Jonty Banks

Sat 24 December 2022 10:10, UK

Robbie Savage believes West Ham United will avoid relegation from the Premier League this season because of David Moyes’ “experience and know-how”, as he predicted his final league table for The Mirror.

The Hammers have struggled to kick into full gear so far this season and remain a solitary point above the relegation zone before returning to action against Arsenal on Boxing Day.

Moyes’ side lost their opening three games of the season and have failed to recover fully since, despite the summer spending spree they took part in – including the signings of Lucas Paqueta, Gianluca Scamacca and Thilo Kehrer.

And according to BT Sport pundit Savage, the Scottish manager’s calm head will prove key, as he predicts the Hammers will finish the Premier League season in 14th position.

He said: “Left behind at the starting gate, the Hammers have been playing catch-up all season.

“However, David Moyes’ experience and know-how will be their biggest asset, and they are going well in Europe again.”

Too much quality

West Ham simply have too much quality to be involved in a relegation scrap this season, but following their poor start to the season, a 14th-placed finish seems a fair evaluation and representation of the challenge that still awaits them.

With the likes of Paqueta, Declan Rice and Jared Bowen all propping up this undoubtedly talented Hammers side, Moyes has an abundance of match-winners at his disposal if things get a little twitchy.

In the January transfer window, another centre-forward could be needed, as the club’s two main strikers (Scamacca and Michael Antonio) haven’t lived up to expectations this season, and if one were to get injured, the Hammers would have an extremely light forward line.

West Ham United would probably have been predicted to finish far higher up the league table if they hadn’t made such a torrid start to the Premier League season, which included consecutive losses to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Brighton.