After a disappointing end to the David Moyes era, West Ham will be hoping former Spain manager Julen Lopetegui can get them back on track following his arrival at the club.
By Sam McGuire
What happened last season?
To describe the 2023/24 campaign as inconsistent would be an understatement.
The Hammers kicked off their season with a four-match unbeaten run before losing five of the next seven. They got things back on track with one defeat in 11 before the wheels well and truly came off from February onwards.
Rumours of the impending Moyes departure no doubt played a part in their good form coming to an abrupt end.
West Ham dropped points in 12 of their final 16 games, losing eight and drawing four. They suffered some heavy losses, conceding 20 goals in matches against Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Their defensive structure was a huge issue last term. Only the bottom three conceded more goals than the Hammers. They finished with a negative goal difference despite their ninth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Moyes’ men kept just five clean sheets and finished with an Expected Goals conceded total of 72.2. For context, only Sheffield United and Luton Town, two of the three relegated teams, had a higher total.
West Ham could only finish with the 13th best xG haul too. In another season, with the same underlying numbers, they definitely find themselves in a relegation scrap rather than mid-table security.
The goalscoring exploits of Jarrod Bowen played a huge role in their comfortable finish. The forward finished with 16 goals while new recruits Mohammed Kudus and James Ward-Prowse also played their parts. Kudus claimed eight goals during his debut season with the club while Ward-Prowse finished with seven assists, the joint-highest for the Hammers.
It will be interesting to see whether new manager Lopetegui can get the same sort of numbers out of this trio.
What has happened during the summer?
West Ham acted quickly to secure the services of Lopetegui. This is a coup for the club. They have backed the new boss too.
Max Kilman was signed from Wolves for a fee believed to be in the region of £40million. The club snapped up Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United. The Dutch winger had been believed to be a target for Liverpool and Chelsea. German forward Niclas Füllkrug arrived from Borussia Dortmund following his exploits with Germany at Euro 2024. The fee was a large one for someone of his age and he’ll need to hit the ground running to ensure he isn’t viewed as an expensive flop.
Guido Rodríguez bulks up the midfield while Luis Guilherme, a Brazilian wonderkid, could be a wildcard for the Hammers next term. He’s certainly one to watch anyway.
The club parted ways with Flynn Downes, Said Benrahama and Thilo Kehrer but all three spent time on loan last season, so that isn’t a huge blow to the squad.
Kurt Zouma is expected to leave on a free transfer but his departure is covered by the arrival of Kilman.
More importantly, West Ham have managed to keep hold of Bowen, Lucas Paquetá and Kudus.
It is a strong squad. They need to have a strong performance this season.
What they should be aiming for next season?
They need to be aiming for a European finish. They might not achieve it, this is a strong Premier League and a lot of clubs in and around them have also strengthened, but they need to be in the conversation. Lopetegui needs to be aiming to shore things up defensively. If he manages that, West Ham will be in a good position.
Prediction: 9th
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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