Jamie Redknapp: West Ham can make themselves favourites for PL top-four
Jamie Redknapp says that West Ham should be considered the favourites to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.
The Hammers are having an extraordinary season. Currently fifth in the table, they’re still in with a shout of European football for next year with just nine matches to go.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the 3-3 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, Redknapp claimed West Ham could even make the top four, and thinks our chances have improved a lot more since signing Lingard.
He said: “It’s been so impressive this year, to think they just about stayed up last season.
“If you look at their fixtures, if they can get that belief, they should actually be favourites to finish in the top four still.
“Chelsea have got the Champions League, lots of games. They’ve got Chelsea to come at home, Leicester at home, Everton at home.
“He (Lingard) has added a completely different dimension to this team. He gets into areas to score goals, to make goals.”
Beat your rivals
To echo Redknapp, we actually do have a very good chance of breaking the top four. Only because it’s in our hands with Chelsea still to play. We’re not deluded, we’re not biased, but it’s true. If we win our games then yes, we can do it.
Whether or not we do that is another matter completely. The woeful performance last weekend wasn’t a good indicator. We lined up all wrong against Manchester United, going with a back five.
This season we’ve seen success from attacking teams. We won’t deserve to qualify in the top four, or even top six if we line up to defend against Chelsea, Leicester and Everton. Those teams have enough attacking talent to punish us if we do this.
Lingard’s inclusion in the England squad is excellent news for us. He will now be even more confident to get at the opposing defenders and make things happen. If we’re to qualify for any European competition, he will be vital for us.
In other West Ham news, Declan Rice is a leader of men at the age of 22.