Lucy’s Last Word: We have to hit the ground running and not be complacent

Here we go, the road to promotion begins. It has to be the goal for this season, anything less is surely not enough. It might be the ‘boring’ way, but automatic promotion would give us the satisfaction of having been the best in the league and deserving our place in the Premier League. Play-offs? They’re fun, but as fans I don’t think we can take any more uncertainty. Give us a dull year of winning 1-0 and we can all complain about it next May.

Boardroom Distractions and Retaining Jarrod Bowen

It’s been an interesting summer for football, both in the east-end and out of it. There was enough West Ham interest in the World Cup to keep us entertained, and England gave it a decent go. Off the field, takeover talk continues to be a hot topic. Going into a new season, it’s not ideal. We’ve seen what effect an unsettled board room can have on the whole club and we don’t need those kinds of distractions. However, the best news of all this summer is that Jarrod stays. Besides his footballing talent, it’s great to have someone who shows the spirit and commitment that he does. He probably didn’t live up to his potential last season and would have been disappointed not to make the World Cup squad, but keeping him could be our best bit of business this summer.

Squad Depth and Navigating a Tough August

On reflection, I think we’ll look at the starting 11 this season and be pretty pleased with who we’ve kept. Perhaps we could do with one more player who really knows how to play in the Championship, a warrior, a motivator. But the most important thing is to hit the ground running, not have a slow start and agitate the largest attending home crowd in the league. Looking at the fixtures, August isn’t easy. And we could already be knocked out of a cup before the season proper even starts. Side note: How many others looked at the fixtures and start date for the Premier League, because they forgot it doesn’t concern us?

The Right Attitude Under Nuno Espírito Santo

Attitude is going to play a huge part in this season. The players, and the club as a whole, can’t take anything for granted. We are, deservedly, a Championship side and we have to play, act and compete like one. Nuno knows what it takes to play at this level and he knows his players well enough by now. It’s up to him to steer the ship. Buckle up.