Are West Ham United in serious trouble this season?

After facing the distinct embarrassment of failing to qualify for the Europa League group-stages for the second consecutive season in a row – and subsequently beginning the 2016/17 domestic campaign with little to show for their efforts among the Premier League this term – something has seemingly gone seriously wrong down at West Ham United in recent weeks.

 

This was a side that impressed often across the duration of the previous league campaign of course, but after experiencing an array of equally humiliating teething problems in regards to the club’s recent move to the questionably named ‘London Stadium’ – including several isolated incidents of in-house fighting between the home supporters – it remains to be seen whether or not the once unthinkable prospect of relegation could actually come round to haunt Slaven Bilic’s faltering outfit in the not too distant future.

 

After consecutive 4-2 losses to the likes of Watford and West Bromwich Albion – do West Ham United really have what it takes to turn their current fortunes around sooner rather than later, or is it only a matter of time before things eventually begin turning even more sour for the Hammers among the often testing realm of the English top-flight?

 

I've been thinking over yesterday's result, and our start to the season in general. It's a crisis of defensive organisation.

— Iron Views (@ironviews) 18 September 2016

 

Hopefully we don't keep us this terrible run of form 4-2 much longer

— West Ham Stuff ⚒ (@WestHamStuff) 17 September 2016

 

Put in no uncertain terms whatsoever, Slaven Bilic’s side have been absolutely hapless at the back this season, and seemingly don’t look like improving all that much as a cohesive defensive unit any time soon. The likes of Watford and West Brom simply tore the Hammers apart in their most recent outings among the English top-flight, which clearly doesn’t bode too well for Irons fans with Southampton up next on the Premier League agenda.

 

The situation off the pitch at West Ham this season may be responsible for leaving their supporters in an equal state of disarray however. Regardless of whether or not the recent move to London’s Olympic Stadium will eventually work out well for the east-end outfit in the long-run, right now West Ham simply feel like a club who have temporarily lost their soul. When the club hierarchy begin threatening to ban their own supporters for merely standing up at a football match, you know something has gone terribly wrong somewhere down the line.

 

Whilst the likes of Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Sofiane Feghouli – and of course the recent English goal-scoring sensation that is Michail Antonio – all have enough individual talent about them to change things around for the Hammers throughout the upcoming season, it ultimately remains unclear just how long each of the aforementioned stars will eventually stay put at West Ham if the situation doesn’t improve any time soon.

 

Slaven Bilic simply must buck his ideas up pretty quickly if West Ham are to stand any hopeful chance of lifting the current cloud of humiliation from above their club. Too many mistakes have been made from individual players out on the pitch, as well as tactically from the manager himself and all the way up to several high profile boardroom decisions. 

 

West Ham nonetheless remain a side capable of promising achievements with a very well respected manager at the helm, yet if the team still somehow fail to show any meaningful signs of improvement across their upcoming Premier League fixtures, then the 2016/17 campaign really could prove one to forget for the many Hammers fans with serious grumbles about their club’s current predicament.