Having endured a torrid time last season, West Ham United fans will be looking forward to a brand new season under new boss Avram Grant.

With Grant having reached the Champions League final with Chelsea before inspiring a traumatised Portsmouth side to the FA Cup final, Irons fans will be hoping that he can weave his magic at the Boleyn Ground. The online betting suggests the side could be in the relegation mix again, so there’s work to do.

By reportedly offering talisman Scott Parker a new £20 million five-year deal to keep him at the club, Irons fans have seen owners Sullivan and Gold send out their clearest message yet that they are prepared to spend the necessary cash to back Grant.

While spending the summer assembling his squad and backroom team, the new boss has realised that Irons fans will demand an improvement on last season’s points haul of 35, a total that left the Irons only one place outside the relegation places. The football betting suggests they should do better this time, but not by much.

Having been able to keep hold of key players such as Carlton Cole, Robert Green and Matthew Upson, despite these individuals being put up for sale by the club’s owners, Grant has been able to keep the backbone of last season’s squad intact and has also identified areas to improve.

So far, pre-season results (four wins out of four) suggest Grant has found a winning formula and his new signings seem to be settling in well. However, Grant will be well aware that pre-season friendly wins don’t equate to Premier League points and will realise that the Irons will need to be at their best to ensure a solid start to the season. That could be easier said than done, though, with early matches against Championship hopefuls Chelsea and Manchester United.

Should Grant manage to get a few early points on the board, Irons fans could well look forward to a season in which they aren’t worrying about relegation, and are instead looking to build for the future.