Angelo Ogbonna becomes first player to admit West Ham are in a relegation battle

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West Ham United star Angelo Ogbonna appears to have conceded the club is in a relegation battle, the first player to do so.

West Ham have nosedived from third in the Premier League to the brink of the relegation zone in 10 weeks.

One win in 11 games has put Manuel Pellegrini’s future in serious doubt.

West Ham fans have witnessed a lack of fight on the pitch.

But perhaps just as worryingly there has been a lack of awareness and fight off of it.

Pellegrini on brink as Hammers plummet

Captain Mark Noble has acknowledged there are problems in various interviews and his column in The Evening Standard.

The skipper has not yet seen fit to address the freefall by admitting the Hammers are in a relegation battle.

A tight Premier League this season – there are just five points between West Ham and seventh-placed Sheffield United – means a couple of wins can turn the club’s season around.

But the lack or urgency has been a huge concern for supporters.

Now Ogbonna, a contender for Hammer of the Year so far, has chosen to stand up, be counted and treat supporters with the respect they deserve by acknowledging the fact West Ham are in trouble.

Ogbonna steps up to tell it like it is

The defender has told his teammates it is time to wake up and ‘face the reality we are in’ (whufc.com).

“We need to step up as that’s the only way to get away from this situation,” Ogbonna told whufc.com.

“It’s a difficult season because the Premier League this year is very balanced. It’s hard for us, as it is for all of them. We have conceded three goals in three home games in a row and I am worried about that, but all we can do is train and come back and do better in the next game.

‘We have to face the reality’

“We need to focus game-by-game and put what has happened behind us. Southampton is a big game for us, but every game is a big game for us at this moment.

“We have to face the reality. We are looking forward to the next game and we are focused on that.”

Ogbonna should be commended for his honesty.

He has led by example with his performances on the pitch this season, one of few to do so.

And it is about time the West Ham faithful were given the credit they deserve and not just lip service.