'We Accept': West Ham confront £450m three-year spend in candid club statement

West Ham have addressed the club’s poor start to the Premier League season in a lengthy statement sent to supporters following a meeting with the Fan Advisory Board this week.

The Hammers sit in the relegation zone after four matches with just three points on the board. That came thanks to an impressive 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest but that victory has not been enough to erase painful defeats to Sunderland, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Graham Potter’s side were beaten on an aggregate score of 11-1 across those three losses. West Ham welcome Crystal Palace to the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon before making the trip to Everton later this month with more points needed.

West Ham issue club statement

The West Ham statement, shared on the club website, opened: “West Ham United recognises the views expressed in recent correspondence from supporter representatives on the Fan Advisory Board and wishes to reassure all supporters that we continue to listen to fan feedback and advise them on the steps we are taking for the future wellbeing of the football club.

“It is just two years since we lifted the Club’s first major trophy in 43 years. The UEFA Europa Conference League triumph came in the middle of three successive campaigns in European competition – the first time we had ever achieved that feat. Following that period, significant investment was made into the football operation, both on signing new first-team players and the Club’s overall scouting network and player recruitment department.

“First, we accept that results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves. Nobody at the Club is satisfied with that and the Board of Directors have spent a great deal of time looking at the decisions that have been made across the football operation, in order to inform an improved strategy going forward. Our focus now is firmly on the future and building a team that can once again compete consistently in domestic competitions and in Europe. We have a strong platform from which to continue that quest, in that we are entering our 14th consecutive season in the Premier League – our longest unbroken top-flight run in the modern era.”

The club went on to back Potter, who has been under pressure given results with reports that Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was in attendance as West Ham were beaten by Spurs last weekend. The Premier League side also pointed to efforts to improve the atmosphere for home fixtures at the London Stadium and the appointment of Kyle Macaulay as Head of Recruitment.

West Ham outline £450m spending

Moving onto investment, it was added: “We have invested tens of millions of pounds in our training bases for the men’s, women’s and Academy squads. This includes millions of pounds spent this summer on continually improving our training facilities at Rush Green, including new pitches, medical facilities, gym and recovery areas, plus a brand-new facility for our U21 Academy development squad. This follows the £4million investment to completely renovate Chadwell Heath for the benefit of our Academy and Women’s teams, and another £4million investment into our brand-new Community Hub at Beckton – the home of the West Ham United Foundation – which helps thousands of people in the east London and Essex area on a daily basis.

“We believe the biggest strength of the men’s first-team training facility at Rush Green is the unique, intimate atmosphere enhanced by the people within it - something that certainly didn’t hinder the Club when winning a European trophy just two years ago, and something that is again thriving under Graham Potter. Our Head Coach has made clear his philosophy of developing an environment of trust and togetherness, built on the values that underpin the identity of our football club – including the importance of creating a pathway to the first team for our young Academy players.”

West Ham reported that £450 million had been spent on new signings over the last three years with an average net spend of £100 million per season over that period, while managing to stay within the strict Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules. The statement closed: “The Club would like to place on record its thanks and appreciation to all of our fans, in the UK and all over the world, for their continued backing of West Ham United and the role that they have played in helping us to become one of the biggest and best-supported football clubs in the world.”

In other news, West Ham vs Crystal Palace early injury news as 6 ruled out and 2 doubts.