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West Ham United fans react as Darren Bent shares honest verdict

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Image for West Ham United fans react as Darren Bent shares honest verdict

Darren Bent has shared an honest verdict on West Ham United’s fortunes in the Premier League, and while some Irons supporters agreed with the former Sunderland and Aston Villa striker, others suggested the same could be said for many of the clubs competing in the top-flight.

Speaking with Football Insider, Bent has suggested he does not feel he can trust West Ham to put together a consistent run of promising results, as for while they can beat a big side one week, they could easily be beaten the next.

“I do feel for West Ham a little bit but again, that is where I don’t particularly trust West Ham,” he said.

“Because, as well as they’ve been doing, like beating Manchester United, I still always feel they’ve still got that in them – a team that, realistically, they should beat they’ll go and lose to.”

Manchester United were the second Premier League side from last season’s top-six the Hammers have faced so far this term, in a game which saw Manuel Pellegrini’s East London outfit record a 2-0 win over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ailing Red Devils.

Pellegrini could not build on that result, however, as the Irons were forced to settle for a point against AFC Bournemouth the next time they took to the field, when goals by Josh King and Callum Wilson overturned Andriy Yarmolenko’s opener, before Aaron Cresswell ensured the honours were shared.

West Ham have also been mauled by Manchester City at the London Stadium this season when the reigning title-holders recorded a 5-0 win on the opening day, while the Irons have since gone on to smash three past Watford and lose 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace.

The Hammers’ topsy-turvy form was matched last season, too, when they managed a 3-1 win at home to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United and beat Arsenal 1-0, but also fell out of the FA Cup to AFC Wimbledon, who entered the Fourth Round tie bottom of League One (BBC).

But it was not only this and last season that West Ham have fared like such, and many Irons supporters have been fast to raise that point in their reactions to Bent’s verdict.

Here are some of the messages shared:

While many fans have described former Burton Albion forward Bent’s verdict as ‘the West Ham way’, some of the London Stadium faithful have shared hope in this being the season where the tides turn and those at the club change the mindset displayed in previous years.

If Pellegrini and his squad are unable to correct their past tendencies, one supporter has suggested his side will only be on course for a top-ten finish this term, rather than competing with the likes of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in trying to break into the established top-six and claim a European berth.

Defeat at home to Palace heading into the international break left West Ham eighth in the Premier League standings on 12 points, while Leicester sit fourth on 14 points with just one more win to their name.

Corners of the London Stadium faithful have also pointed out that West Ham’s historic tendencies to challenge one of the established top sides one week, and then struggle against a theoretically easier opponent the next, is not an issue that only the East London outfit must overcome.

One pointed out that Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by Wolves in their most recent top-flight fixture, having hit Watford for eight the last time they played a league game at the Etihad Stadium.

Brighton & Hove Albion also upset the apple cart on matchday eight, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at the Amex Stadium, a side who reached the Champions League Final in June.

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