Dear West Ham United,
December was supposed to be one of the happiest months of my life. I won’t go into details, because that isn’t the objective of this letter, however it ultimately ended up being the worst. That isn’t your fault — of course it isn’t — and I won’t for one second proclaim that my sole source of enjoyment in life is watching you play.
However, football has always been something of a welcome distraction for me, and I’m sure that will resonate with other fans of the game, too. Whatever our problems might be, those ninety minutes — typically on a Saturday afternoon — provide us with an opportunity to forget everything else, even for just a little while. For me, it has usually been after a rubbish week at work. For others, it could be a whole host of things, ranging from what might be considered irrelevant by some, but no less significant to the individual, to the more desperate of scenarios. In December, it just so happened that I needed frequent reprieve from something at the more distressing end of the spectrum.
As mentioned previously, watching West Ham isn’t the only thing capable of getting me through the day, but as an ardent supporter, it is one of the things I look forward to most. I’m usually at the stadium, fully immersed in the experience, but it simply wasn’t possible for this last stretch of fixtures. I couldn’t switch off from everything around me as easily, but there should still have been some comfort as I followed every kick of the ball through live broadcasts or social media updates. There wasn’t — and that is precisely what I can blame you for.
All Fans Ask Is That You Try
Let me stress once again that my happiness is not entirely dependent on you winning football matches. If it were, I’d surely be one of the saddest people alive, having not had the pleasure of celebrating a victory since 8th November. However, I — much like every other football fan — have invested a great deal of time, money, and effort into following my team through good and bad times, and feel I deserve at least a proportionate effort from you in return.
What makes me happy when I watch West Ham United is when you try. We’re not the most successful team. We don’t expect three points week in, week out. Sometimes we don’t even expect to draw — but when you put the effort in, that is when the fans get behind you. Even if we lose, as long as you’ve given everything, we will sing your praises and applaud you from the pitch.
But you haven’t been putting the effort in, have you?
Let’s not be unnecessarily mean. Credit where it’s due — I was actually quite pleased with the way you managed to claim a point at Old Trafford. There were also highlights in the home fixtures against Aston Villa and Brighton, even if you surrendered the lead on four occasions and only collected one point from them. Other than that, though, it hasn’t been great, has it?
Defensive woes aside — since Christmas Day, of 24 attempts on goal spread across three fixtures, only 25% were on target. Six. Six attempts on target in 270 minutes of football. To put that into perspective, Wolves managed nine attempts on target against you in one match. All I’ve been reading since they humiliated you is that you’re sorry. A side that hadn’t managed a single league win in 19 appearances could’ve played without their goalkeeper and still beaten you comfortably. Why? Because they tried and you didn’t. It’s as simple as that.
While fingers are pointed at the board, the stadium, the manager — it often allows you, the players, to slip under the radar. But not anymore. In any other line of work, you’d probably have been fired by now. Instead, you’ve kept your jobs and your thousands in weekly wages — money you’re paid to do the very thing you’re currently failing so spectacularly to do: play football. I don’t want to downplay your vocation, and I appreciate the physical work that goes on behind the scenes — but let’s not pretend you’ve got one of the tougher jobs in the country.
Perhaps this letter will offend you, and make you even less likely to perform for the fans who’ve worked hard and spent their cherished earnings watching you stoop to embarrassing new lows in recent weeks. If that’s the case, then I implore you — at least do it for yourselves.
If you don’t want to be playing for West Ham United, then we don’t want you to, either. But do you honestly believe you deserve to be playing somewhere better right now? Put yourselves in the shop window. Stop apologising, do what you’re paid handsomely to do, and be on your merry way.
Meanwhile, if you discover you actually want to stay beyond this relegation scrap, then the effort you finally put in will surely win us over again.
Until then — no more half-hearted, post-match grovelling. Do your talking on the pitch. If you lose, lose with pride. And if you go down, go down fighting.
There are eighteen more occasions to put a little cheer into someone’s life. Whoever you choose, do it for them.
Come on you Irons!
Guest Post by Marcus Green
Spot on mate. The buck ultimately stops with the players. So often we blame the managers, the board and a whole host of others despite the hard work and huge investment of time and money that goes on behind the scenes. And while the manager and board do deserve some blame, when the whistle blows at the start of the game everyone else has already done everything they can to give the players the best chance of winning, and it’s down to the players to give their all in service to the club that pays their wages. Almost every player has underperformed and doesnt deserve to be taking home their extortionate wages. It’s about time they started proving their worth on the pitch.
As someone who knows Marcus very well – and whilst I cannot even start to understand what he’s been through (on a personal level – his passion and logic shines through here.
Well written Marcus. Take a bow my friend.
Well said , now fight and work hard lads . COYI
Well done Marcus, a very well written, fluid article! I agree with every single word. You should be writing for Claret and Hugh on a regular basis!!
He’d be very welcome
Thank you all for the feedback. Please feel free to share this far and wide – maybe the players will get to see it, and hopefully before it’s too late!
Excellent! Spot on.
Thanks Marcus for this excellent “in a nutshell” post.
I’ve nothing to add other than, COYI ⚒️⚒️⚒️⚒️
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Spot on. I can live with us losing (I’m a Hammer through and through it goes with the territory) I can live with relegation (having endured it often enough). But it’s the lack of commitment, lack of heart, lack of pride that hurts.
if they dont wake up soon out of this trance it will be too late.the games are running out.it will reach a point where we will have to win every game can you really see us surviving that?i cant.you are talking here about ninety minutes of effort not working at the face of a coal mine.its scandulous players on over £100.000 a week cant be arsed.will theses players really get us out of the championship? david sullivan gets a lot of stick quite right he shpuld now be leading.get the whole lot of them players and management together and let them know its not acceptable they should be told their position at the club is at risk.as for the fans simply stop going.what i hear you say what sort of fan are you? why travel up to liverpool all that expense and effort in travel for what?were not talking about a team here who are giving it a go and not getting the breaks they have all abdicated.my boss would have well sent for me now and told me whats what.even risk of losing my job.every west ham players contract should be a basic and then bonuses.i just dont know how they had the cheek to go towards the away support at wolves for what?why its all over is the players dont care.the manager needs to go, way out of his depth.the chairman? anyway ive had a few nice visits to wrexham i least i know how to get there.i do hope we stay up seriously i do but even if we do nothing will change.get your vaseline ready for tonight for to say its going to be aqueaky bums is an understatement.keep the faith.miracles do happe.
a fan for over 50yrs born and bread in liverpool but never seen it quite as bad as this effort wise.
Spot on, says it all.
Great article
I’m sure all true hammers fans feel exactly the same
I wish we could pin it up in the dressing room and get every player to read it
I couldn’t believe how bad we played at wolves.
Some of the players visibly gave up in front of our eyes
I’ve been a supporter since 1967 and this squad attitude is one of the worst I’ve ever seen believe me.
So for the supporters in the stadium and at home tonight for gods sake put in a good performance
Coyi
They should put a copy of that excellent letter on each of their seats/lockers. Or even get each one of them to sign it as acknowledgement of reading it. That sums up their attitude precisely. Also ask Bowen to start shouting at the tossers around him !!
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Well said
Well said Marcus, absolutely spot on. We’re not delusional and expecting to win every game, but we do expect you to try, and the very minimum is you put a shift in and give it your all. Take some pride, show some passion or alternatively put in a transfer request and do one? We don’t like the board or the ground but it is what it is (at the moment) so we have to put on our big boy trousers and get on with it. If your heart/head ain’t in it tonight then tell Nuno so he can put an under 21 on instead. No more excuses, COYI⚒️⚒️⚒️⚒️