Vital Reading Season Preview – West Ham
Club: West Ham United
Founded: 1895
Nickname: The Hammers
Ground: Upton Park (Capacity: 35,016)
When we face off: Sat 29th December (H), Sun 19th May (A)
Last season finish: 3rd – Championship
Manager: Sam Allardyce – ‘Big Sam’ certainly made a tough job of getting West Ham back up the top division, but he did it none the less. There are still many Hammers fans doubting his ability to lead the team through their Premier League campaign.
Key player: Kevin Nolan – Despite some of his antics on the football pitch attracting much hatred, Nolan remains the Hammers’ talismanic figure. A clever midfielder, quite similarly to Tim Cahill, who can chip in with a fair amount of goals by being that fox-in-the-box.
Season Preview: The Hammers certainly have an attack capable of keeping them in the Premier League, but the defence does need a lot of sharpening. The acquisition of James Collins does fill this void slightly, but the wing backs could be easily exploited. Unless the Hammers bulk up this more, I can see a possible relegation fight on their hands.
