Expert shares David Sullivan and Karren Brady verdict that will leave West Ham fans raging

Football Insider reports that a leading finance and governance expert has delivered a damning assessment of David Sullivan and Karren Brady, claiming their decisions have left West Ham United lagging behind better-run Premier League clubs. The expert argues that, despite increased TV and commercial revenues, West Ham have failed to build a modern, sustainable football operation and remain overly dependent on one dominant owner and a small inner circle at board level.

According to the analysis, Sullivan’s model is described as outdated and overly centralised, with key football and financial decisions flowing through him rather than a properly structured executive team and data-led recruitment department. Brady, meanwhile, is criticised for prioritising commercial deals and stadium politics over rebuilding trust with supporters and modernising the club’s internal governance. The expert suggests this has contributed to repeated managerial upheaval, inconsistent transfer strategies and missed opportunities to capitalise on European qualification and London-market advantages.

The article claims that, when West Ham are compared with clubs of similar size, the gap in long-term planning, youth development and infrastructure investment is stark. Other teams have diversified ownership, strengthened their boards with technical and football expertise and invested heavily in analytics and global scouting. By contrast, West Ham are portrayed as reactive and short‑termist, lurching from window to window and manager to manager without a coherent sporting project.

The expert warns that this governance structure leaves the club vulnerable if Sullivan chooses to sell or reduce his involvement, as there is no clear succession plan or institutional framework to ensure continuity. For supporters, the most incendiary claim is that the board have effectively “wasted” the advantages of the London Stadium move and recent European success by failing to reinvest strategically. The piece concludes that meaningful progress may be impossible without fundamental change at the top – a verdict likely to infuriate West Ham fans who have long suspected that poor ownership and leadership are holding the club back.