West Ham’s huge turnover of players in the last few years has left many fans feeling that – other than claret and blue superman Jarrod Bowen – those wearing the shirt don’t really ‘get’ or care about the club.
Sky high wages for poor performances, want-away dramas and dressing room spats have all taken their toll on morale around the club as relegation, almost inevitably, struck the club that has been further fractured since by public controversy and board room turmoil.
However, keeping Bowen and Nuno, despite relegation, appears to have engendered a sense of togetherness and unity of purpose amongst the squad as the Championship challenge begins for real on Sunday.
Having struggled twelve months ago to impress the critics when he arrived from relegated Leicester City, Dane Mads Hermansen endured a torrid four games and eleven goals conceded before being dropped. The Hammers’ number one then returned in January looking still fragile, yet having worked on his game he reclaimed the jersey and hasn’t looked back.
Hermansen – back in the top spot and now full of fighting talk as the Hammers number one
Speaking to BBC Radio London, Mads Hermansen has used words that supporters will love, and a language that shows he clearly ‘gets’ the club at which he is now the first choice shot stopper ahead of the hugely experienced ( and expensive) Alphonse Areola:
“We are going to face the pressure, that’s our job,” goalkeeper Mads Hermansen told BBC Radio London. “We are West Ham, we are the biggest club in the league and we want to show that we are going straight back up.”
Good man. Never doubted you for a second, Mads. Just hope the deeds match the words come 4pm on Sunday and the confidence is as evident in the way West Ham set up for those first corners of the Championship season.
Oh – and it doesn’t hurt to catch the ball occasionally…
I hope you exempt a certain Tomas Soucek from your “don’t care” charge Martin
If we get our targets then anything is possible this season…It all starts on Sunday…My gut feeling is always optimistic before a ball is kicked… However because we know what happens if we don’t get promoted..Then I reckon it’s gonna happen…COYI ⚒️⚒️
I agree that many players these last years have looked a bit culturally indifferent, but our strategy (or lack thereof) have not helped to create a squad proud of playing for West Ham. Formals, Cresswell, Antonio, Fabianski (came back) – to name a few that we got rid off too early and/or in a bad way. The only player we lost but wanted to keep in a good way was Declan Rice. He took an extra season, we got loads of money for him and he still appreciates our beloved club
I live in Philippines now but on TV he always looks too small to me. Wondering if he looks small live at the match? as you get a much better perspective of players live rather than on TV