West Ham United were unbeaten in their first nine games and sitting in second place at the start of the 1975–1976 season. By the end of the season they had finished in 18th and were only six points away from relegation.
However, West Ham had saved their best form for their third foray into European competition. They managed to reach the final of the Cup Winners' Cup, losing to Anderlecht 4–2.
References
1975–76 West Ham United F.C. season Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA