Still all to play for

West Ham United have dropped down to 6th place in the Premier Lerague, with some questionable refereeing and mediocre results having led to a slip in the table. But as a whole, it’s been a good first year for manager Slaven Bilic and the Hammers squad.

The Croat is leading the club toward what will be one of their best finishes in the club's history. Bilic has raised the expectations around east London, bringing consistent results week in and week out. In a wild 2015-16 season with Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle languishing, West Ham have been able to stake their place in the top half of the table.

Signings Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, and Michail Antonio have been important reasons why West Ham have had such a good year. The trio have provided an attacking spark not found under Sam Allardyce, and have constantly troubled opposing defences. It’s no coincidence that West Ham have outscored the opposition 16 to six in the final 15 minutes of matches this season.

Last year’s Hammer of the Year Aaron Cresswell also deserves credit for his contributions. His looping crosses into the penalty area have set up several goals, and Cresswell has played the most minutes of any West Ham player this year.

This year’s move to the Olympic Stadium is a big opportunity for the club to move up the ranks in English football. It will be interesting to see how co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan make moves in the summer transfer window. Already, West Ham have been linked with ambitious transfer targets such as Alexandre Lacazette, Michy Batshuayi, and even the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic.


The Olympic/Samsung/Mahindra Stadium?


Before looking at next season, however, there’s still work to be done with four matches remaining before leaving the Boleyn Ground. A glance at the table will tell you that West Ham are one point ahead of Liverpool in 6th and three points behind Manchester United in 5th.

There’s not much time left in the season, but one result is all it might take to propel Bilic’s side into European competition. After a strong performance at Upton Park this week, momentum is on the Hammers’ side. In-form striker Andy Carroll was optimistic after the Watford match, saying: "I think we can get our hands on European qualification… with a few more wins we’ll get there".

Despite the negativity surrounding the poor refereeing decisions lately, the squad is playing excellent football. Skipper Mark Noble scored two key goals against Watford, while Andy Carroll is one of the hottest attackers in the Premier League. The team is focused on getting the job done in the last few matches, says Bilic. “We now have a break and we are going to use it to rest, then come back in really good shape for the last four games of the season. We're going to give everything to win them", he said.

With the move to Stratford on the horizon, it has been a crucial season for West Ham. Usually, teams like Everton have controlled that 5-7th place league spot, trailing just behind the major clubs. But this season, the Irons have been the ones edging for the top four. Where will they finish? It's impossible to say, but considering the recent form of Liverpool and Manchester United, it will be imperative for West Ham pick up three points next Saturday against West Brom.

West Ham travel north to visit West Bromwich Albion on the 30th with seven points from their last five league games. Four consecutive draws had left the Hammers disappointed, but a home win versus Watford has spirits up again. West Brom will be desperate for a win after taking an astonishing one point from their past five fixtures.


Baggies End


It’s a game West Ham should win and need to win in order to challenge for at least a Europa League spot. Rivals Manchester United have a difficult match against Leicester City, leaving an opening for West Ham to climb the table. That’s not so much the case with Liverpool as they face 14th-place Swansea, but who knows, anything could happen.

The club's most anticipated fixture in ages will be their home clash with Manchester United on Tuesday 10 May, being the last game ever to be played at Upton Park. It will be an emotional one as fans will look to say their final goodbyes to the ground where Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, and Paolo Di Canio plied their trade. If you aren’t a season ticket holder and didn’t sign up for the ballot process, tickets for the historic match are running for a couple hundred pounds apiece.

Will Staib is the founder of eplreport.com and can be found on Twitter.

* This article has been amended to correct the date and opponent of West Ham's final fixture at the Boleyn Ground.

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