Five factors behind West Ham’s miserable start to the 2016/17 season

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High expectations

Following the most successful campaign in the club’s entire history, Premier League champions Leicester City now find themselves closer to the relegation zone than the top four. After such an emphatic triumph, you’d forgive the Foxes for taking it easy this time around. Similarly, West Ham had one of their most impressive campaigns in the modern era in 2015/16, and maybe it’s this success that means players are able to relax a lot more the following campaign, knowing that the unexpected success of the previous year will be enough to satisfy the fans and critics for a while. Nevertheless, the West Ham board and fans are dreaming of becoming one of the biggest clubs in England, and this simply doesn’t happen overnight, no matter how many supporters you can fit into your shiny new stadium. Patience is key.

Dimitri Payet

The 29-year-old Frenchman surely must’ve been regarded as one of the top players in Europe following standout displays for both club and country. Big teams inevitably came knocking with audacious bids in order to snatch away United’s prized possession, but much to the relief on Hammers fans, he stayed put. Dimitri Payet wasn’t able to start the first few games of the season, causing an immediate slump, but when he eventually came back into the starting XI he wasn’t able to transform games with the same effect as last season. The Ballon D’or nominated player is under a heap of pressure to help carry the West Ham team in a similar fashion as he did last season. Now approaching his thirties, Payet will soon be experiencing a decline in form and energy levels over the next few years, and therefore should not be relied on as heavily as before.