Boardroom struggle deepens gloom as West Ham prepare for life on the outside

As West Ham prepare for life outside the Premier League, their Carabao Cup first-round meeting with Portsmouth on Saturday is a reminder of how far they have fallen. According to The Guardian, the club's return to the Championship has been overshadowed by a boardroom struggle that shows no sign of abating.

The source of the latest turmoil is the battle over Vanessa Gold's shares, together with allegations made against vice-chairman David Sullivan in a Panorama investigation. These issues, the paper reports, are deepening the gloom of a summer that has already been bleak following last season's relegation.

West Ham have been here before. In 2011-12, they bounced straight back under Sam Allardyce, and many expected the club to use this season to refresh and replenish. The Hammers are indeed short-odds favourites for promotion, but the off-field turbulence threatens to undermine that objective.

With ten summers of London Stadium tenancy now completed, and a number of winters of discontent along the way, the hope is that the football can do the talking. Yet while the power struggle continues, the start of the Championship campaign will be watched with as much apprehension as anticipation.