West Ham’s season-ending home game could not be over soon enough: For seventy five of those one hundred and seventeen minutes this afternoon, the Irons were a poor second best to a weakened Nottingham Forest side who knew exactly how to make and take chances against West Hams infamous sluggish, lethargic midfield.
It was sad that Cressie, Coufal and Fabianski – brilliant club servants – had to be part of a squad who surrendered limply until the last few minutes. Ironically, Cresswell and Coufal were the shining lights in the first half of dull.
The traditional post-match pitch walk around should have been the chance for Hammers fans to show their appreciation to players, departing or not, at the end of the season: In the days of Upton Park nobody would leave after the final home game, whatever the result: Players plus their families would soak up a special circuit of their home in front of thirty thousand fans who appreciated their season – long efforts.
Today the ground was empty as West Ham’s fans evaporated before the lap of appreciation – as you can see above. Despite requests on the TV screens to ‘stay in your seats’ after the game, West Ham fans voted with their feet and walked out at the final whistle. The phone-cam pictures should tell their own story: The ground was largely empty.
Too late ! They have all voted with their feet
Somewhere, Julen Lopetegui is probably feeling a little more content, realising that his points and his wins saved West Ham from a relegation battle.
If I was David Sullivan I’d be heeding the red flag warning signs that, combined with anecdotally poor ticket sales, Graham Potter’s ‘big vision’ of ‘the West Ham project’ is not entertainment. It is a fan endurance challenge that certainly isn’t worth shelling out for week after week, in its current form.
I stayed right to the end as love to see players and their families & show my appreciation even if we have not performed very well this season
I’ve said before on here I’m not renewing my season ticket and that still stands. I’ve found myself watching other teams games and the atmosphere is so much better than ours at every game I have watched. A few takeaways from this season for me apart from the obvious. I love Bowen but we need a leader of men on the pitch and he’s not it. We need a Bonzo or Dicks type player who don’t suffer fools or laziness. Also, and I don’t want him, but can you imagine Mourinho putting up with our players performances and then saying it was a great effort, we were unlucky etc. I was happy we appointed Potter but realistically I don’t see our style of play changing under him, ask Brighton fans what they think of him. I am praying for a takeover of our club. I think that’s the only way things are really going to change. I could keep going for about another two thousand words iof everything that’s wrong at our club at the moment, but i think that’s enough for now.
I like Potter he seems like a good man. I think he’s trying to play the West Ham way we just haven’t got the players for it. The reason we used to get thumped by big score lines before he turned up. Hes definitely shored things up at the back. I’d like to see what he can do with his own team of players.
How is shoring things up at the back compatible with dropping loads of points in the final minutes of matches? Has the defence really improved?
Today was the game where the season became too much for me, I went to a car show instead virtually certain that it would be more of the usual fare.
I seem to have been right reading the reports and listening to the comments.
We’re in the relegation mix for next season aren’t we, we’ve got to change out of all recognition not to be.
Things have to be bad for me to lose enthusiasm.
Another defeat under Potter…Fans on the train going home want to give him till Xmas…I don’t…
With a summer transfer behind him I would give him until the first international break… Probably October..
Xmas just brings in a fire fighter..Then the cycle will continue….I don’t see anything from Potter that feels like confidence…Loppy had more energy and confidence at the start… Under Potter there has been no manager bounce… Just flat line …The wolves manager and that Moyes geezer has got a tune out of their respective clubs…It’s called respect…If the current crop of millionaires don’t respect him then how are any new players expected to!… After the game today he looked nervous and anxious in the post match interview…I wanted to see anger and a determined attitude where he tells the fans … Don’t worry I’ve got this…I’m in charge and this lot won’t know what’s hit them next season…I saw someone who was like a rabbit caught in headlights…Tbh I think the job is too big for him.
Paul B I know it was chaotic under Loppy but he took stick and had the pressure on him almost from the get go. I’m not saying he was a good manager for us, as he definitely wasn’t but his record is going to be better than potters and he only chose a few of the players he ended up with. We actually did try and attack when he was manager.
How can we trust this bafoon in the transfer window when it seems that in his eyes JWP is the first name on the team sheet. It almost seems that we have to give him about 8 games at the start of next season so we can say “ well we gave him a transfer window and sadly it failed” just to pacify the Potter fans. But it would be far better to cut our losses now but we have an idiot choosing the next manager.
Last night I was in a club along with many elated Crystal Palace supporters and I couldn’t help but contrast the differing emotions between them and our fans. For many of us the season has been depressing to the point, alarmingly for West Ham, where apathy has crept in. Even supporters of many years standing are now voting with their feet and surrendering their season ticket. There needs to be a sea change, which has been sadly lacking during a meaningless end of season run, and I would suggest that this needs to start with the introduction of the likes of Potts, Kante, Orford and Earthy to the first team squad in addition to, at least, three quality signings in areas which are glaringly obvious to all of us long-suffering supporters. If we are treated to more of this muddled thinking next season, Potter, who I would dearly like to be successful with the Irons, will drag us into a relegation dogfight.
Imn pleading a letter to my club I leave the ground The crowd are silent despondent no enthusiasm unhappy A million miles away from Upton Park Take heed now or regret it forever Soon to be no way back
Rose-tinted spectacles. It used to be as dead as a doornail at Upton Park on plenty of occasions. Atmosphere largely depends on what’s happening on the pitch, and that has largely for the last few seasons been dull football and losing games.
I think that picture says it all. I’m tired of hearing the same rubbish from him in interviews ” we showed fight, the boys gave it everything, positives to take from the game blah blah blah. Every week he picks a 11 to try and get a draw, panics when we are behind with 15 mins to go and puts on players who should be starting. He got found out at Chelsea and he has got found out again already with us
I like Potter and want him to do well. However current team selections and tactics seem haphazard scattergun anarchy much like Lopetegui. I don’t understand why no one interviewing him is asking what will be different next season and what does he want to change?
Currently he doesn’t have his own players and many aren’t at the right level but there are no signs he can build an effective team.
Does he plan to keep JWP? Why play Rodriguez and others that are definitely leaving. Why play with no centre forward when we are virtually always better with one? He’s not helped by Kudus only playing when he fancies it and Pacqueta having problems but it’s still really hard to see the logic in his thinking.
With that in mind can he build most of a team from the Summer on with what sounds like not much money?
Currently probably only Bowen and AWB would definitely get picked by most fans. So it’s a ManU size mess without the money and a coach that seems like he can’t put an effective team together.
Let’s hope this takeover talk is not just the usual hype.
Something drastic needs to happen at this club and until Sullivan and the rest of the incompetents depart nothing will change.
Club is a total joke, but not a funny one ! 😡
The only way this doomsday book can be changed is with character get jose morhino in now before our club is lost forever and imn not exaggerating
David Moyes low block without the fast counter attacking
Former defender Potter doesn’t have an ounce of creativity which is why Westham’s XG and actual goals scored is so low and the matches so tedious and boring . Metaphorically speaking Westham fans are walking behind a horse and hoping to find hot cross buns but there’s only steaming turds . The sooner this horses arse is sacked the better .