Vital West Ham ed. Ross Charles gives us the inside track on the Irons
How has the season compared to your hopes, fears and expectations?
Dropping into the Championship was, how you might say, a nightmare. Every club, especially of our stature, wants Premier League football. Our hopes of a quick return to the promised land that is the Premier League, are on track, our fears are that we don`t make the automatic places and are forced to take part in the dreaded play-offs where anything can happen, especially in a show-case final at Wembley. As for our expectations, are we churlish to expect a return to the Premier League at the first attempt?
What is to blame for the Hammer`s questionable home form?
It`s hard to say!
Perhaps the fact that expectation levels are so high at Upton Park is making the team nervous, or perhaps the prospect of the opposition coming to a ground as famous as ours inspires them to produce a better performance!
Are the likes of Sam Baldock, Ricardo Vaz Te and Nicky Maynard short-term signings or will they realistically contribute in the Premier League?
The golden question! I honestly don`t know!
All three have performed well at this level but have they got what it takes to be Premier League players, providing we get there? I`d hope Sam has done his homework and knows the answer to that question otherwise we could be in for a right old transfer merry-go-round this summer.
What do supporters thin of Big Sam and his brand of football at a club which traditionally plays the right way?
I`ll try to be diplomatic and simply say that the reality of getting out of this division exceeds and current expectations of playing our way out of this division the `right` way. But long term, I`m not sure the Hammers fans would be pleased!
If you could swap a Hammer for a Watford player, who would it be and why?
Ashley Young! What do you mean he moved on years ago! Mr Sordell also interested me but I hear he`s now gone as well!
Where will you finish this season?
Top – no question about it! (Providing Portsmouth don`t go bust and we lose the six points we took off them!)
Match prediction?
A sure-fire West Ham win, by two clear goals!
Cheers Ross, fingers crossed that home form comes back to bite you on Wednesday evening.
