Premier League 2013/14: 5 Potential Underachievers

3. West Ham

The signings made by West Ham this summer have been pretty underwhelming, to say the least. For starters, there is Andy Carroll - who many feel is the worst Premier League signing of all time after a £35 million swoop from Liverpool. Carroll spent last season on loan at the Hammers, scoring 7 goals in 23 appearances which is hardly the worst scoring rate ever - but is that sort of scoring rate worth £15.5 million? I think not. Another signing brought in by Allardyce is fellow Liverpool flop Stewart Downing, who failed to score and assisted just one goal in his 36 appearances during an unsuccessful first season at the Merseyside club. The Hammers paid £5 million for his services, and perhaps both Carroll and Downing could thrive on the downgraded pressure that comes with a lower fee. If the two show similar form to their spells at Liverpool, that will not be the case. Anyway, their inclusion in this article is not solely based on the signings of Downing and Carroll. It is simply the development of clubs who surrounded them in the league last season. For instance, Swansea bringing in Bony, West Brom signing Vydra and Anelka, and Norwich beating big clubs to the signatures of Hooper, van Wolfswinkel and Fer. Signings such as these show that West Ham need to go a step further to ensure an equally decent finish in the coming season, and without this they will struggle against many sides in the table. I don't believe relegation is a likely fate for West Ham, though on paper this could happen. Allardyce's managerial skills and experience will be the saviour, but it is hard to see where the goals will come from in the upcoming season. Carroll's less-than-1-in-3 scoring rate is hardly amazing, but when compared to Vaz Te and Maiga - who scored 5 in 38 between them - he looks the most likely attacking force to get goals for West Ham. Another striker would definitely help the side secure a mid-table finish, and Allardyce should look for the likes of Bafatembi Gomis, Jermaine Defoe and Pablo Osvaldo to solve their issues up top. Other areas could be strengthened too, but Big Sam has recently commented that more signings are unlikely. Position 2012/13: 10th Predicted position 2013/14: 15th