West Ham United are on the verge of relegation from the Premier League, ten years after leaving Upton Park for the London Stadium promised to take the club to the next level. The club's largest shareholder, David Sullivan, faces heavy criticism for a decline that many believe could have been avoided with better planning.
Despite winning the Europa Conference League in June 2023, West Ham's league form had been in decline since January 2022. David Moyes, who had previously shielded the club from Sullivan's mismanagement, was not offered a new contract, and his replacement Julen Lopetegui was sacked after six months following clashes with senior players and poor recruitment.
Technical director Tim Steidten, appointed after the Conference League final, is blamed for wasting the £105m received for Declan Rice. Poor signings included defenders Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Maximilian Kilman for a combined £91.8m, as well as injury-prone striker Niclas Füllkrug, who scored just three league goals before being loaned to Milan.
Graham Potter, who replaced Lopetegui, struggled with a quiet dressing room and poor recruitment priorities. Last summer's transfer window saw budget spent on a ball-playing goalkeeper and an inexperienced left-back, while midfield reinforcements were delayed. The club's lack of urgency was evident as set-piece concessions mounted and overtures to a top sporting director were declined.
Nuno Espírito Santo was eventually appointed but faced difficulties, unable to bring his own backroom staff initially. The club's attacking improved after Paco Jémez joined as a coach in January, but it was too late to avert the slide. Sullivan is urged to sell the club to allow for meaningful change.
