The BBC's David Croft - Going at it Hammer and Tong

Betfacts / David Croft / 13 August 2007 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Why I'm positive about life at Upton Park this season

It's 14.55 Saturday 11th August 2007 and my wife has just told me to close my eyes there's a surprise coming. To fill you in, the Croft household has had a new arrival, baby Daniel, just three weeks old as the new season kicks off and now lying in front of me decked from head to toe in Claret and Blue. God bless the wife, she thinks that this season is going to be a good one for the Hammers, so she's taken the trouble to make sure my boy is dressed to share in the fun.

What the wife has failed to realise of course is that nothing is ever predictable with West Ham. We may have been big buyers in the summer transfer market, to the extent that only three players who started the previous season were in the line up to face Manchester City, and we may have the backing of a football mad chairman driving the club forward, but does that mean we'll roll over a Manchester City side who the supporters, and apparently the manager, are seeing play for the first time? Does it hell..............

Don't get me wrong, on paper I think that to bring in Bellamy, Parker and Faubert whilst shifting out Reo Coker and Harewood, Konchesky and Sheringham is good business. Tevez was always going to go, but to lose Benayoun is a blow for a team that are still lacking strength in depth. That showed on Saturday and on both flanks West Ham looked short of quality. McCartney and Boa Morte on the left and Spector and Ljungberg on the right, that's not good enough if you're seriously challenging for the top 6.

But when Lucas Neil returns and Julian Faubert recovers from injury, when Scott Parker settles into his new surroundings and if Alan Curbishley can tempt Nicky Shorey amongst others to Upton Park before the end of the summer, then they do look a team capable of challenging at the top end.

Which is why the 7.4 on Betfair for a West Ham top 6 finish looks tempting, at least it does to me. Those with a little less faith in West Ham's credentials will find the 9.8 you can lay them at quite tempting, in the very same market. Historically backing West Ham has not been easy, they can flatter to deceive or produce an unexpected moment of brilliance.

Don't forget that this team did the double over Arsenal and Manchester United last year, but also lost at home to Wigan and Watford. So be careful, or do like I do, try them on a match by match basis, 2.78 to bounce back against Birmingham. Or put your faith in Dean Ashton for leading goalscorer at 55 with Betfair or 12 in the top English goalscorer market. I backed him last year before he broke his ankle and have done so again this season. After all, if the team are out of the title race, and unless that was a pig flying by my window this morning they will be, me and my baby boy will need someone to cheer on in the long season ahead

Tags: Dean Ashton, Upton Park, West Ham United