da dobrowin： Since Sam Allardyce finally parted ways with the Hammers after ending the 2014/15 campaign in less than convincing style last season, West Ham United can now viably be seen as a club with a potentially bright future ahead of them.
da poker： The prospect of enjoying a decent run in the Europa League next term certainly won’t be passed up easily by the Upton Park faithful any time soon, and with the move to London’s Olympic Stadium almost on the horizon for the Hammers in 2015/16, the final season at the Boleyn Ground is bound to be one defined by heighted excitement and intense emotion one way or another.
The approaching campaign could even be considered the most important season in West Ham’s entire history – for whatever fate holds for Slaven Bilic’s new side come the end of 2015/16 – Hammers supporters from all over are bound to hold this final term at their traditional East End home close to heart.
So then, will the new season ultimately offer one last romanticized farewell for West Ham as they begin their new life at the Olympic Stadium in 2016, or is such a fairy-tale like ending for the Upton Park legacy actually one born out of pure hope more than anything else?
When Big Sam was eventually relieved from his duties with the Hammers on the last day of the 2014/15 season, many voices from within the wider footballing community certainly raised their collective eye-brow. “Be careful what you wish for”, was the phrase uttered far and wide – for in appointing Slaven Bilic as the new main man down at Upton Park this summer – many accused the West Ham chairmen if taking a clear risk going into the new campaign.
From the perspective of the worst case scenario for the Hammers next season, if the east enders completely fail to handle their fixtures throughout 2015/16, then relegation back to the Championship could well become a real worry for the Upton Park faithful this time next year.
West Ham simply can’t be operating in the illustrious Olympic Stadium as a second-tier team – yet if the prospect of juggling Europa League duties with the usual domestic affairs becomes too much for Bilic next term – things could go horribly wrong for the Hammers. Their new boss admittedly doesn’t have any club experience outside Croatia, Russia and Turkey, so perhaps it’s fair to suggest that his recent appointment at Upton Park must be seen as a somewhat unpredictable move in the cold light of day.
However, after completing the signing of Marseille’s assist king, Dimitri Payet, in recent weeks – such initial worries ultimately seem slightly ill-informed. Slaven Bilic is an ex-West Ham player after all. Unlike Allardyce, he knows his way around the club and has already expressed a keen connection among the Upton Park faithful. With perhaps two or three more signings on board to complement Payet in this current Hammers squad, Bilic will certainly be well placed ahead of the 2015/16 season.
Alex Song and Carl Jenkinson are also expected to be making a return to the Boleyn Ground this summer, and as last season’s other new faces – in the form of Diafra Sakho, Aaron Cresswell and Enner Valencia – all made positive contributions in their debut season with the Hammers – the overall level of quality in this West Ham squad remains impressive at this current stage.
The Boleyn Ground regulars have seen their club transform into an outfit with something to prove in recent seasons. The move to the Olympic Stadium represents the chance for West Ham to step up a level among their competitors in the Premier League – and although the famous Upton Park history, defined by the likes of Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking and Paolo Di Canio, does look like it will be cast away somewhat in light of the upcoming move – the Hammers now want to start re-writing new chapters in their story instead of constantly harking back to the good old days.
With a whole new positive atmosphere currently surrounding the club ahead of the new campaign, some potentially exciting further additions to the first team on the cards in the remainder of the summer transfer window – and not forgetting the prospect of enjoying the ever passionate and daring Slaven Bilic in the dug-out next term – West Ham fans ultimately have every reason to be excited as the final season at Upton Park eventually gets underway.