Daniel Kretinsky told he must make West Ham change ASAP - "It's the most important thing" | OneFootball

FLW's West Ham fan pundit can't wait to see the running track removed from the London Stadium

It's been a decade now since West Ham moved from Upton Park to the London Stadium, and there's still a lot of negative discourse surrounding the new 62,500-capacity ground.

There was no doubting that the Boleyn Ground was one of the more iconic old-school grounds in England, and it's evident that Hammers fans still miss their old home, but that feeling has been heightened by the lack of identity they feel they have in the London Stadium.

Fans were easily able to get on top of opponents at Upton Park, but now, they are as far away as you can get in an English ground, due mainly to the running track that remains from when it was used for the Olympic Games in 2012.

As the club navigated many setbacks on the field, it became easy for the passionate West Ham fanbase to attribute more negativity to the ground.

Now, with the club back in the Championship for the first time in 15 seasons, the decision to move to the London Stadium and the subsequent inability to replicate the environment seen at Upton Park looks worse and worse. Something which Daniel Kretinsky is hoping to change soon.

West Ham fan pundit urges Daniel Kretinsky to accelerate the removal of the running track

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With West Ham falling into the Championship, there's been a real opportunity to reset, look to recreate a positive environment and craft a new identity as they strive to reclaim their place back in the top flight.

Czech businessman Kretinsky is in the process of becoming the Hammers' biggest shareholder, and he's already putting plans in place to push forward into this new era at the London Stadium.

The official club crest consultation has been announced by West Ham, as they look to change their badge ahead of the 2028/29 campaign, and reports last month stated that plans were being drafted to remove the running track at the London Stadium, better suiting it for football.

There's a lot that needs to be done behind the scenes in the short-term at West Ham, but FLW's Hammers fan pundit, Ryan Horn, feels that the removal of the track tops the lot.

"It's the most important thing [Kretinsky] can do," he said. "The move to the London Stadium and the damage it's done to us as a club identity-wise...it still doesn't feel like our home in a way.

"But, if we can remove that running track, bring the stands closer and remove the gap between them, too, to get more fans in...we had over 45,000 season ticket renewals when we got relegated, so can you imagine the fans where the stadium isn't a big issue?

"The atmosphere would be electric, even better than what it is, and bringing in more fans could even bring down the price of those cheap season tickets, in my head at least.

"So yeah, it's the most important thing. It'll help with the identity of the club to have a football stadium that is fit for football. It's arguably more important than the badge change."

Changing the badge implies a new identity, but to many West Ham fans, that new direction can be given a head start ahead of 2028 when the badge is replaced by making their ground more apt to host football, thus bringing the fans closer to the action and making the London Stadium an intimidating place to go.

West Ham need to get the edge back in their home ground

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The last few years have seen the London Stadium become a relatively easy place to leave with points. West Ham won just six of their 19 league games at home last season, and five the year before.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side need to find a way to make their home ground a fortress, especially ahead of a Championship campaign where the majority of sides will see a game at one of the biggest grounds in the country as a bit of a cup final.

Making any changes to the ground that would make it more of a football stadium would help, but removing the track to bring the fans closer to the action could create a really hostile environment that second-tier players may have never experienced before.

If West Ham are to mount a title charge, they'll need their home record to be close to impeccable, and if significant changes can be made ahead of the season starting next month, leading to around 60,000 loud home fans at the ground each game, Nuno's side will already have a big advantage over their rivals.