da betano casino： The race for the Champions League spots this season has been one of the most hotly contested in years. Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal all look nailed on for Europe’s premier competition next season, but that fourth spot appears to be the goal for Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and West Ham.
da dobrowin： But, if we look beyond this season, and to the next five or 10 years, who is best placed to rise up to consistently fill the fourth spot or challenge for the title?
Manchester United and Liverpool are on downward trends but have the capital to bring in big players, while Palace, Leicester and Everton all lack serious financial resources and experience to do so. With Chelsea in limbo, there is a gap in the market, and West Ham United look like they have the best chance of any team of making that transition from a mid table team up to the upper echelons of English and European football.
[ffc-gal cat=”west-ham” no=”5″]
This conclusion can be based on three reasons; improved infrastructure and financial resources, a modern transfer policy and personnel currently at the club that are invested in improving the club.
Next year the Hammers will leave The Boleyn Ground, which has been their home since 1904, for the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. Despite Upton Park being one of English football’s most iconic grounds, the Olympic Stadium is a step up in infrastructure for West Ham and the world class facilities it provides are fitting of a team representing its country in Europe.
This move to a new 54,000 seater home has also been marked with significant investment from chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan since the Hammers’ return to the Premier League in 2012. To reach the holy grail that is Champions League football a solid infrastructure and financial strength is a proven and tested foundational springboard for clubs.
This summer, West Ham spent significant money on players like Dimitri Payet, Pedro Obiang, Angelo Ogbonna and loans for Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses and Alex Song. These are players with Champions League experience, other than Lanzini, and with experience at some of Europe’s top teams such as Juventus, Chelsea and Barcelona.
They are integrating these new, yet experienced players, with players that have been at the club since their time in the Championship like Mark Noble, James Tomkins and Winston Reid. This way of building not just a strong XI but a strong squad is where teams like Manchester United are going so wrong.
The adding of experienced players has elevated these player’s performances and made them some of the most sought after in the Premier League. A transfer policy is not just about who you buy but also about who you sell and this West Ham team has been masterful at holding onto and letting go of the right players.
One example would be letting Mohammed Diame go; formerly one of West Ham’s best players but let go for £3million to Hull City due to becoming unsettled with the club’s progression – he now finds himself playing in the Championship while West Ham occupy a spot in the top six of the Premier League.
Thirdly, the personnel at this club goes beyond the eleven players on the pitch; Slaven Bilic is a young manager that has cut his teeth managing big sides like the Croatian National Team and Besiktas and his passion for the club makes him the ideal manager during the club’s drive forward, and there is a sense that owners Gold and Sullivan genuinely care about this club’s success.
Having the entire club, including the passionate fan base, behind this push forward will be crucial when it comes down to whether or not West Ham make the top four and can re-join England’s big boys.
Obviously, telling the future is impossible, but watching the race for the Champions League will be one of the most exciting stories over the coming years and whether or not West Ham make it is up in the air, but they should at least compete.
[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]