The club are in crisis mode before a ball has been kicked as they continue to pay the price for poor transfer decisions
Guardian writers’ predicted position: 14th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 16th
Related: Men's transfer window summer 2020 – all deals from Europe's top five leagues
Don’t tell Sam Allardyce that West Ham play on the floor. Allardyce despised all the Academy of Football talk when he was in charge. Yet it is part of the club’s identity. Supporters crave attractive football, even though West Ham often lack substance to go with the style and haven’t won anything other than the Intertoto Cup since lifting the FA Cup in 1980. Underachievement comes with the territory and nothing has changed since the move to the London Stadium in 2016. West Ham haven’t been happy since leaving Upton Park, even though a very fetching claret carpet covers the running track.
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