The 11.13am departure from London’s Euston station to Manchester Piccadilly arrives 22 minutes behind schedule at 1.41pm on Saturday, but for one West Ham United supporter, there are other pressing issues than its late running as he heads towards the exit of carriage F.
“I will lose the plot if I see (Max) Kilman in that line-up,” the youthful-looking fan says to his group of friends, as they leave behind their cans of Estrella beer.
“Give it a rest — you’ve been moaning about him the whole journey,” says another member of his group.
But on a cold December afternoon in the north of England, this will not be the only time an away supporter voices their displeasure about the 28-year-old defender. (More on that later.)
There are multiple chants of West Ham’s “Irons” nickname as fans head towards the station’s ticket barriers. With kick-off against Manchester City looming, many know West Ham’s chances of sealing a win are fanciful. They have not beaten City at the Etihad Stadium since September 2015, while their most recent draw there was in January 2008.
But this reporter hopes to be a positive omen in the away end.
In August, The Athletic swapped Nottingham Forest’s press box for a seat in the City Ground stands to gauge away fans’ expectations about the season. That game ended in a 3-0 win for West Ham.
But four months later, the likelihood of enthusiasm on the Mancunian terraces is slim.
The view from the away end at the Etihad Stadium ahead of kick-off (Roshane Thomas/The Athletic)
During a pre-game visit to the mens’ toilets, the debate is over who coach Nuno Espirito Santo should have picked to partner Jean-Clair Todibo in central defence.
“No (Konstantinos) Mavropanos is a joke,” says a middle-aged fan wearing a grey flat cap. “How is Kilman better? Nuno can’t get a tune out of him. Kilman’s a useless…”
Others join in to voice their frustrations about the former Wolves defender’s inclusion in the starting XI. Fifteen minutes before kick-off, a banner appears in the lower tier of the Etihad’s away enclosure. Some fans find themselves caught under it, and Carl Hughes, 35, is one of them.
“I hope it says, ‘(David) Sullivan out’,” he says, deadpan. During the course of the afternoon, only West Ham’s majority shareholder rivals Kilman as the most disliked person associated with the club.
Away fans produce black balloons and red cards in the 15th minute in protest against the board. There are chants of ‘Forever blowing bubbles’, ‘East London is wonderful’ and ‘Billy Bonds’ claret and blue army’. But any residue of festive cheer lasts for only five minutes, as Erling Haaland scores the game’s opening goal for City. Four minutes later, he fails to double the lead as his towering header goes wide.
“You’re just a s**t Andy Carroll,” chant West Ham fans, mockingly comparing the Norwegian to their club’s own former physical powerhouse of a striker. A middle-aged City supporter in a Canada Goose coat takes umbrage at the joke and calls one of the West Ham contingent a “d***head”. He is subsequently prevented from retaliating more physically by being held back. The exchange continues with a chorus of, “He’s gonna cry in a minute.”
In the 38th minute, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders makes it 2-0 and one West Ham player — no points for guessing who — does not escape criticism.
“The goals we concede are consistently soft,” says Alfie Smith, 28. “City scored in the first five minutes, and that’s when our intensity should be at its highest. We needed to keep them out for 10 minutes to try to settle into the game.
“Kilman wasn’t tight enough to Reijnders, and he’s able to shoot. It’s a soft goal to concede; Kilman should be anticipating that. We desperately need a Craig Dawson- or Gary Cahill-type defender — an old-school centre-half who is a big physical presence, commanding and can organise the back line.
Things we love to see 🤷
🩵 @T_Reijnders pic.twitter.com/ssYuOmBHzX
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 20, 2025
“We need a centre-back and striker in January, but of the two, the priority has to be a defender. Kilman and Mavropanos have had enough chances. Todibo can play, and he’s impressed me recently, but it can’t all be on him.”
Alfie Smith, left, and Carl Hughes at the Etihad (Roshane Thomas/The Athletic)
West Ham hope to improve their porous defence by signing Toulouse’s 23-year-old English defender Charlie Cresswell. But as Lauren Bishop, 37, waits in the queue for food and drinks at half-time, she explains why she is not hopeful about potential incomings.
“Honestly, we need a prayer for January,” she says. “Why would anyone want to join us? We’re a mess at the minute. We can’t defend and can’t keep clean sheets. The only small hope I have of us staying up is the fact that we have (captain and England forward Jarrod) Bowen.
“I had to beg my daughter to come with me today because she’s just fed up with it all. If you were to ask most people here, they’d tell you the same. We love and care about the club, but the people at the top haven’t got a clue. They’re the reason we’re in this mess. I don’t trust them to get us the players we need in January.”
West Ham fans pass along a banner protesting against the club’s owners (Roshane Thomas/The Athletic)
An encouraging start to the second half sees efforts on goal from Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, but Haaland seals a 3-0 victory in the 69th minute. It prompts City fans to taunt the away end with their own rendition of, “He’s just a s**t Andy Carroll”.
Around the 80th minute, some in the West Ham section have seen enough and head towards the exits. A young supporter, in a claret and blue jersey, keeps himself entertained by jumping on the black balloons remaining from the earlier protest.
Home matches against Fulham and Brighton are next for West Ham before the turn of the year. It is a crucial period for Nuno’s side — and Hughes is not the least bit optimistic.
“What really cost us were the losses to Brentford and Leeds United,” he says. “We needed to take points from those games. Our next match against Fulham is a must-not-lose but, realistically, I don’t expect us to beat them, or Brighton.
“My biggest concern is the games after that run, against Wolves and Forest (in the first week of January). If we don’t get six points from those matches, plus lose to either Brighton or Fulham, then I really think we’ll go down.
“I don’t have much hope of us getting key targets in January either. Sullivan will mess it up one way or another. I don’t think Nuno will be backed, and I can’t see him seeing out the season. I think he’s going to fall out with Sullivan and will either walk or get sacked.
“Sullivan will throw him under the bus. I have no faith in him whatsoever.”