Everyone loves an underdog story so why can’t West Ham United be the latest to write their own fairytale.
More than meets the eye to Fabianski’s new West Ham deal
Amid the club’s best season for 35 years debate has raged over whether West Ham can do the unthinkable and finish… fourth.
As far as underdog stories go, finishing fourth – especially when you have finished third and fifth in the top division in the past – is hardly Booker Prize material.
Pundits and fans have had their say haven’t they? West Ham won’t last the distance. West Ham’s squad is too small. Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton are all better bets than West Ham for that fourth spot.
High-flying West Ham spark fervent debate over top four race
All of that may be true. But what if it isn’t. Some pundits think the Hammers can do it. Many West Ham fans won’t be convinced.
But then it is burned into the DNA of every true West Ham fan to expect to be disappointed. It’s even our club anthem for goodness sake.
As Paul Merson said this week, though, ‘West Ham keep winning’. And that, at this stage of the season, is the name of the game.
Danny Mills doesn’t want West Ham in the Champions League if they finish fourth apparently. He thinks Europe’s top competition should be reserved for champions and runners-up. Many may agree with him.
But he decided to use West Ham to underline his argument, conveniently forgetting he only reached that level as a player because Leeds qualified in much the same way. He’s a hypocrite whatever way you look at it.
Let’s flip this on it’s head, though. The will they, won’t they debate over West Ham being able to nick fourth spot could be rendered irrelevant if Moyes’s side replicate their form from the first round of fixtures against the sides they play during the run-in and improve on one or two results against the likes of Newcastle and Southampton.
So my question is why limit ourselves to fourth? Why can’t we aim to finish second?
Man City have the title sewn up. But if West Ham beat a depleted Manchester United on Sunday they could go three points off second WITH a game in hand on all the sides around them.
Fourth? Why can’t West Ham finish second for goodness sake
West Ham would then have 10 games to go. And would probably need to win six or seven of them to finish runners-up.
Is that really such a stretch?
Look at Leicester. A much smaller club than West Ham. Survived relegation and the next season – a campaign during which several top sides underperformed or were in transition – inexplicably won the Premier League title.
That is a true underdog story. And it should inspire West Ham.
This is similar to that 2015/16 season – a campaign where the emotion of leaving their beloved Boleyn home of 112 years and the magic of Dimitri Payet inspired West Ham to within four points of making the Champions League.
Several top sides have underperformed or are “in transition”. And with no fans the season is unique, a one off that will hopefully never be repeated in that sense.
Leicester won the title in 2015/16 because they happened upon a spirit, chemistry and style that made them a true TEAM.
Something different about this West Ham side, they’re a real TEAM – probably for the first time in decades
This West Ham side is exactly that, a TEAM. I’m not sure that was the case in the Farewell Boleyn season – with Payet running the show it was a case of all boats rising with the tide.
Indeed West Ham can take heart from their own history. They remain the last club outside the top flight to win the FA Cup.
Beating Arsenal in 1980, now that’s an underdog story. West Ham finishing fourth this season would, as Moyes says himself: ‘make a good season great’.
Leicester are a lovely side but they choked last season in a similar situation and have showed signs of inconsistency again.
Man United have Europa League distractions and injuries.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs also have European distractions and the extra games that brings – for now at least.
If the Hammers can navigate the tricky set of fixtures in front of them right now, there is no reason they can’t win four or even all five of their final matches of the campaign.
That run of games against Burnley, Everton, Brighton, West Brom and Southampton could be the clinchers for West Ham.
But not just for fourth place. Why settle. Dare to dream and all that. And the beauty of it all is that the pressure is on everyone in the race except West Ham.
Manuel Pellegrini could hold the key to West Ham signing striker En-Nesyri
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
