Liverpool legend turned respected pundit Jamie Carragher has delivered a damning verdict on the very public way West Ham United do business.
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have been criticised by fans and pundits alike for their very public profile.
Sullivan has taken to the club’s official website to criticise West Ham’s performances at times and even issued a public apology to supporters following the 3-2 defeat to Leicester City earlier this season.
Gold has also been criticised for his regular updates on Twitter while many fans are irked by vice-chairman Karren Brady’s regular column in The Sun where she often discusses club and team affairs.
Fans have also been critical of Sullivan’s sons David and Jack for discussing club affairs and transfers on Twitter.
A bizarre columnist dubbed The Insider – which openly discussed transfer targets and fees amongst other things – was pulled from the club’s official website on the orders of Brady earlier this season after she was inundated with complaints from supporters.
And Sullivan has also refrained from his website column since the outcry over his public apology.
But with the transfer window looming the Hammers are already being linked with a plethora of players.
And Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who commentated on the club’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool last time out, says the club’s conduct when it comes to transfers is a real cause for concern while also suggesting average players see the Hammers as an easy target.
“It certainly is a problem,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
Jamie Carragher
“So much information comes out of the club from different sources at times.
“(Who is) feeding that information, there’s speaking to agents.
“I think it’s always a club a lot of (average) players look to and think ‘I could get to West Ham, I could talk myself into a move to West Ham’.”
A glut of poor quality signings this season has diluted the quality of Bilic’s squad and the Hammers have been uncrecognisable compared to the team of last year which finished just four points off the Champions League places and recorded a first positive goal difference since 1986.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic speaks with Simone Zaza
Last summer the owners took to the club’s official website to declare they were willing to spend more than £35 million on a marquee striker signing ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium.
The club ended up with loan flops Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri and the article has since been deleted.
Many fans have since suggested it was a ploy to drive season ticket sales for their new 60,000 seater stadium.
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