West Ham on brink a decade after David Sullivan announced his big club' feelings

"“I just think we feel like a big club, Sullivan said in an interview with the Guardian in December 2017. Not a tinpot club. When players come to look at West Ham, they look at where you play.”"

"“Feeling like a big club, after all, is not the same as being a big club. It is a decade since West Ham departed from Upton Park, their tinpot home, and told their fans that doing so would take them to the next level. A world-class stadium with a world-class team, was the infamous sell from Karren Brady, the recently departed vice-chair”"

"“Analysing the club chair's answer nine years on, the conclusion is that this is an owner whose desire to win is cancelled out by his listlessness. Feeling like a big club, after all, is not the same as being a big club.”"

"“West Ham should feel ashamed when they gaze up the table and see Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton challenging for Champions League qualification. Those are clubs with proper structures and clear identities, allowing them to punch above their weight. What they lack in size is made up for in expertise.”"

David Sullivan said West Ham moved to the London Stadium because the club wanted to feel like a big club, not a tinpot one. The move was sold as a step to the next level with a world-class stadium and world-class team. Nine years later, the reasoning is seen as lacking substance, reflecting owner listlessness rather than a consistent drive to win. The departure from Upton Park is framed as a decision that exposed dated thinking and shortcomings in challenging elite clubs. Financial pressures are highlighted, including a forecast liquidity shortfall and the risk of a larger crisis if relegation follows a Conference League win and a major player sale. Competitors such as Brentford, Bournemouth, and Brighton are portrayed as having clearer structures and identities that enable success beyond their size.

Read at www.theguardian.com