FOOTBALL fans have a right to voice their frustrations if things are not going well – especially when so much was expected.
Back in 2018, West Ham appointed a manager who had won the Premier League.
West Ham disappointingly find themselves 17th in the tableCredit: Reuters
Ed Woodward was this week the subject of a disgraceful attack on his houseCredit: The Sun
And the club added to our investment in the team with a £214million net spend on players since moving to London Stadium.
A further £22m went on infrastructure, including refurbishment of facilities at Rush Green with a new gym and training pitches.
The Academy at Chadwell Heath was rebuilt and almost £2m invested in the women’s team.
Fans and pundits were asking if West Ham’s fortunes would finally change. Yet where are we today?
Seventeenth in the table.
If this isn’t a blow, both disappointing and frustrating, then I don’t know what is.
The board expects criticism, we know it’s not good enough.
And we have — I can assure you – been trying our hardest to make things better for David Moyes in the transfer window.
We are also committed to continuing to improve aspects of the club off the field, including, importantly, our relationship with supporters.
It’s not hard to buy players but it is harder to buy ones that will improve the team.
Signing Tomas Soucek for a £3.8m loan fee, which converts to a permanent transfer for another £13.6m, is one of those.
We are also committed to continuing to improve aspects of the club off the field, including, importantly, our relationship with supporters.
David Sullivan, David Gold and I have always been open to meaningful dialogue with fans.
We want to ensure the views of our fanbase are heard at the highest level of the club.
So we will continue to ensure this happens and plan to next meet with various supporter groups this month.
Verbal abuse on social media is par for the course in this job.
But the abuse took on a new, unwelcome dimension with the attack on Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward’s home.
The red flare directed at Woodward’s house is an alarm signal to all of us holding positions of responsibility in football.
As Gary Neville said: “People’s families shouldn’t be attacked through sport or through football.
“Ed Woodward does not deserve that and neither do his family”. While Piers Morgan added that it was “absolutely disgusting”.
The red flare directed at Woodward’s house is an alarm signal to all of us holding positions of responsibility in football.
And while the mob who chanted he was “going to die” may not have actually meant it, it was certainly frightening.
I have worked in football for a quarter of a century, witnessing all manner of football fury, but something like this is very rare, indeed. Everyone is unhappy when performances on the field don’t go to plan and in their view, Woodward must shoulder blame.
Manchester United are doing quite well this season although perhaps without the consistency supporters would like.
They have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League, boast as many talented young players as any team in the league, bar perhaps Chelsea, and signed Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon this week.
Not bad.
Manchester United this week recruited Bruno FernandesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And there is no excuse for threatening the life of a decent man and his family.
As for West Ham, we know we have the supporters, the manager, the players but, most importantly, the desire to win games.
And to pull ourselves up the table and fulfil the expectations we promised our supporters.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
