‘Can't argue with them’ - Ex-West Ham ace with 71 Premier League goals reacts to fan’s recent vote of no confidence in board
The former Leeds United frontman played for the Hammers during Alan Pardew’s tenure as manager
Former West Ham United and Leeds United striker Brian Deane says he feels sorry for Hammers supporters in many ways after the club’s fan base issued a vote of no confidence in chairman David Sullivan.
The three-time England international, who holds the record for being the first player to score in the Premier League era, joined West Ham in the later years of his playing career after spells at Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Benfica, Middlesbrough and Leicester City.
Deane scored 71 Premier League goals in total, with the vast majority coming in the mid to late 1990s, before he joined West Ham in 2003/04 when the club were playing in the second-tier of English football. He scored six in 26 league appearances in his sole season as the club failed to secure promotion via the play-offs with the likes of Glen Roeder, Trevor Booking and Alan Pardew all taking charge of the side.
Brian Deane reflects on his bond with the West Ham fan base
Speaking exclusively to London World via Mr Luck, Brian Deane said:” It's such a funny club West Ham. I loved my time down there, it was brilliant and I think that they've got one of the most loyal fan bases in football, who know how they want their football, they know how they almost want themselves; it's almost like an island how they actually want things done.”
West Ham have had a difficult start to the season under Graham Potter, falling to defeats against Sunderland and Chelsea in comprehensive fashion in the first two weeks of the season. They fired back with 3-0 win away at Nottingham Forest to condemn Nuno Espirito Santo to the sack but that still wasn’t enough to stop the fans writing an official letter to Dave Sullivan issuing a vote of no confidence in him after an underwhelming transfer window.
When quizzed on the situation, Deane said: “You can't argue with them from that point of view. If they’re going to support the club then they expect certain traditions to be upheld and a little bit of progression and that’s all they ask for; they want to see exciting football. The way our football has gone, it's perhaps quite difficult to find the right types of players to be able to give them that all the time.”
“I feel sorry for them and it’s nobody’s fault”
Brian Deane admitted that he can empathize with the supporters and claims he can understand their passion as an ex-footballer.
He adds: “As an ex-player, I understand the responsibility that football has within a community and the inspirational aspect it has for the ordinary working man on a day-to-day basis. I don't think people realise how important that is sometimes; it's more than just going and watching a game. It's about how it makes somebody feel about something they love, and I suppose if week in, week out they're not getting that kind of fulfilment then, in their minds, their club is falling short.
“It's everything to people, especially in these times. If you can go and have one day a week where you get everything that you want, I think sometimes that's all fans want. I kind of feel sorry for them and it's nobody's fault, I just think that the expectations everywhere now have been raised because all of a sudden people are paying £60 or 70 million for a player and no one's blinking at the fact that that's what the cost is.”
West Ham currently sit in 16th position with three points from three matches. They are already out of the Carabao Cup after a 3-2 defeat to Wolves but will hope the recent victory over Nottingham Forest can inspire an upturn in fortunes for under-fire manager Graham Potter.
The Hammers return to action with their first fixture since the international break when they play host to Tottenham Hotspur in an intriguing all-London affair. The fixture finished 1-1 when the team’s last met in May, with captain Jarrod Bowen equalising after an opener from young Frenchman Wilson Odobert. The Hammers finished 14th last season - four points above 17th placed Tottenham.