IT SEEMS to me to be a little bit early to break out the champagne and claret and blue bunting with this seasons’ relegation battle still in the balance- but a report today claims that ‘*West Ham dreams no longer fading and dying with relegation fight almost done”.*
I’m all for enjoying the temporary relief and the mood music generated from climbing out of the relegation zone for the first time since November. However with eighteen points still up for grabs and the Hammers enjoying just a two point advantage over Spurs it would seem a little premature to pronounce this battle ‘over’.
Nuno espirito Santo-de Zerbie-vitor pereira battle for Premier League survival
This season;s relegation battle is far from over
However, not to be deterred, football365.com make the suggestion pretty clear that the end is in sight, as well as passing judgement on their – ah – slightly contentions reasoning for West Ham’s turnaround being largely down to boldness in the boardroom.
“The Hammers aren’t yet quite safe [ the report reads ] but a couple more results for them and a couple more results for Spurs and ‘its in the books’…
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West Ham have reaped the rewards of being willing to gamble in January. They moved early and decisively for players who could make a difference . They didn’t get a 100% hit rate out of it, but the got what they needed and then some. It deserves credit: There are clubs who would have accepted what seemed at that point a certain fate.”
And, in a manner somewhat unfashionable these days, the report places praise too at the door to West Ham’s boardroom for sticking with, and backing their manager unlike other relegation candidates:
“They could have dispensed with Nuno Espírito Santo, who could, in truth have had few complaints had they done so. But West Ham backed him. Properly, fully. With action as well as words. The rewards have been staggering, transforming not just this season but West Ham’s prospects more generally”
The results have truly been transformative. But on the basis of more than five decades of supporting this famous club – I’ll wait a little longer before slapping anyone on the back and congratulating them on belatedly getting a transfer window right and pulling of a magnificent ‘Great Escape 2.0‘ which shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place.