West Ham fans will stage the first of a series of protests against the club’s owners this weekend and now the manager has had his say on the matter.
It says everything that Graham Potter is fighting to save his job and yet still won’t be the person under the most pressure at West Ham this weekend.
Speculation is rife Potter could be sacked if West Ham lose to Crystal Palace after a dismal eight months in charge so far.
The Englishman has won just six of his 24 games in charge, with four defeats from five games and one of the worst defensive records in the country so far this season.
West Ham fans gave Potter grace for an underwhelming first half-season in charge last term.
Potter under pressure but not as much as West Ham’s owners
He had inherited a mess from Julen Lopetegui and was not able to turn things around, winning just five of 19 games between January and the end of the campaign.
Potter said the owners and fans could judge him this season after he had a full pre-season to work with his players and made some of his own signings.
With Nuno Espirito Santo, Kieran McKenna and Slaven Bilic some of the names being linked with his job, Potter is under pressure when Palace come to the London Stadium.
West Ham’s board will be feeling even more heat, though.
Hammers fans will line the road leading to the director’s entrance to protest against majority owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady.
Brady was sent to meet with supporters ahead of the rout to Spurs after a public vote of no confidence in the ownership from the Fan Advisory Board.
It has been revealed what really happened in the West Ham fan meeting with Brady.
The Hammers board have somehow managed to inflame the situation even more, though, with a 1,382-word statement which is essentially a run-down of reasons why they think they’ve done a good job.
Potter fires warning to Sullivan about West Ham fan protests
Rather than appease or placate fed-up Hammers fans, the statement has angered them even more.
Many Hammers supporters feel the statement proves the owners are not taking them seriously.
Fan group Hammers United, who are leading the protest against the board, have vowed it is only the start with plans afoot for a season-long series of demonstrations.
The situation put the manager in something of an awkward position when he went in front of the press for his pre-Palace press conference.
And Potter has fired a stark warning to Sullivan about the West Ham fan protests.
Ultimately West Ham fans wanted to force change at the top of the club.
Whether that is pushing Sullivan, Daniel Kretinsky and others to sell up or, if they are to remain, step aside and hire professionals and specialists to run the day-to-day West Ham operation.
West Ham’s statement spent more time talking up the board and the owners than it did addressing the concerns and demands of fans.
But Potter has warned that is a slippery slope.
When asked directly about the protests, Potter warned the owners they must listen to fan anger and look to improve.
‘Listen to fans and improve’ Potter tells Hammers board
“Everybody wants West Ham to do well,” Potter said in his press conference.
“The fans do, the players do, me and my staff do, the board do, we’re all on the same page in terms of how much we love the club and how much we want the club to do well.
“And we’re all hurting the same.
“We have to try to – and we will – stick together, we will, because that’s part of this club as well, part of something that’s really special about this club.
“But at the same time (regarding protests) you have to hear when there is criticism, when there’s feedback you have to hear that as well, listen to that and think about how you can improve.”
Sullivan and Brady take note.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
