The chant “West Ham are massive” has been synonymous with the Hammers’ journey to Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, and it is the same word used by Joe Cole to describe the magnitude of the occasion awaiting his former club in Prague.
Cole, a one-time West Ham academy graduate turned club captain just like current skipper Declan Rice, predicted that David Moyes‘ squad would triumph in the competition back in August and they are now just one game away from justifying his faith.
“I’ll have to dig out the prediction, I get so many wrong so to get one right is always good!” Cole tells i. “I back them to win it but this is a one-off game…”
West Ham endured a turbulent Premier League campaign, but have been near faultless in Europe, winning 13 of their 14 fixtures in the Conference League and drawing the other to set up a date with destiny with Fiorentina, who finished 8th in Serie A.
“The fans have always got behind their team, they’ve seen some fabulous days over the years but to win a trophy is very difficult in football. To win a European competition would be massive for the club.”
Ahead of the final, the BT Sport pundit spoke exclusively to i about Rice’s future, why Moyes has earned the right to carry on next season, and how West Ham can hurt Fiorentina.
Rice’s farewell?
Rice can cement his place in the pantheon of West Ham’s all-time greats if he captains the club to a first major trophy in 43 years in what looks likely to be his final appearance in claret and blue. The great Bobby Moore was the last and so far only skipper to lead West Ham to a European title back in 1965.
The England international wants to fulfill his ambition of playing in the Champions League with Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich all monitoring his situation, and Cole believes he is well capable of making that step up.
“He’s being courted by every team in Europe I would imagine. He’ll have been discussed by them all, he’s that good.
“He can play in different roles. He can play as a 6, as an 8. I like him in the 6, I really do. We’ve seen the effect that Casemiro and Rodri can have on Manchester United and City. I put Declan right next to them, that’s how good he is. He’s got more strings to his bow than those two, he’s more athletic.
“I still think he can get better as well, I really do. If he plays in that 6 role he’ll get better and better position wise. When he plays that role for a team like he does with England I think he’s as good as anyone in that position in world football.”
But before his future is settled, there is the matter of making history with the club that gave him a chance after he was released by Chelsea at the age of 14.
“He’s at West Ham, he’s 24 years of age, he has the ability to captain the club to a trophy in Europe – it’s a huge night for the club and his mind will be focused solely on that.”
Moyes in his prime
Rice may not be the only big name to depart the London Stadium this summer as speculation continues to surround Moyes’ position, despite the Scot leading the Hammers to a first European final in 47 years.
It has been reported that Moyes’s immediate future hinges on whether West Ham win or lose against Fiorentina, but Cole believes that his future should be “in his own hands” given the job he has done in east London.
“He’s been outstanding, really impressive. He came into the club at such a difficult time. He was brought in to steady the ship and has done way beyond that. He’s created a culture within the club and connected with the crowd, made people feel at home in the London Stadium.
“If he can deliver silverware I think he can stand next to any of the great managers of the club. I think David will have his future in his own hands come Thursday or Friday. He’s a manager in the prime of his career. He knows what it takes to put a team together and get the best out of a group of players. He’s proven that year after year.”
Bowen and Benrahma key
Although West Ham have typically played a more expansive type of football in Europe compared to the Premier League, they sat back and looked to spring on the counter during the second leg of their semi-final against AZ Alkmaar.
Cole expects them to adopt a similar style on Wednesday and highlighted their wide forwards Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma as key to the strategy succeeding.
“Benrahma in Europe has been outstanding, I think the rhythm of the game suits him. Bowen and Benrahma need to be on their game. Jarrod Bowen is a goalscorer, he can make the difference.
“Those two have to be diligent defensively but also be able to break the lines and drive with the ball and get at Fiorentina. I think it will be a cagey affair and on the counter is where West Ham can hurt them.”
Emulating Sevilla?
A club that has mastered European football and used their success in continental competitions to continue to evolve is Sevilla, who last week won the Europa League for the seventh time in the last 17 years.
According to Cole, the Andalusian side are an example for West Ham to follow.
“I think West Ham should look at Sevilla’s model and what they try and achieve. The problem with that is the Premier League is just so tough. Sevilla know that if they get their business right they are in with a shout of getting European football every year. They can’t compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona but in one-off games they can.
“They know how to win the Copa del Rey or the Europa League and they go for it. West Ham could try and do that, but every club outside the top five or six are just trying to stay in there and survive in the Premier League because it is so brutal, it is so tough.
“West Ham in an ideal world, keeping that European football does make it more appealing [to transfer targets].”
Should West Ham win their first major trophy since 1980, they will secure a place in next season’s Europa League and extend their run in Europe to three consecutive seasons in the process.
Bringing the trophy home is the primary objective but supporters will hope that a long-awaited trophy win can act as a springboard to a bright future.
BT Sport is the exclusive home of the Uefa Europa Conference League Final. Watch West Ham United v Fiorentina exclusively live on BT Sport 1 on Wednesday 7th June from 6:30pm. The final is also available for anyone to watch on the BT Sport website, YouTube channel and app
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/O1T23uL
Post a Comment