are troubles off the pitch, this carries over onto performances on the pitch. Just look at what happened with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.
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While West Ham's issues are not on the scale of those experienced by Wednesday, they're certainly facing their fair share of financial woes. Of course, we all know the financial benefits that come with being in the Premier League, so financially staying up will be a huge boost. Even if the Hammers are able to beat the drop however, they will likely still need to sell a number of prominent players during the summer in order to bolster their finances.
In the previous financial year, West Ham's turnover figures dropped £42.1 million, down to £227.6 million, revealing a loss of £104.2 million. The club attributed this to a number of factors, including not playing any European football, appearing on fewer televised games, finishing lower in the league, reduced profits from player sales, and selling less merchandise.
So, what does this mean for the club? Basically, it means a lack of cash. In order to raise more funds, they're going to need to sell more players, regardless of whether they stay up or find themselves relegated. While this is by no means a financial disaster, it's certainly not ideal for the club, and it will be affecting morale, which could affect performances on the pitch.
Can West Ham survive the drop?
With West Ham enjoying one of the more successful January transfer windows, things are looking very tight at the bottom of the table. With the Hammers just two points behind 17th place Forest, they've certainly got a very good chance of surviving.
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In January, the club brought in five new players, including Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos, Pablo, Adama Traore, and Axel Disasi . Of course, goals win games and while looking vulnerable at the back, ultimately West Ham simply weren't scoring goals. Subsequently, Castellanos and Pablo were brought in, and quickly helped turn things around, particularly Taty, who's goal secured victory for the Hammers in the FA Cup over QPR.
Suddenly, West Ham look far more threatening in front of goal, particularly on the break. Veteran Traore is also proving solid on the wing. Earlier in the season, there were deep concerns about West Ham's attacking midfield, largely due to the departure of Lucas Paqueta, who returned back to his former club Flamengo. Thankfully for West Ham, Traore has stepped up. The 30-year-old winger has looked especially impressive on the counter and is helping to inject a little more belief into the squad.
While all eyes have been firmly fixed on January's signings, it's West Ham mainstay Crysencio Summerville who has really shone. His displays have been clinical, disciplined, and above all else, consistent, which is exactly what the Hammers are going to need if they wish to remain in the topflight of English football for another season.
Regardless, with Sunderland now all-but mathematically safe for the season, it's clear that this season will be slightly different, in that a recently promoted team have actually managed to stay up. Not only that, but because the Black Cats started off the season so strongly, it's hard to believe that this is their first season back in the EPL since 2017. So, with the Black Cats safe, there's everything to play for at the bottom of the table.
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As things stand, it's likely Nuno's former club Nottingham Forest who could be the deciding factor. Despite the two teams having faced each other twice this season already, the Hammers will clearly be hoping the Forest squad will drop points. One Forest loss, and one additional victory from the Hammers and suddenly we have a real relegation battle on our hands. If you're a neutral, the fight for survival could well be more entertaining than the fight for the title.
It could very well go down to the wire on the final day of the season, where both teams have the odds stacked against them massively. Forest are away to Chelsea , whereas the Hammers will be hosting league leaders, and bookies favourites Arsenal . Of course, there are still plenty of games to go yet, including both teams meeting Man City over the coming weeks, so it's still very much up in the air at the moment.
