West Ham legend Billy Bonds is backing Slaven Bilic to have a successful final season at the Boleyn Ground and sees no reason why the team cannot secure a top half finish.
Bonds was back at the Boleyn Ground once again on Saturday to see the 2-2 draw with Norwich and has been impressed with the Club's start to the season.
Victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have helped the Hammers move up to third in the table and the arrival of players such as Dimitri Payet, Victor Moses and Manuel Lanzini have helped transform the team over the summer.
Bonds, who made an incredible 799 appearances for the Club during a memorable 21-year playing spell is confident the good run of form can continue and hopes to see the Club pushing for a place in the top ten.
Bonds said: “It has been a great start for the Club and most of the signings have worked.
“Moses looked fantastic against Newcastle and we have been playing on the break away from home which has suited our style.
“We have got a lot of pace upfront and it is a great start. We have won at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and the way we have been playing it has been a great start to the season.
“Everybody at the start of the season would have said our main aim is to make sure we stay in the Premier League, but with the start we have had you would be disappointed if we didn't finish in the top half of the table and that is achievable now with the players we have got.”
Bonds always receives a hero's welcome on his return to the Club and says he will be full of emotions as the Club prepare to play their final ever game at the Boleyn Ground against Swansea on May 7.
Bonds added: “I have got great memories of the place. I can still see Bobby Moore with his hands on hips taking a breather around the 18-year box and Keith Robson scoring that goal against Eintracht Frankfurt and that was a fabulous night.
“I have such great memories. When I first arrived at the Club I was like a scared rabbit.
“I had been at Charlton and then to come to West Ham where they had three World Cup winners was fantastic and you could only get better as a player coming to a Club like this.
“I played under great managers like Ron Greenwood and John Lyall and they were great coaches.
“I played with so many great players like Devonshire and Brooking, Lampard, Hurst, Peters and Moore. I will probably get in trouble for not naming some of the other players!!
“There were so many great players and I had some great times there. The fans were absolutely fantastic and they want people to put in a shift and if they do that, they will get behind you.
“It has always been a great place to work for all the time I did and I hope that continues this season. The crowd deserve and it will be nice to see the Club push on.”
Bonds is hoping to make many more visits to the Boleyn Ground this season and reveals how his grandchildren have become major fans of the Club.
“It was nice to be back at the Boleyn Ground. I brought the grandchildren over a year ago and they liked it so much that I want to keep bringing them back and want them to become West Ham supporters.
“A lot of the people from my time have gone but there are still some people about. Jimmy Frith is a perennial around and has been magnificent for the Club down the years with the youth team and the kids who come through.
“There are some other people I know and it is nice to see they are still here.
“The West Ham fans have always been great to me. I played my first game at the Boleyn Ground against Sheffield Wednesday and we ended up losing 3-2 even though we went 2-1 up.
“But that was typical West Ham in those days, but the supporters have always been fantastic with me. Wherever I have gone and whatever I have done, I know I am among friends with them.
“The grandchildren have really taken to it and the little one even knows the tactics. The big one loves the directors lounge!! But seriously they both love it.
“I think they will be supporters in the future and will want to be West Ham fans. The kids definitely want to come back so it looks like I will be a regular back here!”