Alan Shearer said: “The way West Ham’s heads went down is alarming. Alarming for the fans and for the manager. It was embarrassing.”
As many of you will be aware, The Hammers were hammered by Manchester City last night. It was another desperate performance from the unwashed oaks in their ‘new stadium’.
I was a big fan of the West Ham model before a ball was kicked. Unlike the proposed Tottingham Tunnel Club and £18,0000 season tickets, it looked like Lady Brady and the Porn Barons were trying to make their new gaff an inclusive place for people to watch football.
Gladys tell me that the word coming out of West Ham last night was that the players are already sick of with the London Stadium.
A number of the first squad don’t want to be there anymore.
There is no ‘fix’ on the horizon, there are no obvious means of addressing the issues. The stadium doesn’t feel like home and the players are feeding off the discontent of the fans – some of whom were leaving before the hour mark.
Of course, it can be argued that there are bigger factors at play.
Football is no longer a working class pastime and the atmosphere generated from people paying Opera ticket prices doesn’t so easily lend itself to people ‘letting it all hang out’ for 90minutes.
More seats means more ‘tourists’.
Given the importance of money in the modern game, one could make a good case for games being generally speaking, more important than they used to be.
Football is a serious business these days.
I take a view that I have deeper doubts; is English football fundamentally at odds with the big stadium experience?
Old Trafford is a good example of 75,000 nearly enjoying themselves.
The Emptycrates and The Emirates frequently compete for the ‘Naff Atmosphere Of The Week Award’.
We are told that Levy & Co. have been tireless in their efforts to deliver an atmospheric rebuild of The Lane.
I’m unconvinced that much can be done to ‘dress up’ the fact your team is suddenly playing to a festival size crowd.
Big stadium fatigue is something THFC have to start planning to defeat – now.
If they try and wing it, or believe that a climbing wall or fabulous ala carte menu will distract from such an undermining flaw, then West Ham players won’t be the only ones wishing they were somewhere else mid-game.
