Well now.

[Brookbonds73]

It would seem our dabble with the European/ Europa qualification is over. Realistically we can still qualify but there's probably more chance of growing hair on a rock!
Whilst a lot of fans would suggest it's been a great season regardless of where we finish, for me personally it's been just ok, and nothing more than that. Great for me was 85/86, to be in with a chance of winning the title with a handful of games left was special. Don't get me wrong, it's been good not having to look over our shoulders in a relegation dogfight and like many if you'd have said we'd be top half at the start, I'd have bitten your hand off. But at the end of the day whether you finish 7th or 17th it's just another season of making up the numbers.
Have I got a touch of sour grapes, a touch of my Hammers should win everything, a touch of we should be buying 100 million pound players every window? No, not at all, just accustomed to the usual disappointments that entail following our club.
Yes we'll finish top half this season and that's fine, but once again the owners have failed in their promise to deliver European football. We've come close, but close for a club of our size and support should be the norm. Not because we're something special and have a devine right, but this season should be a normal thing for us. Take Leicester for example, won a premier league, been in Europe, won a cup final and next season will have European football once again. Are they a bigger club than us, not in my book.
But they do have marvellous owners and that's the difference. They have ambition another thing that's sorely lacking in our people.
This season should be a stepping stone for us, something to build on, but will it?
With a bit of luck the fans will be able to return next season, just a pity the owners will be there to.

Thoughts?

[Ibbyham]

It would seem our dabble with the European/ Europa qualification is over. Realistically we can still qualify but there's probably more chance of growing hair on a rock!
Whilst a lot of fans would suggest it's been a great season regardless of where we finish, for me personally it's been just ok, and nothing more than that. Great for me was 85/86, to be in with a chance of winning the title with a handful of games left was special. Don't get me wrong, it's been good not having to look over our shoulders in a relegation dogfight and like many if you'd have said we'd be top half at the start, I'd have bitten your hand off. But at the end of the day whether you finish 7th or 17th it's just another season of making up the numbers.
Have I got a touch of sour grapes, a touch of my Hammers should win everything, a touch of we should be buying 100 million pound players every window? No, not at all, just accustomed to the usual disappointments that entail following our club.
Yes we'll finish top half this season and that's fine, but once again the owners have failed in their promise to deliver European football. We've come close, but close for a club of our size and support should be the norm. Not because we're something special and have a devine right, but this season should be a normal thing for us. Take Leicester for example, won a premier league, been in Europe, won a cup final and next season will have European football once again. Are they a bigger club than us, not in my book.
But they do have marvellous owners and that's the difference. They have ambition another thing that's sorely lacking in our people.
This season should be a stepping stone for us, something to build on, but will it?
With a bit of luck the fans will be able to return next season, just a pity the owners will be there to.

Thoughts?

Totally agreed there mate, this season has been a good season especially up to game 29 but since Rice got injured we slipped down and CL is over that shows we still lacking in strength in depth. Our current owners aren't as good as Leicester and West Ham will not go higher than 7th to be precise as our owners are not that fully ambitions to built our squad stronger. After 2 years in 2023 once that 20% sale on fee to LLDC is over, will our owner sell up? If they do, are there any reliable new buyer that bring us success? 80% of clubs in our football leagues who had foreign rich owner all failed and clubs went even worst, such as Portsmouth, Bolton, Wigan, Birmingham, Sheff Wed, Ipswich, Sunderland, Blackburn, QPR and so on......That shows there aren't any good reliable owners that care for us, passion and willingness to built our club into European fortress or Premier League top 6 side like Leicester doing at the moment. That the tricky question if our current owners sell up but need a same mould of new buyer like Leicester owner type. If our owners refused to sell, then this club will be no higher than 13th as other clubs will take over us.

[BCHammer]

If we were in and around 8th all season, I would be pretty happy with that compared to the usual squeaky bum down the nether end of the table.

