An open letter to the West Ham board – be brave and ambitious, not predictably boring

West Ham are a club in turmoil right now and the division between the fans, players, manager, and owner is becoming increasingly hostile. Now more than ever the club needs a revolutionary new group of leaders, and the opportunity is staring us in the face.

To the West Ham board,

The fine supporters of this historic football club know that you want what is best for this team. The interpretation of your actions sometimes cloud this, but to be fair, those actions don’t always support the propelling of this club forward. That being said, please don’t waste the impending manager vacancy with a predictably safe and boring option.

Only you know who the targets are and where they rank on your list of their likelihood to join, but please, for the sake of your fanbase don’t skimp out and concede the season away with a lazy, loss-preventing manager like David Moyes was and like he and Chris Hughton promise to be.

The Premier League is extremely wide open this season and there is more than enough time for the right manager to come into the team, assess his players, add if necessary, and push on to the top half. This potential positive wave of momentum starts with you, please do not let your supporters down.

You don’t need to be reminded that under your leadership West Ham left their ancestral home at Upton Park. The idea was to move on to a modern football stadium to attract players that would help West Ham become a staple at the top of the table and push on to European nights. How does signing a cheap, uninspired option at manager help in achieving the goal West Ham supporters were sold when leaving the Boleyn Ground?

There are inspired options available to fill Manuel Pellegrini’s position if and when it becomes vacant. If you’re going to ignore the “expensive” options like Sean Dyche and Eddie Howe as early reports suggest you will, move for something exciting and revolutionary.

With David Moyes or Chris Hughton Premier League survival is far from guaranteed, so why not bet on the squad you’ve built and the players who used to play for the team? Why not put together a managerial team that is built from former Hammers themselves?

Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, and James Collins. All three know what playing the West Ham Way is and every one of them has a deep connection to this club. In a 40 second clip Joe Cole put forward a plan better than what Pellegrini is currently putting forward and prioritized the supporters in how a team under him should be run. Take him up on this public application for the team.

If you don’t feel brave enough to take a drastic jump to the unknown with the band of former Hammers listed above, get in front of the curve with a manager like Danny Cowley, Lee Bowyer, or even Scott Parker – English managers who have done well in English football.

We ask that you remember what you have asked of West Ham supporters in recent years. Yes, you took a big money swing with Manuel Pellegrini and you missed. Taking that swing proved a lot of ‘board out’ doubters wrong, but you cannot hide behind a mistake and say “oh well” when it doesn’t work. This club may be a job or a hobby for you but for the supporters this club means everything.

Bring back the spirit of West Ham and prove your critics wrong. Please don’t spoil the opportunity you have to correct the path of the current Hammers team and realign them to succeed in the Premier League and beyond. Hold up your end of the bargain with the new-age West Ham.

Sincerely,
A West Ham supporter.