Fan's Eye View: 'I think Pardew raised expectations too high when he said we could win something'

Kriss Akabusi is British 400m hurdles record holder and an Olympic and world medallist. He is also a season-ticket holder at West Ham

I've supported West Ham since 1969. I was brought up in Enfield, so I should have been a Spurs supporter, but I liked the fact that West Ham had Clyde Best, who was one of the first black players to play for a top-level club.

I've been a season-ticket holder for the last four years and I see them home and away. I didn't expect them to be in the position they are in after doing so well last year, but I did think that Alan Pardew raised expectations too high when he said before the season started that they could go on to even better things and win something.

The second season after promotion is always difficult and I thought they needed to consolidate this year.

I don't buy the idea the team have been affected by speculation about a takeover. When I was an athlete I just got out onto the track and performed and it didn't matter to me what the British Athletics Federation or the IOC [International Olympic Committee] were doing. I think a lot of our younger players thought they'd made it after last season, but to be a true Premiership player you have to put two or three seasons together. I call it the Du'Aine Ladejo syndrome. He won the European 400m title in 1994 and thought he'd cracked it. He spoke about winning the Olympics but couldn't back it up.

I don't blame the two new Argentinians. They are quality players and very often their team-mates are not reading them properly.

I don't think Pardew should go - he should have at least until Christmas. But the players need to realise they are in the relegation battle. There's no way they will go down, though.