The opening day defeat at home to Leeds set the pattern for the early-season games. After further defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea the Hammers were struggling in nineteenth place without a win. To add height and aggression to the forward line, ex-Hammer Iain Dowie was bought from Crystal Palace, and further acquisitions were made when Australian wingers Stan Lazaridis and Robbie Slater were bought to boost the squad.

Two goals from Julian Dicks against Everton saw the first league victory and in the League Cup Bristol Rovers were beaten 4–0 on aggregate, but the next round saw the Hammers bow out after losing 2–1 at Southampton. Narrow home wins were recorded over Queens Park Rangers and Southampton, but the away form was causing concern, with three defeats and 11 goals conceded.

In the FA Cup Southend United were beaten 2–0 at home but the following round brought a shock as the Hammers slumped to a 3–0 defeat at Grimsby Town. Manager Redknapp then made some new signings, with three foreigners joining the squad. The Romanian forward Ilie Dumitrescu was joined by Croatian defender Slaven Bilic and the Portuguese forward Dani. This had an effect, with five successive victories including wins at London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham. A top-ten place was the target, and two headed goals from Dowie against Manchester City helped the cause. The team did, however, lack a quality striker, which was evident in defeats at Liverpool and Newcastle where no goals were scored. The last home game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday saw Alvin Martin make his final appearance for the club, and the standing ovation he received was fully deserved.