(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media / Imago)

Ben Palmer

Thu 24 April 2025 16:21, UK

West Ham’s hierarchy have “sympathy” towards Niclas Fullkrug after his damning words about the team’s performance after the 1-1 draw with Southampton.

Whilst Ange Postecoglou seems destined to leave Tottenham come the end of the season, and Ruben Amorim’s Man United continue to stutter in the league, the Hammers’ poor performances have gone under the radar.

Since replacing Julen Lopetegui at the beginning of January, Graham Potter has managed just three wins whilst in charge of West Ham.

Thanks to the bottom three of Ipswich, Leicester, and Southampton suffering dismal seasons, the Irons are in no danger of being relegated, but do find themselves sitting 17th, with their last win coming against the Foxes at the end of February.

Following the draw against the already-relegated Saints, Fullkrug spoke after the game, criticising the team’s insistence on sending long-balls forward from goal kicks and “not trying to play football”.

West Ham hierarchy sympathetic towards ex-Dortmund striker

Following those comments, Jim White reported the West Ham hierarchy were sympathetic towards the German striker’s sentiments, with the talkSPORT host saying (23 April, 12.52pm): “We hear Fullkrug will face no action for those words, and those words were strong.

“In fact, there’s even sympathy towards his sentiment from the West Ham hierarchy.”

Potter subsequently spoke about the Fullkrug’s frustrations, saying via The Standard (24 April): “I think sometimes you have to understand that after a game, everyone’s emotional. It should be that way.”

The former Chelsea manager also added: “I think he wears his heart on his sleeve. I would disagree with him in some things and agree with him in others. But he’s entitled to his opinion. And as a senior player, we’ve had lots of honest conversations. And I think for me it’s better to have the conversations in private, not in public.”

When asked whether Potter had given the striker a telling off, the ex-Brighton boss evasively answered: “I’d rather speak to players. And whatever conversations I have with players remains private. My job is always to help the players. Help them on the pitch, help them off the pitch. But the intentions are really good.”

Alan Pardew ‘upset’ if he was West Ham manager

Speaking on talkSPORT in the aftermath of the German striker’s comments, former West Ham manager, Alan Pardew, made clear how he would have felt about Fullkrug’s comments had he been in Potter’s position, suggesting the coach privately won’t be happy, and nor will members of the squad (21 April, 8.16pm): “I had some friends who went to the West Ham game, it was poor.

“Then, of course, unfortunately for Graham, he has a player come out and give a press conference in an outlandish way, I’d have been really upset about that if I was a manager.

“He was almost sort of criticising, tactically, the team, and if I was a teammate, I would almost certainly have had an issue with him.

“Forget about being a manager, if I see him on Monday and I was a player, I’d be like ‘what have you got to say? Who you talking about?'”

Having joined in the summer from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £27million [BBC Sport], the German striker has struggled to stay fit during his time in East London.

Fullkrug has featured just 13 times in the Premier League, starting four games, whilst finding the back of the net three times for the Irons.

West Ham’s players must adopt Niclas Fullkrug’s mindset

Football Insider Verdict

Potter’s slow start to life has been largely overlooked by most of the Premier League, given West Ham are playing for almost nothing but pride between now and the end of the season.

However, drawing against Southampton, whilst also being winless in their previous six games, will be a major cause for concern.

Spending over £120million [transfermarkt] on transfers last summer will leave West Ham in a position of limitation heading into the coming transfer window, and Potter’s squad next season will likely look much the same as it currently does.

As such, whilst it looks like there is little to play for, the end of this season gives the Hammers’ playing squad, and Potter the opportunity to address the tactical issues that were highlighted by their striker.

Whilst he has hardly set the world alight since joining from Dortmund in the summer, Fullkrug’s condemnation of West Ham’s performances should inspire his teammates to want to address their poor form, rather than be used as a reason to pick a fight, as Pardew suggested.