Andy Townsend: West Ham don’t miss fans as much as other clubs
Andy Townsend claims West Ham don’t miss their fans this season as they continue to fly high in the Premier League rankings.
The Hammers are enjoying a fantastic season, in which David Moyes’ side are sitting fourth in the table after 25 games. They defeated Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham 2-1 at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Townsend told talkSPORT on Tuesday [17:15pm] that no fans being in attendance is benefitting the East Londoners this season. He said: “There are a lot of good West Ham fans out there who get behind their team.
“I’ve been at West Ham when some of that stuff that was spilling over towards the owners. It was getting a little bit out of order, a bit nasty, a bit unnecessary. Does that affect the players?
“It does spill over from the fans. That frustration aimed at the board starts getting out there on the pitch at the players if results aren’t going well.
“And at the moment, I’m seeing a West Ham team playing with freedom. They look well-drilled, well-coached.
“There are certain clubs I think that miss their supporters. I don’t think West Ham do.”
Misunderstood
I think that what a lot of people fail to understand, or chose not to, is that it’s never the players that fans get frustrated by.
Any animosity in the crowd is always aimed at the board, and fans have every right to do so. A lot of supporters, in particular, the older generation, didn’t want the stadium move.
It’s fair to say that we were convinced to move under lots of false promises. This season is the first time that we’ve looked like fulfilling any of Gold and Sullivan’s claims of ‘the next level’ and competing in Europe.
It’s been a difficult teething process, which wasn’t helped by initial results. But as we now approach a year since most fans have entered the London Stadium, I think attitudes of some will have changed.
Especially given the success this season. The new ground is finally beginning to look like our home. It will never replace the Boleyn Ground, in my opinion.
But taking 24 points from a possible 39, and losing just three times at home this season, have gone a long way in warming us to the ground.
All we’re missing now is 60,000 Hammers in there getting right behind Moyes’ side. Hopefully, we can begin to make it a fortress, like we did Upton Park.
In other West Ham news, Tony Cottee expects us to make a move for this goal-machine.