West Ham United’s London Stadium home has not had much good press over the years.
It has perhaps been Manuel Pellegrini’s biggest challenge and achievement as West Ham manager to make the ground feel something like home for the Hammers.
Pellegrini inherited no shortage of problems at the club. But many of them were rooted in the issue of the unpopular stadium.
In the first couple of years supporters just could not take to their new surroundings.
The stress of moving home
The list of grievances over the stadium and what fans felt were broken promises from the owners are too many to mention.
From the configuration of the stadium itself to the distance from the pitch and the overall matchday experience, supporters were angry and yearning for their beloved Upton Park.
The London Stadium threatened to become a symbol of everything West Ham fans hated about the ownership of David Sullivan and David Gold.
But things have improved markedly under Pellegrini.
Last season West Ham had the best home record outside the top six.
Hammers settling into London Stadium life under Pellegrini
The Hammers continue to have the second highest number of season ticket holders in the Premier League behind only Manchester United.
Capacity crowds of 60,000 greet the team every other week and the atmosphere has also come a long way.
It is still far from perfect of course and there is lots of room for improvement.
But West Ham star Manuel Lanzini has revealed on West Ham’s official website that other players he knows continue to be impressed by the ‘unbelievable’ arena.
Lanzini lifts lid on what other players think of stadium
“The stadium is amazing,” Lanzini told whufc.com after signing a new long-term deal with the club at the weekend.
“This gives West Ham another level.
“I speak with other players and they look at the stadium and they say ‘it’s unbelievable’ because it’s amazing.
“We need to stay all together to play very good games in this stadium.”
It seems any dark clouds that were gathering over Stratford have cleared.
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