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West Ham's board have been slammed by a club legend after boss Graham Potter was axed just a month into the season.
Potter was sacked on Saturday after a miserable eight months in charge in east London, only winning six of his 25 games.
Speculation had been rife about Potter's future for weeks, with West Ham's interest in Nuno Espirito Santo and former boss Slaven Bilic leaking into the public domain. Nuno is now set to take over at the London Stadium.
And former Hammers and England striker Tony Cottee, who scored 146 goals in 336 games across two stints at the club, took to X to vent his frustration.
'As usual, the fiasco at West Ham is handled with a total lack of class,' wrote Cottee. 'What a shambles.
'The players will be delighted to have their fourth manager in 16 months!
Tony Cottee scored 146 goals for West Ham across two stints at the club, becoming a fans' favourite
Cottee later worked as a pundit for Sky Sports, but was sacked after 20 years of service in 2021
'As I've said before, nothing will ever change until this dreadful ownership has left the club!'
Potter lasted less than a year at the London Stadium, as did his predecessor Julen Lopetegui, who was also sacked eight months into his tenure.
West Ham's owners have long come under criticism from sections of the Hammers fanbase.
Thousands of supporters protested ahead of their 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace last weekend, calling on chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to step down. The fans held banners accusing the board of 'selling our soul'.
West Ham issued a statement in response to the protests in which they promised to 'listen to fan feedback'.
'We accept that results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves,' read the statement. 'Nobody at the club is satisfied with that.
Cottee took to X to vent his frustration with the West Ham board
West Ham fans protest against David Sullivan and Karren Brady ahead of their game against Crystal Palace last weekend
Cottee insists the Hammers' fortunes won't improve until they have new owners
'Our focus is firmly on the future and building a team that can once again compete consistently in domestic competitions and in Europe.
'Ultimately, though, as is the case at every football stadium in the country, we accept that regular winning performances are the best way to improve the atmosphere.'
And just days after the statement was issued, Potter had been sacked.
'Did you expect anything else from Sullivan?' replied one Hammers fan to Cottee's post. 'Although Nuno will get my backing and is the right man for the job, (we) need a CEO to run the club and for Sullivan to keep his nose out and just be an owner.'
