West Ham United are in a relegation fight, but things are slowly improving. Nuno Espirito Santo is beginning to get a tune out his team. The Hammers have improved significantly, and whilst wins are still needed, the team sit just two points from safety as one of the form side’s in the Premier League.
Joe Cole began his career with West Ham, making over 100 appearances before moving to Chelsea. The attacking midfielder returned for a short spell in 2013 and remains one of the best talent’s to come out of the Hammer’s academy.
Cole, who regularly appears on television and radio, has had his say on whether or not the Iron’s will stay up. Speaking on The Dressing Room podcast alongside former Hammers, Carlton Cole and Wayne Bridge, the midfielder states he thinks West Ham can complete the turnaround:
“I look at it and go, ‘Right, what has he done, Nuno?’,”
“He’s gone, ‘Right, I’ve got [Axel] Disasi and [Dinos] Mavropanos, two proper centre-halves. We’re going to play a low block and they’re going to defend the box.
“[Aaron] Wan-Bissaka and [El Hadji Malick] Diouf, I think they are very good players. Wan-Bissaka, arguably, one of our best players last year. I look at them and go, ‘I think they’re going to get out of it’,”
He added: “Do you think they will? Because I think they will. I’m happy to put my neck on the line now, I think West Ham will stay up.”
West Ham’s situation
An abysmal start of the season has led to West Ham having to dig themselves out of a hole. Former manager Graham Potter never really found his feet at the Hammers, trying to chop and change as he built his team, allowed the Irons to fall down the table.
Change was made, and with Nuno available, he came through the door. The former Nottingham Forest boss struggled to turn the sinking ship at first, but is now gaining momentum, built on a strong defensive foundation.
Mads Hermansen finally looks at home in West Ham shirt. Konstantinos Mavropanos is looking like the defender the Irons thought they had signed, and Axel Disasi looks like an astute January signing that could be key to the team’s run in.
Things have been addressed in all areas. Mateus Fernandes is controlling the midfield, and new signing Valentin Castellanos is bringing new dimensions to West Ham’s attack.
The Hammers are in way the complete product, but look a competent team. Defence can win you games in a relegation scrap, and its hard to argue that West Ham can’t pull this off.
