There is a sense of excitement around West Ham United ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Hammers kick off their campaign on Saturday night against an exciting Aston Villa side at the London Stadium, and it will be the first league game under the managerial eyes of Julen Lopetegui who replaced David Moyes.
While Moyes did bring a trophy to West Ham for the first time since 1980 in the form of the Europa Conference League, his style of football was one which divided fans and it inevitably led to a parting of ways at the end of last season.
With West Ham already spending approximately £123 million in summer transfers, former Hammers striker Teddy Sheringham believes that the Spaniard is already under significant pressure to deliver an entertaining brand of football in East London.
"I do think that Lopetegui is under pressure to play attractive football from the get go. That is why he was appointed and that is what the fans and the board will be expecting from his teams, especially after the money that they’ve spent this summer. He’s been fully backed with the signings he wanted, so there are no excuses," Sheringham told onlinepoker.ltd.
"Bringing in your own players is massive for a manager. That’s what West Ham have done for him; the signing of Max Kilman is obviously one of those situations where a manager is working with a player that he trusts again. He cost a lot of money at £40 million, so he’s been given the tools to bring success to the club.
"I think Lopetegui will expect to hit the ground running. It won’t be easy, and his first proper test will be when he hits a rough patch because it’s very easy to run into trouble in the Premier League. It’s easy to find yourself without a win in six games.
"Some fans wanted Moyes to go, while some didn’t. All the fans will back the new man, but the expectations are really high, and it will be interesting to see how West Ham fans are feeling in October and November."
Live on DAZN: Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III (excluding Mexico). Click here for details.