Sir Trevor Brooking says it would be unfair to predict how West Ham United’s 2023/24 season will play out until the summer transfer window has closed on Friday 1 September.
The Hammers have brought in Mexico international Edson Álvarez and England midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Ajax and Southampton respectively, but manager David Moyes expects plenty more business to be done before the month is out.
The Irons will play just four Premier League matches before window closes – the 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth, Sunday’s home opener with Chelsea and away games at Brighton & Hove Albion and newly-promoted Luton Town – and the season’s first international break.
With those circumstances in mind, Club legend Sir Trevor believes it will some time before we can make a judgement on whether it will be a campaign of success, mid-table comfort or struggle, and whether West Ham can mount a challenge to win a second successive European trophy.
“This season is different and – at the moment – the most unpredictable for some time,” said Sir Trevor, who won a record five Hammer of the Year awards during a 647-game, 102-goal, two FA Cup-winning career in Claret and Blue. “It’s almost impossible to give a true assessment of how we will do because the transfer window remains open and we could have a number of new players in before it shuts.
“Winning the Europa Conference League title was a really welcome bonus last season and that made the future look better, although there was always the issue of trying to strengthen the side.
“All clubs would ideally like to do their business early in the summer but frequently that is just not possible. I’m sure David Moyes would have liked to have everyone there well before the season started but there are always factors which slow things down.
“The signings have now started to arrive in the last week or so, though, and David will be looking to get them fully integrated as soon as possible.
“The first six fixtures also look difficult. There are only two at home – against Chelsea this weekend and champions Manchester City on 16 September – while the away games include Brighton, Luton, which will be their first home game as it was when we went to Nottingham Forest last season, and Liverpool.
“The new signings will definitely play their part. I like James Ward-Prowse. He is a good passer of the football and a set piece specialist.
“I don’t know a great deal about Edson Álvarez, but he looks like an experienced, holding midfield player and a seasoned Mexican international.
“We will of course miss Declan [Rice], but hopefully the fee we got for him will help us significantly strengthen our squad over the next couple of weeks.
“Overall, it would be good to have five or six points from those first half dozen games which, on paper, do look tough.”
Sir Trevor is looking on intently to see how the Hammers put the finishing touches to the squad for the first half of the season, and is hoping to see more attacking firepower added to the ranks. Talented forward players are constantly being linked with moves to London Stadium, and the expectation is that one or more will complete those moves over the coming fortnight.
“How David assembles his squad by the time of the window will tell us more about his strategy, but it is vital we score enough goals to earn us the points we need and deserve,” said the former England international, whose header secured FA Cup glory in 1980 – the last major trophy lifted until June’s unforgettable Conference League triumph in Prague.
“All in all, no-one at the time of writing this, really knows what squad we will ultimately have so it’s a really difficult one.
“This time last year I really thought we could struggle. Right now, if we get the right players in, I could see us finishing in the top-half, but I don’t want to see us stuck between Europe and the Premier League. These next five games are really important, starting against Chelsea.”