What is so disappointing is that we didnt just touch the heights like Southampton or Palace, we made 4th our own for several weeks and we deserved to be there.

To slip down now is just beyond disappointing.

Not that there is any point in getting CL or Europa because we are just going to get annihilated, we dont have the squad, we are not going to even if we spend 100m in the summer and we will be back to suffering in the league again and fighting relegation. Forget the cups.

I was watching the aftermath of the Leicester game and there were genuine tears in my eyes. I can only dream of my West Ham being in that position. Having owners who love their club, who have invested in it top to bottom. Thats who I want to be and we will never be all the while they are in charge. There is more likelihood of colonizing Pluto than West Ham fans waving scarfs and wearing t-shirts how wonderful GSB are.

[tassiehammer]

It would seem our dabble with the European/ Europa qualification is over. Realistically we can still qualify but there's probably more chance of growing hair on a rock!
Whilst a lot of fans would suggest it's been a great season regardless of where we finish, for me personally it's been just ok, and nothing more than that. Great for me was 85/86, to be in with a chance of winning the title with a handful of games left was special. Don't get me wrong, it's been good not having to look over our shoulders in a relegation dogfight and like many if you'd have said we'd be top half at the start, I'd have bitten your hand off. But at the end of the day whether you finish 7th or 17th it's just another season of making up the numbers.
Have I got a touch of sour grapes, a touch of my Hammers should win everything, a touch of we should be buying 100 million pound players every window? No, not at all, just accustomed to the usual disappointments that entail following our club.
Yes we'll finish top half this season and that's fine, but once again the owners have failed in their promise to deliver European football. We've come close, but close for a club of our size and support should be the norm. Not because we're something special and have a devine right, but this season should be a normal thing for us. Take Leicester for example, won a premier league, been in Europe, won a cup final and next season will have European football once again. Are they a bigger club than us, not in my book.
But they do have marvellous owners and that's the difference. They have ambition another thing that's sorely lacking in our people.
This season should be a stepping stone for us, something to build on, but will it?
With a bit of luck the fans will be able to return next season, just a pity the owners will be there to.

Thoughts?

Well said. I'd go along with that. End of the day it all comes down to pound notes. We've got the money but its always been a cash cow for whoever owns us. But that's business.

[palerider]

It's how you end a season that lives in the memory. Up until the Newcastle game it was peachy. But that defeat seems to have been the catalyst for self-doubt. Ok, the Burnley game was good but tbh their result performance yesterday suggests they've got the holiday brochures out.

Brighton were poor. It was a poor game. We didn't have a spark. It was hugely disappointing.

I'm not blaming Moyes but I will blame the fact that we had no plan B. As with the Everton game without a proper target man the swapping of Bowen for Benrahma then back again is like moving deckchairs around. And more importantly, for the last month Lingard has played as if he wants to be back in Manchester. On last night's showing I wouldn't pay 5m for him let alone 35. And without Rice to help him, Soucek has been running on empty.

As BB said it's better looking up than looking down but under Statler and Waldorf we'll never have either the squad depth or a couple of really outstanding forwards to snatch a winner like we were crying out for yesterday. Which is what all the really top teams have. How many times do you see United or the victims win it late when they've played crap ? We cannot break down teams that defend well.

Maybe missing out on the Europa is a blessing in disguise without the squad to compete in two competitions and tbh if we finish 7th and have to play in a glorified Inter-Toto Cup I'd sooner Moyes used it as a chance to play the kids.

Summer's transfers or lack of will be crucial as to whether the club think Ok...fell at the last but let's go one better next year or a chimney-sweep finding himself at a toff's party making excuses for being there and going back to where he belongs.

[JayK]

If we were in and around 8th all season, I would be pretty happy with that compared to the usual squeaky bum down the nether end of the table.

What is so disappointing is that we didnt just touch the heights like Southampton or Palace, we made 4th our own for several weeks and we deserved to be there.

To slip down now is just beyond disappointing.

