Written by : Graham Keeffe

For the first time in months, it feels as though we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. With a game to spare, West Ham United have secured their Premier League status for 2020/2021. A season full of some highs and far too many lows will come to a close against Aston Villa this Sunday. While the pressure is off for the Hammers, Villa will be coming to East London needing to better the result of their relegation rivals Watford. The Villains sit in 17th on 34 points, ahead of the Hornets by just a single goal. The men from Hertfordshire face a tricky test in North London against Arsenal. With a fired up opposition coming their way it would be a shame for the lads to switch to holiday-mode before the final whistle. That being said, at least the game won’t be the nail-biting affair many, including David Moyes, were predicting.

A win for the Hammers on Sunday would put them on 41 points and potentially give them a 15th place finish. With the personnel brought in last summer and not knowing that Roberto would be… well… Roberto, a top ten finish would have been the least the majority of supporters expected. For a multitude of reasons, we quickly began to slide down the table at an unrelenting pace. Pellegrini was sacked, the names of Howe and Dyche were flitted about, but it ultimately came down to Moyes to haul usfrom the depths of despair once more. Irrespective of personal opinions, the Scot has ensured our safety for the second time. Whether these jobs were done in an admirable fashion is open for debate but he has unquestionably played his part in ensuring West Ham remain a Premier League club. Has he earned the right to prolong his stay? Well according to a pole ran by EXWHUemployee, out of 17867 votes, a resounding 70% believe he should be kept on. While this vote by no means reflects the stance of the entire fanbase, it’s certainly a sizeable proportion and gives one food for thought.

As the 2019/2020 campaign draws to a close, it’s fair to say it’s one that will live long in the memory of all football supporters. New champions were crowned, long-awaited promotions awarded and disappointing relegations handed down. All behind closed doors in the middle of a global pandemic. From a claret and blue perspective, it’s perhaps best to draw a line under the season on Sunday and be done with it. Survival has been secured and we can hopefully look forward to better days ahead. Both on and off the pitch. Much like the players, it’s time for us as fans to recoup some of our energy, enjoy the rest of summer and await the flurry of transfer rumours that are just around the corner. Try not to get too comfy however as all going well from a public health perspective, the new season kicks off in just 7 weeks. With such a quick turnaround time, it’s hopefully all about to get very exciting.