The odds on West Ham being relegated have dropped after they suffered a third straight defeat to cap a miserable start to the new season. The Hammers had a difficult fixture list to begin their campaign, and they were always unlikely to have much joy in trips to Anfield and The Emirates. But the 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth was worrying, as is the fact that they have conceded nine goals in their opening three games. The schedule does not get any easier in the next month and West Ham desperately need to put points on the board.

It was not supposed to go this way. Optimism abounded this summer after the club emerged as the one of biggest spenders of the transfer window. They forked out close to £100 million on Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop, Andriy Yarmolenko, Lucas Fabianski, Lucas Perez, Carlos Sanchez, Fabian Balbuena and Xande Silva, and that figure could rise with add-ons in the Anderson deal. Potentially the most noteworthy signing was new coach Manuel Pellegrini, a Premiership title winner with Man City, although the free transfer of Jack Wilshere – once considered the most talented Englishman of a generation – was similarly exciting.

Yet the gloss has rubbed off, negativity is creeping back in and, if you analyse the best reviews betting websites on the market, you will see that the Hammers have gone down to 3/1 with some bookies to be relegated. That leaves them behind only Cardiff, Huddesrsfield and Burnley, and it could prove to be another long old season if Pellegrini does not sort out this defence. Yet that was never the Chilean’s strong suit: at Man City, his team shipped goals, but they were so good going forwards they often outgunned their opponents. A number of managers have been and gone, and West Ham still defend calamitously, so maybe the best way forward is to simply go gung-ho and try to outscore the opposition.

West Ham certainly have the firepower. In fact, they have so many attacking options that Pellegrini does not know what to do with them all. Against Arsenal, Yarmolenko, Perez and Javier Hernandez were on the bench as lone striker Marko Arnautovic was supported by Michail Antonio, Anderson and Robert Snodgrass. There is still Andy Carroll to return, so West Ham are spoilt for choice, but they could do with greater balance in the squad.

There are mitigating circumstance. Goalkeeper Fabianski, centre-backs Diop and Balbuena and holding midfielder Sanchez are all new, and it is difficult to integrate a new spine to the team overnight. The more they play together, the more comfortable they will grow, and West Ham should reap the benefits. Diop in particular has looked promising, while Fabianski is a pretty safe pair of hands, but it still feels like West Ham will struggle to secure too many clean sheets this season.

Yet Pellegrini is not panicking. “Results are so important for getting the trust of the players, but if you talk to the players, the fans, the media, I think everyone recognises that the team is playing very well,” he said. “But in the next game we need to play well and win because points are very important, and the more points you have the more confidence you have. We are at the bottom of the table. I am not worried about that but we need to add points soon.”

Next up West Ham take on a Wolves side that will be buoyed after drawing with champions Man City. Then there is a trip to Everton, who are playing exciting football under Marco Silva, followed by Chelsea and Man Utd. That is a perilous run of fixtures, and the likes of Diop and Balbuena will need to acclimatise quickly to the rigours of the Premiership. But West Ham can take encouragement from the performances thus far of Anderson, who looks a real livewire on the ball, and continued strong form of Arnautovic, so they really should be able to pick up a few points soon.