West Ham talking points from club statement addressing fan ‘letter of no confidence’
The West Ham Fan Advisory Board wrote a letter of no confidence to the owners on 3 September.
West Ham’s terrible start to the season under Graham Potter has left fans angry once more.
Fans have been calling for change over the last two years, as the club has gone through a period of decline since the 2023 Europa Conference League win.
David Sullivan has been criticised for the club’s transfer business in recent seasons, but the club has issued a statement in response to the letter of no confidence.
West Ham respond to letter of no confidence
In a message addressed to all fans, here are some of the key takeaways from the statement:
- The board agrees that West Ham needs to sustain regular top-half finishes and strong domestic cup runs
- Measures are being taken to enhance West Ham’s reputation: investment in the training centre, a focus on the youth academy, and £4m spent on the West Ham United Foundation
- Work is underway to improve match day experiences: includes the introduction of fan-led displays, fan zones, and Tifos
Whilst the statement does address some key issues, such as West Ham fans’ unhappiness regarding the London Stadium, the club seems to brag about its achievements quite a lot.
West Ham fans aren’t necessarily interested in the fact that it’s West Ham’s 14th consecutive season in the Premier League, yet the statement makes a big deal of that.
What must anger West Ham fans is that this statement clearly hasn’t been written by Sullivan, showing the lack of relationship the fans have with the chairman.
It outlines that steps have been taken to implement a new recruitment strategy, however fans have yet to see much evidence of this under Mark Noble.
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Mark Noble’s influence as Sporting Director has been mixed so far
Noble has been the sporting director at West Ham since January 2023, with the club failing to progress following that season.
West Ham are yet to address the striker issue that has plagued the team for so long, and the signing of Callum Wilson over a young, hungry striker has once again reinforced this.
The signings of El Hadji Malick Diouf and Matues Fernandes are signs of improvement, as West Ham look to transition to the model that Bournemouth, Brighton, and Brentford employ: sign young players, then sell them for a much bigger profit a few years down the line.
The development of academy talents such as George Earthy and Ollie Scarles has been refreshing to watch, yet there is still a lack of top-quality players embedded in the first team.
Defensively, West Ham needs improvements across most of the backline, and despite the signing of Soungoutou Magassa, more is needed in midfield if West Ham are to compete for European places again.
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