As the dust settled on West Ham United’s defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday Rio Ferdinand was one pundit who felt it more than most.
West Ham surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at home to the Cherries on Saturday.
Hammers fans are feeling flat after the loss followed a heavy 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the opening game.
It also sees West Ham facing the prospect of starting the new campaign with three defeats as Arsenal away looms large next.
Fans were excited about a new era after the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini.
That’s understandable.
After all the Chilean was backed with £100 million worth of new signings.
Rio rants all things West Ham
It’s early days but there has been little to suggest West Ham will improve on the struggles of the last two seasons.
Former West Ham academy graduate Rio Ferdinand still keeps a keen eye on goings-on at his first club.
His brother Anton also came through the club’s famous academy system.
And the club’s predicament in recent times irks Ferdinand who went on a passionate rant about West Ham on BT Sport, every word of which you can read here:
“He (Pellegrini) definitely needs time,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
“Given that West Ham have never been a team that have spent this type of money, they’ve done it now, the board have to be commended for that and now he has to be given the time to make this work.
‘Who is telling them what it means to play for West Ham?’
“Last season I was calling out for a philosophy within this football club. I didn’t know what West Ham stood for last year, for the last few years. What was their philosophy as a team? And if there was one it wasn’t being carried out properly by the players.
“Now this manager’s duty, his job now after spending all that money is to create an environment where these players understand and know exactly what’s asked of them because beforehand that wasn’t the case. Have we seen that yet? We haven’t. But these new guys need time.
“Somewhere like West Ham, where they’ve been struggling to have an identity the last few years, who is in that club telling them (new managers) ‘This is what it means to play for West Ham, this is what it means to play for West Ham’.
‘When I was there no-one could question the work ethic’
“Who is telling them players ‘This is what it means to play for West Ham, this is the standard you’ve got to get to to play at West Ham’.
“(When I was there) You pass and move, you pass and move. The fans demand you did the work ethic which was a basic, which was a standard.
“When I was at West Ham in that time and just before I got in the team, no-one could question the work ethic of the players.
“Maybe the quality, some here and there wasn’t as high as other teams, but the work ethic and the desire to play, and to play the West Ham way – an exciting brand of football – was there.
“That came from looking back and I was told about the likes of Bobby Moore, the Tony Cottee’s, I was told about all these players do you know what I mean?
“Who are they being told about now when they come through, wherever they come in from, all over the world, you’ve got to live up to something. I’m not talking about players that won stuff but there’s a way, a brand of football, an idea that we actually want to keep going and that isn’t happening.
‘This is what West Ham built a history on’
“And then bringing through the young players. West Ham are known to have an academy there. They brought through Frank Lampard (Jermain) Defoe, (Joe) Cole, (Michael) Carrick, myself, my brother where are them players now?
“We saw Reece Oxford, got rave reviews Arsenal away playing away from home a young 16-year-old, where’s he gone yea? Where is that investment in the youth? This is what West Ham built a history on. Do these guys coming through the door now know about that? They’re getting big cheques, they’re getting big wages, which is great this is the way football goes. You need to be told what to do.”
It was great to see Ferdinand’s knowledge and passion for the Hammers still burns bright.