During preseason, I was listening to a prediction show on TalkSport when it got to the segment where the presenters had to select the teams likely to get promoted and relegated from League One.
Charlton Athletic was put forward as one of the teams expected to gain promotion to the Championship, upon which someone pointed out that they were too good for the third tier of English football.
Now, I have to be totally honest; I was only half-listening to a radio show that really had little to do with me as a West Ham fan. However, one of the presenters chimed in by declaring that Charlton had once been a Premier League club and then began to criticise their fan base for pressuring the club to find a replacement for then-manager Alan Curbishley, who could take the South Londoners to “the next level.”
The underlying tone of the observation was that Charlton deserved to be in the lower echelons of the English football pyramid because those pesky, deluded Addicks fans dared to want a replacement manager.
Sutton continues to taunt Hammers fans
Whether or not the decision to replace such a successful manager as Curbishley was irrelevant to me, the fact that it was being used as a stick to beat Charlton fans with 18 years later was somewhat surprising.
Therefore, it should come as little shock to see the likes of Chris Sutton & co. making digs at the West Ham fan base. Much like Charlton before us, they believe we got it very wrong, and they will continue to remind us.
The fact that Moyes himself has admitted he rejected a contract at the London Stadium last season and that Julen Lopetegui barely featured on any West Ham fans’ hit list as Moyes’s replacement is irrelevant to the “be careful what you wish for” clan. These people are unlikely to let facts and nuanced debate get in the way of giving Irons supporters a patronising telling off at every opportunity.
Whether it’s Jeff Stelling, Paul Merson, Alan Shearer, or Sutton himself, the condescending mainstream Media Mafia seems intent on reminding and punishing Hammers fans whenever the chance arises.
I suspect many of these so-called media personalities who have come out in defence of Moyes will be hoping that West Ham continue to struggle just so they can say, “I told you so.”
If Sutton is completely honest with himself, he will admit that he is articulate enough to make a score-line prediction on the Brentford vs West Ham match without taking a dig at the fanbase, but he chose to do it anyway.
Just don’t expect these jibes to end anytime soon, particularly while West Ham is struggling… just ask Charlton.
To describe your former “Moyes Out” leadership as “nuanced debate” is sophistry of the highest order.
Whether our new Manager is successful or not remains to be seen but at least have the cojones to acknowledge your own sustained stance on Moyes tenure
Good point well made. I’ve stopped watching MOTD and reading Sutton’s column it just puts my blood pressure up. COYI
Suits me.
There is an interview with Roy Keen where the journo tells him about a time when Ferguson heaps praise on him (Keen) on how he performed in a particular game, and how does he feel about being praised by Ferguson?
Keen replies that he feels insulted.
Why should he not be trying to win every game, compete for every ball and be the best he can for his team mates. That was his job, what he got paid for, and that he wanted to be the best at it. To praise him for doing his job, like the manager expected him not to be doing it? It felt like an insult.
He didn’t need the praise. Neither do we.
Linekar, Sutton, Shearer et al.
Who cares what they say or think, hope the team and the boss don’t.
Outside of their precious “big 4 teams” they impress through their comments that the rest should be content with the scraps from the top of the table.
As long as like Keen, our squad of players give 100% and play every game to the best of their ability, we will be ok.
Was it the old Wimbledon fans who used to sing “Nobody likes us and we don’t care”?
LOL, perhaps it’s time to adopt that song.
Nope, forget that, it was Millwall who sing that song!
Terrible idea, worst I’ve ever had 🤬
I don’t think Sutton is articulate or intelligent enough for more than one thought at a time. If you listen to anything he has to say – which I try to avoid – it is generic, regurgitated and, more often than not, self-serving dross. This is the guy that thought he was better than Shearer after all.