Fixture lists do not come much more daunting than West Ham’s at the moment. A trip to Manchester United this weekend is followed by another clash with Jose Mourinho’s side in the EFL Cup before the visit of Arsenal and then a trip to Anfield. For Slaven Bilic, that makes his side's failure to pick up anything from their last game, when they led Tottenham 2-1 in the 87th minute all the more painful. Even a solitary point for West Ham in their next three games would be welcomed, particularly as they are only one point above the relegation zone.

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It is easy for everything to seem rather bleak for the Hammers at the moment. After the fresh, early season optimism a couple of months ago, they are now in a position where their Premier League future is in doubt. Bilic might even be wondering if his job will be safe for much longer, as rumours surface of the West Ham hierarchy flirting with other options. Just three Premier League wins to date is a glaring concern, of course.

Even with a challenging runs of games, West Ham must not lose their belief. Performances of late have, for the most part, been a marked improvement on their abysmal start to the season. They must remember that, apart from the chaotic ending, they played well enough to take a point or three away from White Hart Lane last weekend. It might be a tedious cliché, but this West Ham squad is too talented to be relegated this season, particularly given the relative weaknesses of the other teams at the bottom of the table.

Despite being winless in three Premier League games, things could have turned out so differently. Results might not have gone their way, but the draw with Stoke was yet another game where Bilic’s side failed to take advantage of the chances they created and lost out on a couple of points – just as they did when they played Middlesbrough. The failure to secure a reliable striker who can act as the focal point of the attack in the summer window is hurting the Irons. It is the notable weakness in the team that has cost them.

Should a player hit a hot streak of goal scoring – perhaps inspired by Joe Allen – there is no reason that West Ham cannot turn this around, even in the short-term. We have seen how Manchester United have conceded plenty of chances throughout the season, Arsenal are in the middle of the most Arsenal of periods and Liverpool can definitely be vulnerable defensively, even if their attack is nigh on unstoppable.

Obviously there is a chance that the next three games go with the pattern of West Ham’s season so far. If that is to be the case, the calamitous defending that led to the defeat at White Hart Lane could be the defining point in their season. But as challenging as such fixtures look on paper, all is not lost for Bilic or his players, though. They have a stronger squad this season – despite some players struggling for form – and must remember that they can compete with the strongest teams in the league, just as they did against Spurs.

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