“This football club deserves Europe” – says former West Ham defender – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Former West Ham defender James Collins has said that the club deserves to be featuring in European football next season.
Collins would have been relieved to see how well his former club did this season. The Welshman spent 11 seasons at the East London club over two stints and in between a three-year spell with Aston Villa. In that time, he experienced many highs and low with the club.
“This football club deserves Europe,” he told whufc.com. “They’ve got the squad and international players who are used to playing in big games. Next year will be a great time for everyone.
“It’s an unbelievable stadium. Performances on the pitch and winning games make everything better but this stadium and this football club deserve European football.
“I’m very lucky to have played for such an amazing football club. Every time I played for West Ham I tried my best and the fans seem to like it.”
The Hammers had an impressive 2020/21 season as they finished seventh in the league and qualified for next season’s Europa League.
The qualification for Europe’s second-tier club competition will not only bring in a valuable cash injection but will also help the club to attract some quality players ahead of the new season.
Some Hammers fans would have been frustrated that the club failed to clinch a top-four finish. They were in the running for a top-four status until the latter stages of the season before a late-season mini-slump killed off whatever hopes that they would have had of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Manager David Moyes would have redeemed himself in the eyes of the football world as did Manchester outcast Jesse Lingard.
Moyes was laughed at following failed managerial stints with Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland but it’s safe to say that he exceeded expectations at the helm of the Hammers this season.
Moyes will have some fixing to do if he wants his side to perform well in the Europa League next season, one of which includes the need to bring in a quality striker.
The club sold Sebastien Haller in January to Ajax Amsterdam which essentially meant that Michail Antonio was their only recognized striker in the second half of the season. The latter is not an ideal option for the long-term given his injury problems and the fact that he is over 30.
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Author:Eshlin Vedan