As the 2023/24 season approaches, West Ham United will be eager to put the horrors of the previous domestic campaign behind them.
The David Moyes era reached an unexpected low when they finished in the bottom half of the table last season.
However, the Scottish manager managed to turn things around by leading the club to Europa Conference League glory – their first major title in 58 years.
Despite their continental success, restoring the club to the Premier League top seven this term could be an insurmountable task for Moyes.
Here is our West Ham season preview for 2023/24. You can also check out our detailed Premier League season previews for all 20 teams.
West Ham Fixtures
West Ham kick off the 2023/24 Premier League season with a trip to the south coast to take on Bournemouth on August 12.
The Hammers then host local rivals Chelsea at the London Stadium the following Matchday before concluding August with a trip to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion.
September sees Moyes’ side take on champions Manchester City (H) and Liverpool (A), with the opening match of their Europa League campaign in between.
Tottenham Hotspur (A), Manchester United (H), Arsenal (A), and Brighton (H) are amongst a tough run of fixtures before the end of December.
West Ham begin 2024 with a trip to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United before closing out the campaign with games against Chelsea (A), Luton Town (H), and Man City (A).
Manager
Moyes should be credited for the remarkable job he has done at West Ham over the past few seasons.
The Scottish manager has built a respectable reputation during his stay at the London Stadium, but last season’s fiasco cannot repeat itself.
After their previous exploits under Moyes, West Ham were expected to take their Premier League status to the next level and perhaps break into the top four.
They had laid solid foundations over the past couple of seasons, but their chances of establishing themselves as a top-seven club have taken a considerable hit which is a huge disappointment.
Their significant drop-off means it’s back to the drawing board for Moyes’ side, whose primary objective for the upcoming campaign will be to return to the top half.
Meanwhile, their victory in Prague ensured the Hammers would compete in the Europa League this season. But it would take a miracle for the Hammers to secure consecutive continental titles.
Transfer Business
It’s been two months since the Premier League transfer window kicked off, and West Ham are the only side in the division yet to sign a new player.
However, they have made the headlines this summer following Declan Rice’s mega-money departure to Premier League runners-up Arsenal.
West Ham pocketed a British record £105 million from Rice’s move to the Emirates Stadium and are expected to reinvest those funds into strengthening the squad.
However, they are yet to find a replacement for the defensive midfielder, while a couple of other positions also need reinforcement, particularly the forward areas.
Danny Ings, Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen were key for West Ham, but none of them managed ten league goals last term.
If West Ham are planning a revival, they need more recruits in attack, especially with Gianluca Scamacca linked with a return to Serie A.
They were on the cusp of signing Man City prodigy Carlos Borges, but the exciting forward ended up joining Ajax.
Finding the right profile to replace Rice is also pivotal. His departure will leave a mark, but the Hammers can soften the blow with an equally exciting signing that needs to arrive sooner rather than later.
West Ham have been linked with several midfielders, including Edson Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, Scott McTominay, and James Ward-Prowse.
However, none are any closer to joining the East Londoners, who also need to bolster their defensive options after conceding 55 goals last season.
Although they managed nine clean sheets, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal and Angelo Ogbonna are on the wrong end of 30, while Nayef Aguerd has a concerning injury record.
A significant squad revamp could be what Moyes needs to raise the bar at West Ham, but it needs to happen soon with the Premier League campaign on the horizon.
Starting XI
West Ham are not any closer to announcing a new arrival, so their starting line-up shouldn’t see that many changes asides from the absence of Rice.
Despite pushing 40, Lukasz Fabianski still performs at a high level after keeping eight clean sheets last season and is expected to remain the starting goalkeeper.
Emerson Palmieri, Aguerd, Kurt Zouma, and Coufal should maintain their solid partnership in defence, but the base of the midfield will see a slight tweak.
Tomas Soucek will need a new partner, and Flynn Downes could be set for a breakthrough campaign in the absence of a new recruit.
Said Benrahma, Lucas Paqueta, and Jarrod Bowen are expected to line up behind the striker despite managing just 16 Premier League goals combined.
Ings only joined in January but finished the season as West Ham’s top scorer and should get the nod over Antonio and Scamacca at centre-forward.
Here is our prediction for Aston Villa’s strongest starting XI next season:
4-2-3-1: Fabianski; Palmieri, Aguerd, Zouma, Coufal; Soucek, Downes; Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen; Ings.
Star Player
Rice has been the poster boy for West Ham’s success in recent years, but his departure should see Bowen rise to the occasion.
The 26-year-old has been a vital player for the Hammers since he arrived from Hull City in January 2020, and it is a wonder how the top clubs aren’t circling for his signature.
Bowen registered 13 goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, but his most important contribution was scoring the winning goal in the Conference League final.
His performances could be crucial in West Ham’s push for a top-half rebirth this season.
Prediction
West Ham finished 21 points adrift of the top seven last season, and that gap will be difficult to bridge, especially with their lack of activity in the transfer market.
Breaking into the top half should be the objective, but even that could be tricky, considering their rivals have significantly strengthened their squad.
Success in one of the domestic tournaments is likely to be high on the list of Moyes’ priorities, but whether they can go far in the Europa League is highly debatable.
Moyes’ side fell off badly and will need more than one season to recover, so we expect them to remain in the bottom half of the table, although bettering last season’s finish.
Predicted finish: 12th
Also Read: Detailed Premier League season previews for all 20 teams.
