David Sullivan today admitted West Ham have made insufficient progress on the pitch in the decade since he and David Gold took over.
Just days before their 10th anniversary as owners, Sullivan has told Standard Sport he has regrets about some of the managers the pair have appointed in that time.
Sullivan also said Manuel Pellegrini, sacked last month, “wasn’t the best fit for the club despite being a good manager” and that “perhaps it was a mistake to let David Moyes go the first time.”
Moyes, who guided West Ham clear of relegation on a short-term deal in 2018, has been re-appointed on an 18-month contract following Pellegrini’s exit.
West Ham are in 16th in the Premier League, the same position in which they found themselves when Sullivan and Gold took over on January 19, 2010.
Sullivan said: “I would like talk about what we have achieved on the pitch but unfortunately, despite our investment and best efforts, we have not made the progress we all expected under the club’s most high-profile and proven manager [Manuel Pellegrini], having brought in a director of football [Mario Husillos].
“What happens on the pitch is what matters most to our supporters and is our main focus. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and perhaps it was a mistake to have let David Moyes go the first time.
“The easy option this time around would have been going for someone new but we feel David is the right manager for West Ham.
“Manuel Pellegrini, an appointment which was welcomed by the supporters, had won the Premier League with Manchester City but ultimately, despite being a good manager, he wasn’t the best fit for the club.
“Overall, I believe the club is in a far better state than it was 10 years ago. We have some regrets, including the appointments of some managers, but we feel that we have the right one now and we are confident he will do well for us.”
Sullivan and Gold talked about a seven-year plan to reach the Champions League when they took over but that ambition seems as far away now as it did back then.
The Hammers host Everton on Saturday just one point above the relegation zone and this week vice-chair Karren Brady said the board are “haunted” by their failures this season.
West Ham’s net transfer spend is more than £200million since they moved to London Stadium from Upton Park in 2016.
The club have almost doubled their home attendance capacity since then, which has helped promote them into 18th place in Deloitte’s list of the top 20 richest clubs in the world.
