Will West Ham get a Champions League spot?

No, we're at peak Allardyce now, probably above the level that his mid-00s Bolton team got to when he admitted he couldn't get them any further. Sakho, Valencia, Song, Kouyate and maybe Amalfitano are all above the level of standard Big Sam shitkicker but otherwise its a very standard lower midtable squad.

United appear to have sorted themselves out and Arsenal always get there so that'll be that for this season.

my default reaction to this type of question is always YES MAYBE because really what is more pointless and depressing in life than just sitting there saying "big clubs are big"

however since the q is regrettably 'will' and not 'can' then ok it's a no. BUT WHO KNOWS

can only assume mdc's "if it wasn't for six players they'd be an average side" is some special spursy butthurt cos the table ain't lying, they are firmly europa standard

Back at his swish penthouse apartment in Canary Wharf, Sam Allardyce would have rocked back on his settee and let out an enormous belly laugh. He is the biggest winner here.

This is the Arsenal team West Ham’s manager wants to face on December 28, the one who cannot defend a set-piece for love nor money. What a charitable bunch Arsene Wenger’s men can be...

That game is shaping up to be a shootout for the Champions League, an invigorating clash between Allardyce’s upstarts and this vulnerable Arsenal defence. The stats that West Ham’s manager love so much would have been in one hand and a large glass of 1986 Petrus Pomerol in the other. Allardyce will drink to this.

nice to see neil ashton has been invited to allardyce's famous docklands petrus and haagen dazs soirées

can only assume mdc's "if it wasn't for six players they'd be an average side" is some special spursy butthurt cos the table ain't lying, they are firmly europa standard

Nah if it wasn't for six players they'd be dogshit, as we saw last season. They are Europa standard this year but they made easily the best collection of summer signings this year, in terms of net improvement to the squad.

rtc wholly otm

always heartened to see a player like downing find his form again

reid, cresswell, jenks, noble running up and down guaranteeing consistent shifts every game is as much a part of it, why u think poch dropped like 10 international midfielders for ryan mason

In fairness to West Ham, they've got balance in their team. Unlike the Arsenal - Liverpool shitefest last Sunday.

Putting a shift in only gets you so far, and that's from someone who'd happily exchange half the squad for a few like that.

For real though if you're going to rep for a smaller club with a realistic shot at the CL, I dunno why you'd go for this shower of smut-peddlars and jaunty racists over Southampton.

much prefer southampton (and ronald koeman) as a side and this poll could have easily been them but they havent stepped up to the plate in the difficult run of games they got xmas season

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

haters be jinxin

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

oof