By Conor Hogan

Former Hammers Vladimír Coufal and Pablo Fornals were in attendance as West Ham lost 1-0 to Fulham at London Stadium.

The Hammers were defeated after a late Raúl Jiménez header secured the win for Marco Silva’s side in what was another deflating result for Nuno Espírito Santo’s Irons.

Yet amid the frustration, there was a bittersweet sight in the stands. Pablo Fornals, now of Real Betis, was joined by Vladimír Coufal, currently at Hoffenheim, as the pair returned to watch their old club.

Fornals, who played for the Hammers between 2019 and 2024, was even interviewed before the game, predicting a West Ham win. Unfortunately, that did not materialise.

Coufal, meanwhile, was pictured outside the stadium meeting supporters on his way in, as warmly received as ever.

For West Ham fans, it was a nostalgic but painful reminder of what has been lost. Two genuine fan favourites returning to watch from the stands, while the current side once again fell short on the pitch – and it only served to highlight how questionable the club’s decision was to let both players leave.

This West Ham squad lacks a number of things, but perhaps most noticeably, it lacks a strong emotional connection to the club. That is understandable. Squad turnover has been relentless since the start of 2024, and so many of the current players have never experienced the “good times” in East London.

Aside from academy graduates, only Alphonse Areola, Jarrod Bowen, Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá remain from the side that lifted the Europa Conference League in 2023 – a triumph to which both Fornals and Coufal made significant contributions.

But most of this current squad have never experienced anything other than relegation battles since their arrival in East London and haven’t developed a love for the club like Coufal and Fornals. 

To put it bluntly, I don’t see Max Kilman rocking up to a game at London Stadium once he leaves West Ham.

Amid the bleak relegation dogfight the Hammers find themselves in, players like Bowen & Souček, who seem to genuinely love the club, need to rally their teammates and show them why West Ham must stay in the top-flight. Admittedly, it’s difficult for Souček to do that when he is now so often benched.

Retaining experienced figures like Coufal and Fornals could have provided this squad with invaluable “old heads” – players who understood exactly what playing for West Ham meant, both on and off the pitch.

To be clear, this is not a criticism of the squad’s effort. Against Fulham, the players worked tirelessly and commitment was not the issue. Rather, it is a criticism of the club’s squad management – decisions made under both Graham Potter and even David Moyes – which have stripped the dressing room of leaders who could have been vital in moments like these.

If there is one saving grace with this squad, it’s that it contains plenty of academy players – a testiment to the club’s poor squad management, but players like Ollie Scarles, Freddie Potts and Ezra Mayers are local lads who understand the club’s identity.

However, these youngster likely have little influence over the rest of the squad, which is why the likes of captain Jarrod Bowen must step up and show some real leadership to help get this side to Premier League safety.