This Squad Has Been Built to Lose — And That Has to Change

West Ham supporters are seeing a group of players who have become far too comfortable with losing. A total of thirteen losses this season in twenty-one games and seventeen in thirty-eight last season.

Ex footballer and now pundit, Troy Deeney, has previously weighed in with his thoughts on Talk Sport, saying, “Let’s be honest about it. When you’re getting battered by Spurs, rolled over by Chelsea, and walking off the pitch looking annihilated and embarrassed, that’s not just about tactics. That’s mentality. That’s recruitment. That’s identity.”

Deeney feels that the club had recruited too many players from relegated teams. Those players were accustomed to losing matches, which he believes affects mentality. Bringing in several players with that background can infect the dressing room with a losing culture. He suggested this could be a major factor in why West Ham are struggling and at risk of relegation.

He raises a fair point, players coming from relegated sides often have low confidence, a habit of being on the back foot, a mindset shaped by constant defeats.

Deeney’s assertion is that you can’t build a winning team by bringing in players who are used to losing. Clearly if you sign players who have spent years in relegation scraps, who have normalised failure, who don’t know what it feels like to walk into a stadium expecting to dominate, then we as supporters shouldn’t be shocked when the team plays with fear instead of authority.

Deeney has argued that West Ham need leaders and winners, not players who had just endured losing seasons.

“You need leaders. You need winners. You need characters who walk in and instantly raise the bar, not blend into the same old habits.”

I don’t make him wrong!

The Identity Is Broken — And It Needs a Manager Who Gets It

West Ham are a club that has lost its sense of who it is. They are mentally fragile, and often crumble after conceding one goal, the team looks beaten before the whistle even goes.

The Hammers are crying out for a manager who understands the club, who understands the fans, who understands the responsibility of wearing that badge. Someone who won’t accept excuses, who won’t sugar-coat performances, who won’t let players hide behind “we go again” clichés. A manager who gets it.

Nuno needs to bring in players who hate losing. West Ham fans want to see him build a dressing room where standards are non-negotiable, and demand accountability, not sympathy. Football is ruthless. Winning is a habit. So is losing! To quote Gonzos recent referral to the Scorpion and the Frog animal fable – losing has become in our nature, as it was for the scorpion to sting the frog while crossing the river causing them both to drown.

Right now, this squad has picked up the wrong habit. And unless the club is brave enough to change the culture, the results will keep telling the same story, over two seasons, complete mismanagement from top to bottom!