It would be fair to say that West Ham United fans have been put through the wringer this season.
Until a recent turnaround in results, the 2025-26 campaign has largely been a dreadful sight to behold for West Ham United fans.
Graham Potter could not get much of a tune out this side and replacement Nuno Espirito Santo has struggled to convince until recently.
Would you take relegation if it meant that David Sullivan would leave?! 🤔
Not a nice position to be in – but what would YOU choose if you had to?
Though it’s important both of those managers are held to account, West Ham’s list of problems is so extensive that it surely has to go beyond whoever is in charge.
Indeed, majority shareholder David Sullivan remains as unpopular as ever, and the supporters have been let down at almost every step of the way.
El Hadji Malick Diouf knows they do not deserve it.
Malick Diouf says West Ham fans don’t deserve relegation
Clearly, a recent run of three consecutive victories across all competitions have lifted the mood in east London.
It would be foolish, however, to suggest that relegation does not remain a distinct possibility.
Dropping into the Championship for the first time in well over a decade would be the fault of the owners, but it is the fans who would have to pick up the pieces.
Diouf, who has returned to east London as an African champion following Senegal’s victorious Africa Cup of Nations campaign, knows supporters just don’t deserve that.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I only have one goal right now, before the end of the season, is to keep West Ham in the Premier League.
“Only that. I will put all my energy for this team because they don’t deserve to go down.
“They [the fans] don’t deserve it. So, I will put all the energy that I have. What I don’t have, I will go to work and bring it for the team.”
This is shocking! 😰 Relegation is going to be dire for West Ham…
What would YOU do to avoid this mess?
Why Malick Diouf is slightly wrong in his assessment of potential West Ham relegation
Obviously, the supporters do not deserve what’s been happening to them. They were promised further success after the Conference League win in 2023 but the polar opposite has unfolded.
The Declan Rice money has largely been wasted and West Ham could face huge financial implications if they are relegated.
Decisions made at executive level have not made things easy, but Diouf is wrong to suggest the team themselves would not deserve relegation.
Teams have previously stayed up in spite of poor ownership. If you do not get enough points over a 38-game league season, it’s difficult to suggest the players themselves have done enough to deserve anything but their fate.
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