A good start for Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham, though expectations are now raised for even better next season

^{This was a transitional season for West Ham, with new manager Manuel Pellegrini at the helm promising a bright future for the club.}

^{Pellegrini arrived last June, immediately setting about bringing in nine new signings to galvanise the club.}

^{The future looked promising, with the likes of Felipe Anderson, Andrily Yarmolenko and  Jack Wilshere coming in - a statement of intent.}

^{The start of the season, though,  seemed  to come too early, with the players at times looking like they had not been introduced to each other, let alone played together for the first four games.}

^{But it all changed with the 3-1 away win against Everton in September - Pellegrini’s show was finally on the road.}

^{After that game, the team  had a series of good  results, culminating in a run of five wins in six games in December. The fans were thrilled with the attacking football being served up on a week by week basis. A real return to the West Ham way.}

^{Flare players like Felipe Anderson thrilled the fans with audacious skills, such as with the fantastic curling shot that secured the points against Crystal Palace. Anderson showed flashes of skill reminiscent of Dimitri Payet at his best.}

^{The manager made two great signings in Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, who formed an impenetrable barrier at the back. Then Angelo Ogbonna let no one down when he deputised, first, when Balbuena got injured and  then when Diop lost form.}

^{But the pick of the new signings was goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who performed heroics between the posts for the whole season. The many points achieved due to Fabianski can only be guessed at but his presence was immense throughout the season.}

<sup>Another huge plus was the development of Declan Rice. He began the season uncertainly, getting dropped for the second game against Arsenal. But after that he was back, growing in stature, playing in the defensive covering midfield position. By the end of the season Rice had added some goals and two England caps to his collection.

Others, like crowd favourite Michail Antonio came back to form, bringing much needed pace and goals to the team.</sup>  

^{Pellegrini’s willingness to give young players a chance was a welcome development, something sadly lacking since the distant days when Gianfranco Zola was manager. As well as Rice, the manager gave Grady Diangana his opportunity.}

^{Others given a chance included Ben Johnson, Conor Coventry and Xande Silva.}  

^{The highlights of the season were the victory at Spurs in April and the significant improvement in home form, which included victories over Arsenal and Manchester United. .}

^{The low points were the poor start, with the four losses and the humiliating FA Cup exit away at AFC Wimbledon. Many had thought it could have been West Ham’s year in the Cup..and it could have been with a little more application at Wimbledon.}

^{So overall it was an exciting season, the best so far at the London stadium, with nine home wins recorded. The team finished strongly with three wins. The final placing of 10th could have been higher, without the inconsistent form, particularly at the start of the season. However, the officials also played their part, late on, denying West Ham five points in the games away at Manchester United and home to Leicester. A bit more consistency would have secured the Hammers 7th and European football.}

^{But all in all fans will be looking forward to next season with anticipation. The club has an excellent manager, who knows what he is doing. Just so long as the board do not start interfering, the team should be able to move up to the next level, bolstered by a few astute signings in the summer.}

^{The manager will be looking at the striking department, which has proved inconsistent. He is likely to shift one or two out and bring some in. Whether Marko Arnautovic is coming or going remains to be seen. He certainly has the potential to be a 20 goal a season player but as Pellegrini has pointed out he needs to remained focused on his role. The team also needs strengthening at the full back positions.}

<sup>Another welcome development this term has seen the board taking  more of a back seat, letting the team and manager do the talking. So a good season, with  expectations high amongst fans for next term.

published - Morning Star - 15/5/2019</sup>