As far as pundits Paul Merson and Les Ferdinand are concerned ‘the kids aren’t alright’ when it comes to West Ham United stars during the defeat to Nottingham Forest.
West Ham brought the curtain down on a miserable season at the London Stadium by losing 2-1 to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White – after a shambolic Alphonse Areola error – and former West Ham target Nikola Milenkovic in either half ensured the Hammers ended a season with defeat at home for the first time in eight years.
Jarrod Bowen scored one of the goals of West Ham’s dismal campaign to breathe some life into a lethargic display.
But Forest held on to keep their hopes of Champions League qualification alive for the final game next weekend.
It means Graham Potter has now won just four of his 18 games in charge of the Hammers.
If that kind of form continues next season, West Ham will likely be relegated.
‘The kids aren’t alright’ for West Ham’s stars say pundits
The atmosphere at the London Stadium has been appalling all season – and with good reason many fans might argue after 18 months of terrible football and results.
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But there was a particularly strange and sombre feel about the clash with Nottingham Forest.
Not least because West Ham were saying goodbye to three senior stars who have more than 23 years of service and over 700 appearances for the club between them.
Videos of Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and Vladimir Coufal saying tearful goodbyes to West Ham and their fans have had supporters in bits all week.
They were played in the ground again before kick-off against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tricky Trees.
West Ham are a family club and the trio are very much part of the fabric of that Hammers family.
Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images
But Paul Merson and Les Ferdinand aimed a ludicrous dig at West Ham’s stars over their loved ones in the Nottingham Forest loss.
It seems according to Merson and former Hammers striker Ferdinand that West Ham are not allowed to be a family club nowadays.
One of The Who’s most famous songs is ‘The Kids Are Alright’.
As far as punditry duo Merson and Ferdinand are concerned, though, ‘the kids aren’t alright’.
At every Premier League game, the home side walks out accompanied by young fans as mascots, many of whom sit on a waiting list for several years before getting the call, and paying for the privilege.
Merson and Ferdinand in ludicrous dig at West Ham stars over loved ones
There was a lovely touch for the last home game of the season when West Ham’s players walked out of the London Stadium tunnel with their own children.
Captain Bowen led the way with his twin daughters and their older brother.
Coufal was with his young son who has been signed to West Ham’s Academy.
Many of the other Hammers stars brought their children along as mascots too.
It was lovely to see.
For everyone except Merson and Ferdinand at least, as they criticised the move and said it showed West Ham’s stars were not taking the game seriously.
Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images
West Ham players slammed for having their children as mascots
“I’m looking at that there (the West Ham players coming out with their own children as mascots) and I’m thinking to myself ‘It’s the last game of the season and you’re bringing your kids out?’,” Ferdinand said on Sky Sports.
“You bring your kids out after the game yea, but not before.”
Merson then interjected agreeing and saying Nottingham Forest would have liked seeing it.
He said: “Yea but if you’re Forest you’d like that, you’d like that you know what I mean? Forest are there lining up and they’re picking up their kids.”
Jamie Redknapp knows all about West Ham being a family club given he grew up with dad Harry, uncle Frank Lampard Senior and cousin Frank Junior coming through the Academy and spending years at Upton Park.
Sensing just how utterly ridiculous the criticism was, Redknapp tried to interject and lighten the conversation, saying: “Yea but they’re not playing, though, so (what’s the problem)?”
To which Merson doubled down, adding: “No I know, but it just shows you they’re more relaxed, it’s not as big a game for them.”
Presenter Kelly Cates, herself the daughter of amongst the most famous footballing dads in the great Kenny Dalglish, seemed keen to move the conversation on too, awkwardly laughing before interrupting and saying: “They’re (the kids) not playing, but they’re on the bench.”
To suggest West Ham’s players weren’t taking the game as seriously as Forest because they had their own children as mascots is among the worst takes in Premier League history.
If anything players are going to be more motivated than ever with the people they love most right there watching them perform.
It also seems to be completely lost on Merson and Ferdinand that it was the last ever game at home for not just Cresswell and Coufal but as many as 10 West Ham players.