Premier League Predictions: 14th

So Swansea were our first Premier League ‘also rans’, but who will be next sitting in the obscurity that is just below the middle of the Premier League table?

Team: West Ham

Manager: Sam Allardyce

The master of the mid-table is back again but many West Ham fans are not happy about this. The style of football he plays is not an interesting one and last year the Hammers struggled their way through the season, surviving purely due to a 5 games spell at the beginning of the year that saw them draw with Chelsea and then win 4 on the bounce. He (or the club) has made some decent signings this season and they seem to hint at a better style of play, but pre-season games suggest otherwise.

Key Player: Enner Valencia

One of 6 signings West Ham have made and now Andy Carroll is out Valencia will most likely be thrown straight into the thick of it. With the ability to play up front or in a Supporting striker role, either centrally or wide, he could be the key to ensuring West Ham survive comfortably. However if West Ham fail to integrate the Ecuadorian forward properly they will have spent £12m for nothing, and his 3 goals in 3 games at the World Cup showed how lethal he can be.

Best feature: Resilient

All of Sam Allardyce’s teams are tough to beat, and Arsenal went behind both times they played West Ham last season. They are organised but can be broken down given enough time, however their ability to score on the break is impressive, and that will only get better with the addition of Enner Valencia. Allardyce may have to adapt and push slightly further forward to allow for new signings across all areas, but winning easily against this team won’t happen too often.

Worst Feature: Poor going forward