London to Prague is approximately 650 miles. The time since Jarrod Bowen scored the winning goal in the 2023 Europa Conference final is less than three years. As we stand today, we are light years away from both that magical night and where we should be as a club.
After a long arduous and attritional season we find ourselves relegated to the second tier of English football. From the cusp of piercing the upper echelons of the Premier League to the prospect of a trip to Sincil Bank in a rapid, but painful decline.
Of the side that triumphed in the Fortuna Arena, only three who played on that night remain. The champagne corks around east London had barely hit the deck when chairman David Sullivan immediately soured the mood, declaring captain Declan Rice was leaving.
From then on it’s been a truly downward spiral. A valiant crack at the Europa League the following year papered over the cracks of poor domestic form. David Moyes left. Amicably and with thanks, but the support felt frustrated by the inertia that had set in on the pitch.
Sullivan brought in Julen Lopetegui, to instil a more fluid system of entertaining football. That failed miserably. Graham Potter was next up. Guess what? Failure. After an awful start to this campaign he was ditched; Nuno Espirito Santos taking the helm after he was sacked by Nottingham Forest.
The tight-knit yet small squad Moyes built has been decimated. Injuries and fitness concerns over some, scandal surrounding others. Newcomers seemed to be bought on the basis of who their agent was, not on talent and temperament. Sullivan’s lack of due diligence in actually installing the correct and proper personnel for roles, insisting on taking control back and basing opinion on a dated model of "they used to be great a few years ago".
The blame lies at his feet. Our once proud club. Owners of a compact, intimidating stadium. Now reduced to a brand name with minimal assets. Greedy, blinkered, delusional.
This season has been tough. From the outset, it was clear there we lacked fight and leadership on the field. Tactically we were found wanting. Fitness levels looked dubious. It took Nuno over two months to record a league victory. Bereft of confidence. Some bizarre tactics. Following a 3-0 defeat at a freezing cold Molineux, I accepted our fate. We were going down. There was barely a redeeming feature about us.
But somehow results improved. In came Pablo and Taty Castellanos. We pressed, we strung passes together, we found some belief. As our neighbours in N17 floundered, we strung together some form. It wasn’t always pretty but needs must. Somehow we managed to get ourselves out of the bottom three and survival seemed possible.
Then, at the crucial moment, we lost the plot again. Toothless against Palace. Not good enough at Brentford. Woeful at St. James' Park. We’d dug an escape tunnel, only to fill it in again.
Going into a last game reliant on other teams tells its own story. We weren’t of the quality befitting the top tier. To be honest, I was annoyed we’d kept the life support on for so long. Giving false hope, when the harsh reality was inevitable. If it weren’t for the fact it was Tottenham who we could have sunk, I wouldn’t have cared.
So here we are. Championship football beckons. I’m embracing it. New trips, no VAR, no bias. The club needed it. We need to clear out the deadwood from every aspect. The over-inflated value David Sullivan placed on us has plummeted.
The architect of our downward trajectory has been left alone, exposed and with a clear message from the club's fanbase. You are no longer tolerated, the web of manipulation and deception you’ve created has come to fruition. You’re a mere figurehead, not of any worth or value to this proud club. Go now; relinquishing control to fit and proper persons is the only way.
Daniel Kretinsky may not be the knight in shining armour we crave. But as a ‘proper’ businessman he’d ensure things are run correctly. People employed to do the jobs at the club befitting their roles. Not a vanity project to keep him in the public eye.
From a playing staff perspective, I expect - and want - a big upheaval. If we had stayed up, it would have been just a delaying of the inevitable. Too many of our current team are not good enough or not committed enough. I can count on one hand the players I believe care.
Build around the youngsters and the elder members who are willing to stay and fight for the cause. I’d rather they be our future than certain players whose agenda is not befitting of West Ham United. The fiscal rules of Championship football determine we can spend 85% of our income. Sell the overinflated egos. Recruit wisely based on ability and character to augment our talented young players.
From a support standpoint, I hope the proper West Ham hardcore stand firm. The tourists and social media wannabes will decline. Entice back the alienated generations. Stand firm. We’ve been here a lot longer than the man whose egomaniacal ineptitude has led us to this. We’ll be around after he has gone.
The Olympic Stadium doesn’t offer much, if any home advantage. Despite our contempt for it, we need to accept that we’re stuck here for the foreseeable and try and redress the negatives. It’s a long hard slog, playing akin to 46 away games will make it harder.
Let’s see this as a reset. A force for change. Not a catastrophe. Now we need to be United more than ever. I’m not expecting promotion instantly, but I am expecting a new-found hope and a team worthy of the badge.
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