I’ve been there.. it will take real bravery for Noble and Co to get their act together & get Hammers out of trouble

NOW or never, it’s time for West Ham to take responsibility – on and off the pitch.

Today’s key relegation battle against Southampton could be the point of no return for the Hammers.

Defeat would leave them in the bottom three with only seven games to go.

And any repeat of the crowd trouble at their last home game with Burnley could lead to a points deduction or ground closure. The potential consequences would be massive.

Earlier this week, club captain Mark Noble wrote an open letter to fans calling for unity.

I like Noble and he has been a fantastic servant to the club, but normally there are only two reasons players resort to open letters: They are either saying goodbye or the team is in big trouble.

It’s pointless to ask fans for unqualified support – the best way to earn it is by winning matches.

When I look at the quality of West Ham’s squad, I can’t understand how they are involved in a relegation fight. And they have the seventh-largest wage bill in the Premier League.

Manager David Moyes is one of the good guys in football, but he can’t afford another home defeat against Southampton. His team should not be in this predicament.

He took his squad to Miami for warm-weather training after the Burnley debacle. Moyes did something similar with Sunderland last season and it didn’t work for them, so he knows only one result will be acceptable.

After bringing back Joe Hart (right), does he stick or make another change in goal by recalling Adrian? That’s going to be a big call.

I think the first goal will be critical, if not decisive. Hold on to your hats if Saints get their noses in front, because the atmosphere when Burnley went ahead three weeks ago was toxic.

Whatever the fans’ grievances with joint chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan, I trust there will be no more violent protests against the board. There is no glory in throwing missiles at pensioners aged 81 and 69.

On the other hand, I think it’s time for the Hammers board to take responsibility for their fans. Players cannot produce their best football if there are multiple pitch invasions as there were against Burnley. The pitch is the players’ workplace – they need to feel safe there. I don’t care who owns the stadium, who hires the stewards or who is responsible for policing and security. Ultimately, any disturbances shown worldwide on TV reflect poorly on West Ham and the Premier League. The atmosphere around West Ham reminds me of the season when Derby went down with a record low of 11 points. Unlike this West Ham team, we simply weren’t good enough – but it was an ordeal when you are losing games and your own fans are singing “You’re not fit to wear the shirt”. As soon as the first goal went against us – and that happened nearly every week – we got that sinking feeling.

You would go home with people waiting in the car park to hurl abuse, you feared for your family’s well-being – if not their safety – and your weekends were miserable.

But I learned a lot that season about the different types of bravery required when you’re down at the bottom.

I’m not talking about physical courage to face down the critics in the car park, but the bravery required to win 50-50 challenges, the bravery required to get on the ball when things are going against you, the bravery to step up and take a last-minute penalty.

It’s what Watford captain Troy Deeney might call a matter of cojones.

In a sense, West Ham would probably be better off playing away from home, away from the resentment towards the board and the negativity.

I can understand why Saints manager Mark Hughes (left, with Moyes) has attached so much importance to the first goal in this game – because he understands the home fans might turn again.

If I was Hughes, I would be telling my players to go out there, frustrate the home supporters and make it as toxic as they can. And if I was still playing, make no bones about it, I would be trying to wind up the West Ham fans.

They might hate me for it, but for three points it would be worth it. Whatever the result, it’s going to be a fascinating game and I shall be following it closely because it’s the match I’ve been assigned to monitor for BT Sport’s Score programme.

I wish Gold and Sullivan no ill. They treated me well when they owned Birmingham City and I played for the club. Mr Sullivan didn’t even mind – too much – when I threatened to block his drive and leave my car there to force a move to join Hughes at Blackburn!

But it’s time for West Ham to get their act together – they didn’t bulldoze Upton Park and move to the London Stadium to play in the Championship.