West Ham United legend Tony Cottee has indicated that there can be no excuses for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side should they suffer the dreaded relegation on the final day of the Premier League season.
The Hammers host Leeds at the London Stadium while Tottenham Hotspur take on David Moyes’ Everton a few miles across the capital.
Crank up your transistors, prepare for all eventualities. It is ‘permutation day’ in the Premier League, and West Ham United’s fate is only hours away from being confirmed.
Pretend you’re Nuno – what changes are you making ahead of Leeds? 👀
If anyone says keep the back five, I'll be shocked 😂
Writing on his official X account, though, Cottee insists that his old employers will have no one but themselves to blame if Nuno becomes the first manager since Avram Grant in 2011 to suffer relegation in charge of the East London outfit.
Tony Cottee is ‘dreading’ West Ham United vs Leeds
“Well here we are,” Cottee says on West Ham’s day of destiny. “Dreading today but we MUST win and then go through the emotions together!
“All I can say is you get relegated because of the 38 games and not [just] today.
“I so hope we can send Spurs down but I’m not doing a prediction, as they’ve not been good all season! COYI!”
How does Bowen’s snub impact our chances of keeping him this summer even if relegated? 🤔
Should the worst happen, many will point to the controversy of that stoppage-time VAR decision against Arsenal a fortnight ago. Perhaps the awarding of Brighton’s late equaliser at the Amex, and costly points thrown away from commanding positions against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Bournemouth.
Though Cottee is right when he says that relegation is 38 games in the making, not the result of one nerve-shredding afternoon in late-May.
The table, as they say, seldom lies.
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