It’s hard to read West Ham’s statement to fans as anything other than a not-so-subtle reminder of how well the board believe they’ve done.
The message, issued in the wake of a vote of no confidence from the Fan Advisory Board, made no mention of the planned protests before Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace—though it’s hard to imagine they weren’t a factor in prompting a response.
Without dissecting every word, the overriding message is clear: the board think they’ve done a pretty good job in charge of West Ham. Concerns over the unsuitability of the London Stadium for football are brushed off as mere “perceptions,” while the successes of their tenure are consistently paraded.
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European success is, of course, a recurring theme, with even a veiled swipe that the club’s underfunded Rush Green training ground didn’t stop West Ham winning the Conference League.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the self-congratulatory tone was the hailing of Graham Potter’s appointment and his supposed “outstanding work” in building a pathway for academy talent into the first team. Erm, I must have missed that happening.
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West Ham’s statement claims there is a pathway to integrate academy stars into the first team
Plenty was made of advances in recruitment since the European triumph, but no mention was given to the fact that the club sacked their director of football [Tim Steidten] without replacing him. Instead, Potter and his right-hand man Kyle Macaulay were held up as central to recruitment—despite both men being under immediate pressure.
Genuine concerns were ignored, and the statement failed to address the shocking form the club currently finds itself in.
Ultimately, it’s hard not to conclude that the board simply haven’t grasped the point. After all, how can you fix something you don’t believe is broken?