Long gone are the days when West Ham United were seen as Premier League also rans.
They might not yet be classed as one of the big boys relatively speaking, but they’re well on the way.
Both on and off the pitch, the Hammers are quietly going about their business, and as long as there’s no serious drop off in quality, the next few years could be amongst the East Londoner’s most successful.
To date, the 1985/86 side have been their best, finishing third in the old first division. At present, David Moyes has West Ham well in the shake-up for the fourth, and final, Champions League place.
Ultimately, their aspirations this season might fall short of the premier European competition, but their participation in next season’s Europa League already looks nailed on.
The way they are playing, it’s hard to imagine West Ham finishing lower than seventh place, with only injuries perhaps derailing any success.
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Much of their on-field drive and purpose comes from captain, Declan Rice, who is consistently being linked with a move away to Manchester United, including by talkSPORT.
However, Rice’s career aspirations would be better served by staying at the London Stadium.
The Red Devils are certainly no better as a team than the East Londoners at present, and in monetary terms off the field, Daniel Kretinsky is poised for a full takeover at some point in the near future.
That should mean that buying the best talent isn’t likely to prove problematic for a club that had previously been used to shopping in the bargain basement.
West Ham have a togetherness and coherence that has long since disappeared at Man United, and Rice’s seniority would also likely take a dip if he were to head up the M6.
The grass isn’t always greener.