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Allen tells West Ham fans: 'support the team you love'
The West Ham United supporters’ protests against the club’s owners has been an ongoing and increasingly volatile story of this Premier League season.
Things have been ramping up since the turn of the year, with the club’s position in the relegation zone furthering the discontent in east London.
On Monday, the fans let off black balloons in protest at the board before the team’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
However, the very fact that the Irons are in the relegation zone is being used by some as a reason for the supporters should halt their protests.
Former Hammers midfielder Martin Allen is one of those who feels that the fans need to present a united front to help the players in their battle against relegation, starting with Saturday’s crunch clash with Southampton.
“Hopefully the supporters get behind the players and support the team on the pitch and give them full backing,” he told Love Sport Radio.
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“The last game I was at the London stadium was when they played Brighton and they were winning 3-1. I think it was about 65-70 minutes gone. The place was absolutely bouncing with noise. It was like oh my god, this is beautiful.
“Brighton score two goals in two minutes, and the atmosphere very quickly changed to negative which is understandable, fully understandable.
“But for West Ham to make the best of it for all their fans, is to get behind those players, support the team you love rather than criticising other aspects of the football club which for now is secondary, in my opinion it is secondary. Get behind the players, make it a great atmosphere. It is a big, big game for West Ham United tomorrow without a shadow of a doubt.”
Does Allen have a point?
This is something that seems to be coming from pundits and former players with more and more regularity.
Being in relegation trouble is a symptom of the club’s bad ownership. However, the Hammers fans aren’t protesting against the symptom – i.e. the players – they’re protesting against the disease itself: the owners.
You’d think that people would be intelligent enough to realise that. It’s not like the supporters have suddenly stopped cheering for the players.
That’s not the case at all, they’re just protesting against the owners. They will be backing their team on Saturday, make no mistake about that.
In other West Ham news, a Tottenham Hotspur legend has taken a cheeky dig at the club.