Di Canio sends brilliant message to West Ham over how to avoid relegation

Jo Harrison

Former West Ham star Paulo Di Canio has urged the club’s supporters and owners to pull in the same direction if they want to retain their Premier League status.

With the season currently suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Hammers’ situation is precarious.

They lie 16th in the table with nine games still be completed but are only above third-bottom Bournemouth on goal difference, the two sides having amassed just 27 points from 29 matches.

The poor results on the pitch have been played out to the backdrop of unrest off it, with a series of fan protests against joint owners David Gold and David Sullivan, as well as vice-chairman Karren Brady.

And Di Canio, who became a cult hero at West Ham after scoring 51 goals for the club between 1999 and 2003, says the in-fighting must stop if they want to stay in the Premier League.

“Everybody will lose if West Ham go down,” Di Canio told talkSPORT.

“I can understand the frustration because it is obvious that everyone expected [better] when we moved to the new stadium.

“The people don’t feel the stadium is their home, so now we need unity.

 

“It is obvious everybody expected a better season, including the board – they didn’t want to see West Ham there [near the relegation zone].

“So with the fans I can understand their position, but I hope when the season starts again they get close – because everybody will lose if West Ham go down.

“They must try to push all in the same direction to maintain and save West Ham.”

But Di Canio, best remembered by West Ham fans for his stunning scissor-kick volley against Wimbledon, is keen to strike a positive note too.

“West Ham have incredible quality and incredible potential for the future to finish top eight, because the club obviously spent big money in the past two years,” he added.

“It didn’t pay off, unfortunately, at the moment because we have many problems, but, in my opinion, the future will be green.

“Now is the moment to get unity and stay together.”

While joint owners Gold and Sullivan have taken plenty of heat, it was Brady’s turn to feel the wrath of social media after her call last week for the current season to be scrapped, meaning Liverpool would miss out on the title.

She later attempted to backtrack on those controversial comments, insisting that her blunt call for the Premier League season to be classed as null and void was made in the interests of safety for all those involved.