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#4 West Ham to return to Europe
Back in the summer of 2018, West Ham signalled their intent to return to the upper trenches of the Premier League. The Hammers installed Manuel Pellegrini at the helm and added the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop, Jack Wilshere and Lukasz Fabianski to further the Chilean’s cause.
However, the new manager took time to bed in his philosophy and that meant the East London club were playing catch-up for a majority of the season. A major chunk of the season saw the Hammers struggling in the bottom half with many even labelling the appointment of Pellegrini as dubious.
Yet, as the term progressed, the former Manchester City manager and his troops found their groove, mustering a decent end to the campaign and finishing 10th.
Moreover, they looked threatening with their offensive combinations and dominated the middle third at times. Thus, indicating that West Ham were only getting stronger under the Chilean.
And, by signing a few exciting players in the 2019 off-season, the East London outfit look primed for a raid on the European spots.
Pablo Fornals would inject a bit of guile in the creative midfield department whereas the French battering ramp, aka Sebastien Haller would provide muscle and strong displays up front.
More importantly though, they’ve managed to keep hold of their key assets. Declan Rice could’ve been the subject of quite a few enquiries but the Hammers ensured that didn’t happen by tying the midfielder down to a long-term contract, which only expires in 2024.
Diop, meanwhile, was also looked upon as a potential defensive answer by numerous clubs yet the Frenchman was convinced to remain in East London.
Additionally, the likes of Anderson, Javier Hernandez and Yarmolenko would be a lot sharper, especially after a season under Pellegrini. And, they have the reliable Mark Noble to call upon whenever things might start getting pear-shaped.
