West Ham United legend Tony Gale has criticised the club’s owners ahead of the season-defining match against Southampton this weekend.
West Ham are just one place and two points above Southampton and could be leapfrogged by the South coast club if they lose a relegation six-pointer at the London Stadium on Saturday.
A win will give the Hammers a five-point cushion and real hope of surviving what has been a turbulent second season at their controversial London Stadium home.
Supporters made their feelings perfectly clear during the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Burnley last time out, invading the pitch to protest against co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and their vice-chairman Karren Brady.
Supporters are furious over what they feel are a string of broken promises from the board over transfers, ambition, spending and crucially the move to the former Olympic Stadium.
A host of promises were made about what the club would be inheriting at the London Stadium which have not been delivered, chiefly the distance seats are from the pitch and its negative impact it has had on the atmosphere.
“I was at the game against Burnley and it was a sad state of affairs,” Gale told Sky Sports.
“I understand the crowd’s frustrations, that they wanted to protest, but that is not the way to do it. How do you protest? That club has been mismanaged. I’m not talking about managers, I’m talking from the top.
“They’ve admitted it, they’ve been in the newspapers saying sorry, sorry, sorry – but that’s not good enough. Mismanaged going to the stadium, mismanaged with their buying, basically it has been a shambles.”
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