Don Hutchison: West Ham will win promotion in the Championship – but not by a landslide

Former West Ham United midfielder Don Hutchison is tipping his old club to win promotion back to the Premier League this season – but not at a canter.

The 55-year-old, who had two stints with the east Londoners in a glittering career, reckons the Championship is too tough for anyone to run away with it – even a squad with the calibre of player on the books at the London Stadium.

“A lot of people expect West Ham to win the league comfortably, but the Championship is too competitive,” the ex-Liverpool and Scotland man told The FLP.

“I played in it for Sheffield United and it is Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.”

Wobble

He continued: “You can talk about tactics all day, but the biggest demand is asking players to run hard every three days for nearly 50 matches, stay fit, remain durable and sometimes play through injuries.

“Every team will have a wobble. No one is going unbeaten or cruising to 100 points.”

After failing to win in their opening three league games, including a 2-1 home reverse against Charlton Athletic, West Ham had notched four straight wins heading into yesterday’s mouth-watering derby at Millwall.

They had netted a whopping 16 goals in those four outings, which included last weekend’s 6-0 romp against bedraggled Wrexham.

“At this stage, there are around five teams level on points,” said Hutchison ahead of the derby clash.

“You can win two or three matches in a row and suddenly move into the top positions.

“Equally, a couple of defeats can quickly drag you back into the pack.

“The key is not to lose two games in a row.

“You are often better off with a sequence of win, loss, win, loss than drawing three or four straight games and staying stuck in mid-table while the gap grows.

“You lose a game, get back on the horse as quickly as you can and take advantage of the next match coming in midweek.

“West Ham will not win it by 15 points, but I do expect them to go up automatically.”

TALISMAN: Jarrod Bowen staying put has boosted West Ham United and, above, Don Hutchison in his playing days with the Hammers
PICTURES: Alamy

Continuity

It’s helped that there has been continuity at the capital club following their relegation last season – including keeping hold of manager Nuno Espirito Santo and England winger Jarrod Bowen.

“Nuno is a very good, level-headed manager and perfect for getting West Ham promoted,” said Hutchison.

“But, if things ever went wrong, there are other managers available – people such as Scott Parker, who knows the club.

“For me, keeping Jarrod Bowen was the biggest thing. You cannot easily replace his quality, commitment or output.

“When Liverpool lost Mohamed Salah, Bowen was the obvious type of right-sided player who could score between 12 and 15 goals a season.

“The fact he stayed shows loyalty to West Ham, and it is huge for both the team and the supporters.”

The Hammers made their rivals sit up and take notice with their Championship record £22m capture of midfielder Arne Engels, 23, from Celtic last month and Hutchison believes the Belgian’s arrival adds to an already powerful squad.

“I think he will do well,” added Hutchison.

“If you combine him with the way Taty Castellanos leads the line, Bowen’s quality and the experience they’ve got at the back, West Ham have a good mix.

“They also have threats from set-pieces.

“If a player such as Konstantinos Mavropanos can score five or six goals from corners and free-kicks, that can make a difference over a Championship season.”

Don Hutchison was speaking to The FLP in conjunction with BetGoodwin