Five things to know about West Ham United going into the 2013-14 English Premier League season:
STRESS-FREE RIDE?
West Ham will be hard pressed to improve on last season's performance, which saw it finish 10th in its first season back in the Premier League. The Hammers were well clear of the relegation spots for the majority of the campaign and supporters will be hoping for another stress-free ride this time round. The priority will again be survival but experienced manager Sam Allardyce may have his eye on another top-half finish and a challenge for European places.
CARROLL'S CHALLENGE
Liverpool paid a club record fee of 35 million pounds ($46 million) for England striker Andy Carroll in January 2011, when West Ham was playing in the second tier. Carroll's fortunes have since declined and the 24-year-old now hopes to restore his once-soaring reputation, having initially joined West Ham on loan - a move made permanent in June for some 15 million pounds. With his future finally settled, Carroll has a point to prove not just for his club but also for his country, with next summer's World Cup in Brazil just around the corner.
COLE COMEBACK?
Joe Cole's chances of boarding England's plane to Brazil are slimmer than Carroll's but the artistic midfielder is also looking to take advantage of a fresh start at Upton Park. A product of West Ham's youth system, Cole is hoping that home comforts can help him rediscover the form that once made him a regular starter for both England and Chelsea. The 31-year-old rejoined his boyhood club midway through last season, scoring two goals in 12 appearances.
NEW HOME IN SIGHT
West Ham starts the season buoyed by the knowledge that it will be leaving Upton Park for London's Olympic Stadium in three years' time. The club has agreed a 99-year-lease for the venue, which it plans to move into for the 2016-17 season. West Ham recorded the highest average league attendance for home matches in its 118-year history last season and will be looking forward to transferring that support to its new 54,000-capacity home.
MORE FIREPOWER NEEDED
Despite finishing 10th in the Premier League, West Ham scored only 45 goals last season - the lowest tally in the top half and sixth-worst in the whole topflight. The club has made clear its intentions to bring in another striker before the season starts.
