What is your aim for next season

Maybe a little premature since West Ham are not quite down yet.

I think any team going down really wants to get back up ASAP and with the players that West Ham have i would expect them to be pretty much at the top next season, West Ham do have financial trouble and players who may want to leave if they get relegated, so if these players are sold will the money be spent on debts or on replacements, i think that is the big question.

Players not leaving will = come back up.

Players leaving and not being replaced = mid table.

their aim next season is to stay in the championship.....pity really as i see a double relegation!!!

It wouldn't surprise me if they were bottom-half, they have far fewer players likely to stay than they did when they dropped in 2003.

I think their situation is synonymous with Leeds in 2004 if anything, and as a football fan I worry for the future of the club. Unless there are very drastic changes in the next year (it may even have to be months if they're to arrest the situation), I can see them falling into the 3rd tier within a few years.

Look no further than Middlesborough as a model

Any team with a good team spirit and a decent manager has a chance of promotion!

Look at us everyone expected us to go from Championship to league 1, but relegation was a blessing in disguise for us

just look at Norwich and Leeds, (ok Leeds didnt get there in the end but nearly after being promoted last season)

Good Luck Hammer, you will be missed, but heres hoping to see you guys bounce straight back up

WhiteRoseTiger said:

It wouldn't surprise me if they were bottom-half, they have far fewer players likely to stay than they did when they dropped in 2003.

I think their situation is synonymous with Leeds in 2004 if anything, and as a football fan I worry for the future of the club. Unless there are very drastic changes in the next year (it may even have to be months if they're to arrest the situation), I can see them falling into the 3rd tier within a few years.

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Leeds were in huge debt from taking a huge gamble which didn't pay off and couldn't be paid by the owner. West Ham's owners have already promised to keep them financially afloat and they aren't in anything like the situation Leeds were in where a firesale was necessary to the club's survival. Sure, they have players on insane money who they'll ship out, but it's far from synonymous. I can see them doing a Newcastle to be honest, I don't buy into all this double relegation talk.

take it from a Boro fans this league is nowhere near as 'easy' as you may expect. you'll likely lose your main stars but the thick of your squad is still good enough to challenge. maybe we'll see a good crop of quality youngsters like Lampard, Defoe, Cole, Carrick etc etc coming through your ranks. (its a good league to mature your younger players) or maybe you'll do a Boro or a Portsmouth (starting the season thinking you'll walk it) and be put in your place, or worse, do a Leeds and be put all the way to League 1

I'd love to see you drop in to league 1 I wonder what the odds are

aldershot lion said:

their aim next season is to stay in the championship.....pity really as i see a double relegation!!!

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we're talking about West Ham, not the inbred bunch of illiterates in Bermondsey.

Loiner said:

Leeds were in huge debt from taking a huge gamble which didn't pay off and couldn't be paid by the owner. West Ham's owners have already promised to keep them financially afloat and they aren't in anything like the situation Leeds were in where a firesale was necessary to the club's survival. Sure, they have players on insane money who they'll ship out, but it's far from synonymous. I can see them doing a Newcastle to be honest, I don't buy into all this double relegation talk.

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Double relegation talk is nonsense but David Gold has come out saying the club has £100m+ debts from the conveyor belt of Icelandic bankers, one of which, Eggert Magnusson, apparently 'helped' cause the Icelandic banking disaster. It's true that there are saleable assets but Parker is 30(still a quality player) Upson is at the end of his contract and Ba has only got a half-season of PL football, plus, as much as I hate to knock him, his knees still havent proved they're up to the job(following the failed Stoke medical)check the article i've just written. Add into the equation the fact that they'll be in the Olympic Stadium(with binoculars hopefully) and I certainly don't envy the fans. I think Big Sam can do it but he'll need to be shrewd as he will have peanuts to work with.And we all know the cliche "Paying peanuts gets you monkeys!" I think a mediocre first season then struggling on from there. Possibly even League 1 eventually.

Miggins said:

we're talking about West Ham, not the inbred bunch of illiterates in Bermondsey.

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That's rich coming from a sewage dweller from Gupta park

ManFeelings said:

Double relegation talk is nonsense but David Gold has come out saying the club has £100m+ debts from the conveyor belt of Icelandic bankers, one of which, Eggert Magnusson, apparently 'helped' cause the Icelandic banking disaster. It's true that there are saleable assets but Parker is 30(still a quality player) Upson is at the end of his contract and Ba has only got a half-season of PL football, plus, as much as I hate to knock him, his knees still havent proved they're up to the job(following the failed Stoke medical)check the article i've just written. Add into the equation the fact that they'll be in the Olympic Stadium(with binoculars hopefully) and I certainly don't envy the fans. I think Big Sam can do it but he'll need to be shrewd as he will have peanuts to work with.And we all know the cliche "Paying peanuts gets you monkeys!" I think a mediocre first season then struggling on from there. Possibly even League 1 eventually.

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Its ok having saleable assets but if the players are on very high wages they may not want to leave or insist on a pay off