Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned West Ham United that they will need at least few more years in order to enjoy success at the London Stadium.
West Ham United headed into the current Premier League campaign with a lot of optimism and understandably so.
The Hammers had managed a wonderful 7th placed finish during the prior campaign under charismatic manager Slaven Bilic and given the fact that the club had reinvested heavily to improve the squad during the summer, many expected them to be challenging for a top four finish during the current season.
Arguably the biggest reason behind West Ham’s optimism though was due to the fact that they would be calling the state of the art Olympic Stadium their new home and the fans most certainly had every reason to get excited.
Unfortunately, the feel good factor surrounding West Ham has dissipated very quickly as they have endured a terrible start to the season and it is clear to see that Bilic’s men are currently struggling to adapt to life in their new surroundings.
It is expected that West Ham will eventually improve as the season goes on but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hinted that the Hammers can forget about winning silverware anytime soon.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s trip to the London Stadium this weekend, Wenger explained that West Ham will need at least a few more years to make a mark at their new stadium and drew parallels to their rivals’ current situation with the Gunners’ own move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium back in 2005.
Wenger asks West Ham to manage their expectations
Wenger told reporters, “It takes a few years, because you have to make memories and build a little history. We moved from the marble hall at Highbury; it was full of history, and suddenly you move to a stadium where nothing happened before you came in there. You feel a bit lonely there, so you have to rebuild the environment from the results that you had before.
“For the supporters, it is the same. They sat every time next to the same guy, and they talk and say, ‘Remember last time we were here, we beat this team’ and then suddenly they sit away from them. You feel a bit like you’re playing on neutral ground for a while. I preferred the first version of the West Ham stadium, when it was very tight.
“You can try, but you cannot create something artificially that doesn’t exist. I feel as well for the players you kind of have a picture. When you play up front you know where the goal is, because the signals coming from the crowd.
“You know where the adverts are and sometimes you have no time to make your decision, but you have a geographical reference when you stand on the pitch that is linked to the stadium. You have to recreate that.”
