Despite falling at the semi final stage, fans have plenty to be optimistic about after a fantastic European campaign
There was certainly a tinge of cruelty about the way West Ham fell at the penultimate hurdle in their losing second leg effort against Frankfurt last week. Aaron Creswell's early dismissal gave David Moyes' side a mountain to climb, one which despite a valaint effort they could not overcome. Football is full of ups and downs, and while many fans will still be reeling from the disappointment of losing in the semi final in Germany, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future, and more importantly plenty of things to be proud of when it comes to this season's offering.
West Ham will likely enter the UEFA Europa Conference League next season, but a second consecutive stint in the Europa League isn't beyond all doubt, as they sit three points behind 6th place Man United with a game in hand. However, before Hammers fans start to look ahead towards another European fairytale and another glut of continental away days, we thought it high time to celebrate the achievements of Moyes, his players and their beloved fans, at home and abroad this season. It's been a wonderful ride and we want to remind fans of some of the magical moments they've been blessed to witness during this campaign.
To do that, we have the help of three devoted West Ham fans. We caught up with James Jones, co-founder of the We Are West Ham podcast and Deputy Head of Content at GiveMeSport, Andy Byrne at Hammers United and Frankie from Claret and Blue Army TV to get their insights into The Hammers' journey through Europe this season.
Here's what they had to say:
Q. What were your expectations heading into the Europa League this season?
James: Honestly, I thought the draw for the Group Stages was relatively difficult on paper. Dinamo Zagreb and KRC Genk are decent sides with lots of experience in the competition, while I thought Rapid Vienna posed a tricky test. I thought we’d battle it out for a top two finish but was half expecting us to finish third and fall into the conference league, and I would’ve been pretty happy with that given our inexperience in Europe.
Frankie: Our group stage draw really did set up our Europa League journey. Initially I'm not sure any of the fans realised just how favourable the draw had been to us. It wasn't until we had played the first games we realized how poor the sides were. One of the big bonuses was there were no long distance trips to Eastern Europe.
Q. How would you rate the team's overall performance in the group stage?
Andy: Superb. Right from the off, qualification from the group seem assured and that certainly isn’t something we would have expected heading into the tournament.
Q. After winning the first three group games to nil, how confident did you feel about going a long way in the tournament?
James: Even at that point, a journey to the semi-final wasn’t even on my radar. It was a strong start and one that made me realise that we were better than I’d initially given us credit for. But I still felt like we had a lot to do and that once we came up against stronger teams in the knockout stages, we might find it difficult. Again, all because of our inexperience.
Q. Were you concerned when West Ham drew Sevilla in the last 16, given their pedigree in the competition?
Frankie: I think we all felt Sevilla was the team to avoid at this stage. They have been the masters of this competition but having the first tie away from home always gave us confidence that, whatever the score, we could overturn the result at the London stadium.
Q. Despite losing 2-1 at home in the first leg against Frankfurt, were the fans generally confident going into the second leg?
James: I think it was a mixture of confidence and apprehension. Frankfurt’s home record was poor going into the second leg, but we hadn’t won a game in any competition since beating Lyon away in the previous round. That result in Lyon was evidence that we could go away from home in Europe, in a huge game, and deliver when it matters and score the goals we need in order to progress. That gave me some confidence, but I was always wary of Frankfurt’s quality in attack.
Q. Football can be immensely cruel, and that point is especially clear right now, but how proud are you of the team for getting as far as they did in the tournament? Is it too soon to see the positives in the campaign?
Frankie: I am incredibly proud of what the team achieved this year but there is also a sense of frustration. Our squad was too small to cope with the amount of games we played this season and being 4th in January and in the knockout stages of European competition extra signings could have pushed us even further. Who knows when we will be in such a position again.
Q. If West Ham fail to climb into the Europa League spots again, how would you feel about competing in the Conference League next season?
Andy: Our fans have thoroughly enjoyed our European tour and if we get another one of those, even if it is in the Europa Conference League, there will no doubt be more occasions to savour. For me personally, being in the Europa Conference league would be about the opportunity to watch my team abroad. I don’t consider that piece of silverware to be prestigious and I would certainly choose an FA Cup win over a Europa Conference League win.
Q. Who have been the standout players during this European campaign?
James: Declan Rice has been outstanding all season, especially in Europe. He was immense in our first game of the competition, winning 2-0 away at Zagreb, and he scored a superb goal in that game. Other notable mentions go to Jarrod Bowen and Craig Dawson, both of whom were so important to our run to the semi-finals at oppositie ends of the pitch. Without those three, we wouldn’t have gone as far as we did.
Q. Given that the side was fighting relegation not very long ago, how much credit does David Moyes get for this achievement as a whole?
Frankie: David Moyes deserves huge credits. So many forget he was one loss away from having the worst managerial record in our clubs history. He brought in pivotal figures in key coaching positions, such as Nevin, Pearce, Nolan and a new fitness coach. It all came together and we have shown fantastic spirit I have not seen at West Ham for a while. We've got Super David Moyes.
Andy: David Moyes, all the coaching staff and, of course, the players deserve all the plaudits they get for progressing as far as they did. They have given supporters memories that will live with them for a lifetime. The home leg against Seville and the away leg against Lyon will go down in history as special nights for our supporters.
West Ham's push for another Europa League campaign continues on Sunday when they host Man City. They have already beaten Guardiola's side, in the League Cup earlier in the season, but this should be a much sterner test with the league leaders desperate to win another title. That game kicks off at 14.00 GMT on Sunday and will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and available on the Sky Go app.
However, even if West Ham lose that game, they can still leapfrog United into 6th the following weekend, on the last day of the season. They would need United to lose away at Crystal Palace and they themselves would have to beat Brighton away. A win over Brighton won't be easy but isn't inconceivable, and any team will feel they can beat Ralf Rangnick's men of late, especially an in-form Palace. Of course, getting something against City will be the goal for Moyes' men but fans shouldn't be too downbeat if they go into the final game three points behind, as they have a much better goal difference than United, a team in horrible form.
We want to feature fans like you!
For more fan-centric content like this, please go ahead and follow Sporticos on Twitter. We want to interview leaders, influencers, representatives and most of all fans, to get their perspectives on the clubs they love. This content is really important to us and we hope you will continue to support it with likes, retweets and all that good stuff. If you want to contribute your thoughts about your club, please do get in touch.
Stay up-to-date with all things football at Sporticos
We provide data, stats and analysis of games from across the world; a comprehensive TV guide which tells you exactly when and where you can watch your favourite teams in action; trusted, legal sources of live streaming, breaking news and so much more.
Check out our Live Football on TV page.
Here's our Football Live Streams page.
Get your Betting Tips from our Football Predictions page.
