Green Street Hammers
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West Ham need to re-find their soul to find their potential

By Scott Johnson

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: Michail Antonio of West Ham United takes on Gaetan Bong of Brighton and Hove Albion during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion at London Stadium on October 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: Michail Antonio of West Ham United takes on Gaetan Bong of Brighton and Hove Albion during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion at London Stadium on October 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /
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West Ham are stuck towards the bottom of the Premier League table. It will take a change in philosophy to get the Hammers moving back up.

When West Ham moved out of the Boleyn many fans worried about the club. With the ‘spiritual’ home sold and demolished it would be hard for the players and fans to feel the same way when turning up for matches. Expectations change, as do club philosophies.

But there are changes that have been made that cannot be changed back. There is no going back to the old stadium. We can’t bring back former club legends to make us feel nostalgic. But we must re-discover what made it feel the way it did.

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Not so radical changes

First of all, and let’s get this very clear, the stadium is not the cause of our issues. The stadium is one of many things that has been changed, but it needs to be accepted. The more people fight the stadium the more we will get dragged down into the relegation scrap. It’s done, let’s move on.

The stadium is a grand symbol of the fact the David’s and Bilic have changed the way we play on the pitch, and the ethos of the club as a whole. With changes being made behind the scenes, the club need to go back to a few simple tenants.

Firstly, all games and training is to be done at full intensity. No slacking off and certainly no walking around on the pitch (yes I’m looking at you Arnautovic). All reports about the training at the club are damning, and I can’t believe that Bilic has allowed such a relaxed and ad-hoc approach to preparation at the club. This may work when you’re playing 3 times a week, but when you have a full week training intensity must be maintained.

Secondly there must be more involvement from youth players. We’ve seen very few given sustained places, and we’re still losing. What’s the point in snubbing talented youngsters if you’re going to be losing with experienced players? Give the youth a chance and maybe more will surprise you?

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Finally things that make the fans feel more welcome and at home are in no way a waste of money. Reports stating the tarmac around the outside would be replaced with claret colouring were then rubbished because it was too expensive, and that’s ridiculous. We have to spend out on these touches given what we have saved elsewhere. And then the West Ham fans can start to feel at home again.