Mark Schwarzer blames West Ham fans for Joe Hart clanger and delivers verdict on his World Cup chances

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Joe Hart returned to the West Ham United side last weekend but things didn’t exactly go according to plan.

West Ham are a club in crisis on and off the pitch.

David Moyes‘ side have gone off the rails of late losing three games on the bounce and conceding 11 goals in the process.

The Hammers are in the thick of a relegation battle while fan unrest has come to a head with supporters invading the pitch to protest against the way the club has been run by co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and vice-chairman Karren Brady.

Saturday’s scenes in the 3-0 home defeat to Burnley sent shockwaves through football and England goalkeeper Joe Hart found himself at the centre of events.

Returning to the side three months after losing his place to Adrian in December, Hart picked the ball out of the net three times in the must win game against Sean Dyche’s side.

With his England future in the balance and the source of much debate the focus was on Hart throughout.

But he spilled a shot which gifted Burnley their third goal and also found himself restraining fans alongside skipper Mark Noble after a number of pitch invasions.

However, former goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer – a Premier League winner with Leicester City and ex Australia international – has pointed the finger of blame for Hart’s mistake at West Ham’s fans while insisting he should still go to the World Cup with England on Sky Sports’ The Debate.

“He’ll (England boss Gareth Southgate) give Joe every opportunity to get a run of games and get a run of good form,” Schwarzer said on The Debate.

“I think he would have had Joe penciled in before he was dropped form the West Ham side.

“(For me) he has to go regardless of whether he is number one, just for that experience.

“There was a mistake for the third goal (against Burnley) but I think the circumstances had a lot to do with that with the fans coming on to the pitch, not just for Joe but for all the players.

“If he plays in the last eight games of the season for West Ham he’ll be on 28 games, that’s not a disaster, it’s not like he hasn’t played, that’s two third of a season.”