West Ham United entered the season looking like a strong outfit – now, their Premier League status is hanging in the balance. If Gianluca Scamacca can find form maybe he can fire the Hammers to safety that’s if he even plays that is.

It’s safe to say that the 2022/23 campaign hasn’t gone the way that David Moyes and the Hammers massive would have wanted. They are currently 17th in the table, just outside of the drop zone on goal difference.

Italy boss Roberto Mancini was very optimistic that a move to the Premier League would help Gianluca Scamacca develop into a top player but he is disappointed in the lack of game time the striker has received and the former Man City boss has spoken in the press of his disappointment at the lack of opportunity given to the hitman.

Relegation would be nothing short of a disaster for West Ham at this stage. While they would likely return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, they would also lose several of their star players. Declan Rice is in the crosshairs of several clubs competing at the highest level – it is highly improbable that he would remain at the club should they be relegated to the Championship.

One major obstacle that West Ham face is their commitment to the Europa Conference League. While Moyes’ men are busy staving off relegation on one front, their attention is also focused on this competition, too – the Hammers may be trying to spin too many plates at once. Of course, this is no fault of their own – but it would not be such a terrible outcome if they were knocked out of Europe’s third-tier trophy.

It should also be noted that the fight to avoid relegation is being contested by a plethora of clubs in the Premier League this season. To give you an idea of how tight it is, just three points separate the club in 20th, Bournemouth, from the team in 12th (Crystal Palace). The Hammers aren’t the only club to have underperformed this year – as such, it is still well within their power to remain in England’s top flight.

The Irons have some tough games on the horizon, against clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Liverpool. With that being said, they’ll also play winnable fixtures against the likes of Bournemouth, Leicester and Southampton, where they could pick up some vital points on the road to avoid relegation.

Ultimately, if the Hammers are relegated, David Moyes can have no excuses – West Ham did not spend frugally in the summer, bringing on board top players such as Nayef Aguerd, Lucas Paqueta and yet another striker who has not delivered for the team in Gianluca Scamacca. The ingredients are there – all they need to do is find a way to make them blend together. Only then will West Ham look like the team they should be but they really need summer signing Gianluca Scamacca to be given a chance to deliver as goals win games.