Not that there is any point in getting CL or Europa because we are just going to get annihilated, we dont have the squad, we are not going to even if we spend 100m in the summer and we will be back to suffering in the league again and fighting relegation. Forget the cups.

I was watching the aftermath of the Leicester game and there were genuine tears in my eyes. I can only dream of my West Ham being in that position. Having owners who love their club, who have invested in it top to bottom. Thats who I want to be and we will never be all the while they are in charge. There is more likelihood of colonizing Pluto than West Ham fans waving scarfs and wearing t-shirts how wonderful GSB are.

[Whiskyman]

Some good points there BB73. My take on it quite simply is that it's been a surprisingly good season. Had anyone at the start of the season, particularly after the Newcastle game, said that we would be considered realistic challengers for a European spot, never mind a CL one, people would have been calling for the men in white coats to take them away.

Personally I'm not too disappointed we missed out on the CL. I think we all know we're a long way short of doing anything but making up the numbers in that competition. But I will be very disappointed if, as now looks likely, we fail to get a Europa League spot. At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious I think if we fail to get a Europa place it will hasten Rice's departure. That guy deserves to be playing at the top level, not thrashing around in a "making up the numbers" team. And will the likes of Soucek & Coufal feel like hanging around if they feel the club isn't going anywhere ?

And then there's Moyes' position. He looked really downbeat when he did his post match interview yesterday. He hasn't signed a new contract yet so I guess the question is if he feels he isn't getting the financial support he needs to grow the club will he walk ? He may have been desperate for work when he accepted the offer to come back for his second spell but because of what we've done this season he is a manager whose star has risen considerably since then.

For me failure to snatch a place in the Europa League will be the end of any aspirations the club may have of being seen as a regular top of the table player. Key players will, I feel sure, want to leave and players of the necessary calibre to grow the squad won't want to come to a club not competing in the top competitions. We simply have to win our next two games and hope Spurs, who are in the best position to overtake us, slip up somewhere. Otherwise I'm afraid our best season, at least imo, since 85/86, risks being another calm before the storm moment, just as it was back in 1986. We didn't kick on and within 3 years we were relegated.

[palerider]

Some good points there BB73. My take on it quite simply is that it's been a surprisingly good season. Had anyone at the start of the season, particularly after the Newcastle game, said that we would be considered realistic challengers for a European spot, never mind a CL one, people would have been calling for the men in white coats to take them away.

Personally I'm not too disappointed we missed out on the CL. I think we all know we're a long way short of doing anything but making up the numbers in that competition. But I will be very disappointed if, as now looks likely, we fail to get a Europa League spot. At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious I think if we fail to get a Europa place it will hasten Rice's departure. That guy deserves to be playing at the top level, not thrashing around in a "making up the numbers" team. And will the likes of Soucek & Coufal feel like hanging around if they feel the club isn't going anywhere ?

And then there's Moyes' position. He looked really downbeat when he did his post match interview yesterday. He hasn't signed a new contract yet so I guess the question is if he feels he isn't getting the financial support he needs to grow the club will he walk ? He may have been desperate for work when he accepted the offer to come back for his second spell but because of what we've done this season he is a manager whose star has risen considerably since then.

For me failure to snatch a place in the Europa League will be the end of any aspirations the club may have of being seen as a regular top of the table player. Key players will, I feel sure, want to leave and players of the necessary calibre to grow the squad won't want to come to a club not competing in the top competitions. We simply have to win our next two games and hope Spurs, who are in the best position to overtake us, slip up somewhere. Otherwise I'm afraid our best season, at least imo, since 85/86, risks being another calm before the storm moment, just as it was back in 1986. We didn't kick on and within 3 years we were relegated.

Indeed.

Would young Dec fancy a Thursday night trip to FC Sheriff of Moldova in the glamorous European Conference as opposed to the Nou Camp ? Answers on a postcard please to Mr D Shitcunt, Dwarf Towers, Theydon Bois, Essex.

