The early warning signs of a second-year slump passed me by as I covered West Ham United’s preseason tour to America. The questions from a 3-0 defeat at the hands of a Major League Soccer’s lower-mid-table Seattle Sounders and a 2-2 draw against North American Soccer League opponent North Carolina RailHawks were easily excused during the early preseason.
The Hammers only had four days of training prior to the Seattle debacle. There was no Dimitri Payet, James Collins, Darren Randolph, Cheikhou Kouyate or Michail Antonio in the squad. With all eleven substitutes used, the matches were only for fitness anyway.
However, two months later, it does not appear as if West Ham will recover anytime soon from a fall to 18th in the Premier League table after five matches.
The summer should have sent off more warning lights as West Ham were handled easily by Rubin Kazan, after drawing FC Slovacko. The Hammers finally secured their first preseason victory over Karlsruher SC to wrap up a bizarre trip to Austria in late July.
With all the worry surrounding a new striker to end the transfer window, the sale of James Tomkins without further improving the defensive unit appears as a major gaff. Perhaps too much belief was put in Reece Burke (Who has subsequently been loaned to Wigan Athletic) and Reece Oxford. Bilic does not seem the type to start a 17-year-old in Oxford unless it is his only option, as it was at the start of last season.
West Ham did not make the marquee striker purchase hoped for, instead of breaking the Hammers’ transfer record through the purchase of André Ayew, and added a deadline day loan of Simone Zaza, with an option to buy.
Of course, the injury bug has found West Ham, as it does every season. The loss of Aaron Cresswell appears to hurt the most with the defensive problems, but the ill-fated injury to Ayew after just 35 minutes of play was all too West Ham in nature. Andy Carroll, who really was the man in form during West Ham’s preseason, suffered a knee injury but is progressing well.
Diafra Sakho, the forgotten striker at West Ham, needs to get fit. Granted, his attitude has been hardly forgivable, but the 26-year-old has flashes of greatness needed back in the squad with Zaza looking less than spectacular in his first two games.
Perhaps more pressing than all is the availability of veteran Alvaro Arbeloa. The former Real Madrid right-back could be the presence needed to glue the Hammers’ inept defence together until Cresswell is back fit.
As for Bilic, it would be expected that a former international centre-back would be capable of setting up a staunch defence. In the first five Premier League games, West Ham have a goal difference of minus six – a startling difference from last season’s positive 14 goal difference. Bilic is known to be stubborn in his ways, as seen with his treatment of Antonio at right back.
This is not an article calling for Bilic’s job, but one calling for the ability to adapt. Whether Bilic is able, or more accurately, willing to make changes to find a way to earn three points will decide if he will last through his second season as West Ham’s manager.
Perhaps deploy the Premier League’s joint-top scorer, Antonio, as an out-and-out striker. Give Randolph a run in goal. See if Oxford can partner with Angelo Ogbonna at the back. Maybe go as far as dropping Mark Noble, since the captain has been less than impressive to start the season.
Next Sunday, West Ham will give it a go against Southampton. The Saints are another team that started in a rut this season, but two consecutive victories see them gelling. We can only wait and speculate before the Hammers take the field to earn, at a minimum, their first result in the Premier League since 21 August’s underwhelming 1-0 victory over Bournemouth.
