Future looks brighter for West Ham

Last season I was starting to fear for one of my favourite Premier League clubs, West Ham.

The Hammers are a traditional football club, the sort of football club with a history of great sides and great players.

Last season they were truly awful.

Rookie

Rookie boss Gianfranco Zola seemed out of his depth in the Premier League last season. He was a great player but maybe he needs to learn his coaching trade at a lower level. Good players don’t always make good managers and vice versa.

Zola is a nice guy but may never make it as a boss and I feel the Irons survived the drop last season despite the Italian, not because of him. Zola has gone now and Israeli Avram Grant has arrived from Portsmouth as his replacement.

Successful

The wily boss never received the praise he should have for the job he did at Portsmouth last season. He got Pompey to the FA Cup final last season against all odds. He put together a rag-tag team of loan players and helped the club to an unexpected final appearance.

His Portsmouth side were relegated but the circumstances were always against the South Coast side, as they had an insurmountable point’s deduction.

Solid

Grant will turn West Ham into a far more solid outfit this season. The Hammers were dreadful at the back last season and I’m sure Grant will bring more organisation to that leaky backline. I’m sure West Ham will fare far better this season than last. Grant has also made some good signings.

Arrivals

Tal Ben Haim (Portsmouth)

Grant has signed the Portsmouth centre-back on loan until January. The Israeli knows the defender from his days with Pompey and rates his compatriot very highly. He is a solid defender but lacks pace. He will add some steel to the West Ham backline.

Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland)

The young New Zealand international defender has arrived from Danish football for an undisclosed fee. He impressed for his national side at the World Cup during the summer. His main strengths are his pace and strength.

The 22 year-old had lived in Denmark since he was 10 but decided to represent the country of his birth. He has spent his whole career in his adopted homeland before joining the Hammers earlier this summer. He has tremendous potential and the Hammers fans will be hoping he fulfils it at the Boleyn Ground.

Frederic Piquionne (Portsmouth)

The French striker impressed while under Grant at Pompey last season and has joined his boss at West Ham for an undisclosed fee from Lyon. I owe the 31 year-old an apology. When he joined Pompey last summer I said ‘Piquionne couldn’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo’.

I think I did the striker an injustice and he performed better than I expected. He will no doubt prove a decent signing for the Hammers.

Pablo Barrera (UNAM Pumas)

The 23 year-old winger impressed for Mexico at the World Cup this summer. He was also linked with moves to Everton, Celtic and Italian Serie A side Lazio. The Hammers were the first side to act on their interest and secured the highly rated stars signature. His main strength is his pace and he is also a superb crosser of the ball.

Thomas Hitzlsperger (Free Agent)

The German international has arrived at the club on a free transfer after he was released by Italian side Lazio earlier this summer. The 28 year-old has undoubted talent but has endured a terrible time with injuries in recent seasons.

The former-Aston Villa midfielder is famous for his powerful shot and ironically has the nickname ‘The Hammer’. He could be a very shrewd signing and will add much needed depth to West Ham’s midfield.

Possible Arrivals

West Ham are also on the verge of signing Ajax forward Miralem Sulejmani on a season-long loan deal. The Serbian was Ajax’s record signing when he joined the club in 2008 for £13million. However he hasn’t quite found his best form at the Amsterdam Arena and will hope for better in the East End.

Avram Grant is also believed to be tracking Everton striker Yakubu. The Nigerian international suffered from injury problems last season but has a good goalscoring record in the English top flight, the Toffee’s are believed to value the striker at £9million.

Staying

Perhaps the best bit of business Grant has completed this summer is keeping star players Scott Parker and Carlton Cole. Midfielder Parker has been linked with a move to Tottenham but has stayed with the club.

England international Cole has been linked with a big money move to Stoke City. I just can’t see the player fancying a move to Staffordshire. I think the striker staying will be key to the Hammers success next season.

Midtable

This season I can see the Irons having a far more solid season. They have added to an already decent squad and I can see them avoiding last season’s relegation battle. I believe the club will finish in midtable and save their fans the heart palpations of last season.