The Daily Mail has stirred up fresh West Ham negativity ahead of the biggest game for years but David Sullivan and Daniel Kretinsky may need to act.
West Ham face one of the biggest games in the club’s modern history in Holland on Thursday night.
The Hammers take on AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
The tie is delicately poised at 2-1 to West Ham after David Moyes’ side came from behind to gain a narrow lead at the London Stadium last Thursday night.
West Ham and Man City are the only clubs left in European competition flying the flag for England.
So you would hope the English press would be getting behind the Hammers as they bid to see the job through and make the final in Prague against either Basel or Fiorentina.
Daily Mail stir up fresh West Ham negativity ahead of biggest game for years but David Sullivan and Daniel Kretinsky may need to act
Instead The Daily Mail has stirred up fresh West Ham negativity ahead of biggest game for years but David Sullivan and Daniel Kretinsky may need to act.
The Mail and other tabloids have been quick to criticise West Ham fans for their behaviour abroad during the European adventures of the last two seasons.
That’s despite on two occasions West Ham supporters being ambushed by Dinamo Zagreb and Eintracht Frankfurt fans during the Europa League run.
The Mail reported last week that the authorities are concerned about West Ham making the final given the small allocation of tickets with over 40,000 supporters expected to travel to Prague.
Now, less than three days from West Ham’s huge clash with Alkmaar, the same paper has published a story claiming West Ham’s players will not receive a bonus if they win the Conference League.
Typical tabloids and terrible timing
“West Ham’s players, including captain Declan Rice, will not receive any bonuses if they win the Europa Conference League, Mail Sport can reveal,” the report states.
“It is standard for players to have performance-based incentives inserted into their contracts. It was recently revealed that Manchester City’s top talents, such as Kevin De Bruyne, will receive close to £1million if they can deliver the club’s first Champions League trophy.
“However, West Ham have managed to avoid including such bonuses in individual contracts as they aim to win their first European trophy since 1965.”
The timing of this article is very disappointing. Had West Ham made it to the final and it was published then, one might understand it. But this just seems like trouble making.
If accurate, though, West Ham’s owners Sullivan and Kretinsky might need to act.
Sullivan and Kretinsky may need to make a gesture
When Leicester won the Premier League back in 2015/16, their players did not have title bonuses in their contracts.
So late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha famously splashed out to reward each member of the squad with a BMW i8 sports car among a host of other gifts.
Should West Ham go on to win West Ham’s first major trophy in 43 years, Sullivan and Kretinsky may need to make a gesture to the players.
Some would argue they are all very well paid and have been way below the standards needed during a poor Premier League campaign.
But they have done the club and country proud in Europe over the last two seasons.
And if West Ham go on to make club history in Prague, they will have earned a gesture from the Hammers hierarchy.