Where do we go from here?

 If you look at West Ham social media since the season finished on Sunday, you'll be amazed at the two main narratives that fans have established regarding the season. One narrative will tell you that this season has been a roaring success as a 7th placed finish, partnered with a great run in the Europa league are things that every West Ham fan should be happy about. On the other hand, you have another narrative which argues that whilst a 7th placed finish & Europa league semi-final were great achievements, it almost feels like West Ham could of, and should of, done better. In theory, both narratives do have their merits and they also have their criticisms. But the thing for me, that I find more fascinating, is that if this are the narratives that West Ham fans are now arguing about, then it's a fine time to be a West Ham fan. Because if these are now the issues that dominate the narratives of the fanbase, then we have come a long way from the days of looking over our shoulders at relegation, wishing that we had a rare season that have reflected the success of previous two seasons. But now, with European football once again confirmed for next season, a new question emerges... where do we go from here?

In truth, West Ham are now in that unenviable position of looking forward, whilst at the same time, looking backwards. There's no denying that whilst the team has done remarkably well, considering squad size and the amount of games played, that our biggest strength of squad unity, which is boosted by the small squad we possess, has also been our biggest weakness. Reinforcements are desperately needed to bulk out a small squad, who are once again looking to play around 50 games again next season with West Ham seeking to make an impact in all 4 competitions again, with the fatigue within the squad becoming evident as the season was coming to a close. But these reinforcements have to be of a better quality than what West Ham currently have, with the likes of Fredericks and Yarmolenko performing admirably at times this season, but nowhere near the quality required if West Ham are looking forward to push on and disrupt the "big six" monopoly. But if West Ham are looking backwards, it's hopefully to learn the mistakes of the past, where big investment into the squad, has not seen progression, but regression, and obviously, it's a trap that we don't want to fall into again.

But as a club looking to seize upon the momentum generated over the last two years, West Ham have to be looking at how the project on the pitch can be supported off the pitch. Obviously, money is available to spend in order to strength, but as any business owner will tell you, you cannot live beyond your means. The parsimony of the West Ham board is something that has always been part of the club's hierarchy, from the owners of the 1930s to GSB now, but at a time where the right investment could catalyst a sustained period of success, one would hope that the investment made by those in the boardroom will be one that signifies progression, not regression, although investments made into the infrastructure of the club, highlighted through the proposed upgrades to our training facility, definitely fall into the category of progression.

And conclusively, is where West Ham have to go from here. In the direction of progression. As to remain stationary at a time like this would be so detrimental to the club, both as a football club and as a business. If the club does invest correctly, both on and off the field, who's to say that historians of the Hammers, like myself, won't be writing about new, joyful additions to our history in the near future.