And should the bugster feel that he's risen like a phoenix and Celtic Park awaits let Nolan have the gig. I'm not entirely sure he's not been running the show anyway.

[mkhammer]

Bearing in mind we can't go...and thats huge,for me anyway....lots of us can't go for various reasons but love the Irons
as much as anyone...moreso in plenty of cases.
This season might have, maybe is my favourite......watching Moyes actually build a side as the seasons progresses has been
a joy...from slow steps sorting out defence,making us hard to beat relying on counters to a side that most other PL sides
worry about,and set up accordingly,we have respect now...the best season for signings..not up for argument that one.
Great team spirit/workrate....

This year has been what I would like to see as our average season...6th/7th looks likely...anywhere 8th to 3rd would
do me....
We are not a CL every season side..TBH don't want that..don't wanna be a City or a Cheats/Manure-Red Scouse,want us to be
us..Bench mark for me is maybe where Spuds are...they'll always be a 3rd to 8th side...great season to average season.

Also don't see as we've "Fell away"..we're playing OK still,usually the better side in most games,when was the last time
we could say that...things just aint falling at moment ..it happens...all the bods in and around us have gone thru it
this year..all of them...
But 38 games played you finish where you deserve to be ,maybe a Place or two,that could have gone the other way,
we could easily have played Identical recently and picked up another 4/5 pts or so...thats the way it goes.

As they say...Over the moon with season.....

[Whiskyman]

Some good points there BB73. My take on it quite simply is that it's been a surprisingly good season. Had anyone at the start of the season, particularly after the Newcastle game, said that we would be considered realistic challengers for a European spot, never mind a CL one, people would have been calling for the men in white coats to take them away.

Personally I'm not too disappointed we missed out on the CL. I think we all know we're a long way short of doing anything but making up the numbers in that competition. But I will be very disappointed if, as now looks likely, we fail to get a Europa League spot. At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious I think if we fail to get a Europa place it will hasten Rice's departure. That guy deserves to be playing at the top level, not thrashing around in a "making up the numbers" team. And will the likes of Soucek & Coufal feel like hanging around if they feel the club isn't going anywhere ?

And then there's Moyes' position. He looked really downbeat when he did his post match interview yesterday. He hasn't signed a new contract yet so I guess the question is if he feels he isn't getting the financial support he needs to grow the club will he walk ? He may have been desperate for work when he accepted the offer to come back for his second spell but because of what we've done this season he is a manager whose star has risen considerably since then.

For me failure to snatch a place in the Europa League will be the end of any aspirations the club may have of being seen as a regular top of the table player. Key players will, I feel sure, want to leave and players of the necessary calibre to grow the squad won't want to come to a club not competing in the top competitions. We simply have to win our next two games and hope Spurs, who are in the best position to overtake us, slip up somewhere. Otherwise I'm afraid our best season, at least imo, since 85/86, risks being another calm before the storm moment, just as it was back in 1986. We didn't kick on and within 3 years we were relegated.

Indeed.

Would young Dec fancy a Thursday night trip to FC Sheriff of Moldova in the glamorous European Conference as opposed to the Nou Camp ? Answers on a postcard please to Mr D Shitcunt, Dwarf Towers, Theydon Bois, Essex.

And should the bugster feel that he's risen like a phoenix and Celtic Park awaits let Nolan have the gig. I'm not entirely sure he's not been running the show anyway.

As a club if the UEFA conference thing is what we qualify for, and we could even miss out on that, I think we should embrace the thing as a stepping stone. But we probably won't because ambition and West Ham have never belonged in the same sentence.

And if Moyes does decide the grass is greener elsewhere Nolan would be as good a choice as anyone imo. Although I have no doubt the more deluded amongst our fan base will be asking why we didn't approach Zinedine Zidane or Ronald Koeman if, as looks probable, they both join the jobseekers at the end of the season.