Former Hammer Matthew Upson says that complaints about the atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium have been "overplayed" by West Ham fans.
Upson, who spent four seasons at West Ham between 2007 and 2011 told bwin that he felt West Ham had settled into the Stratford arena - and that he felt it would help the club achieve their ambitions."The old ground was fantastic, rich in history, stature and presence, but every forward-thinking club has to look at improving their stadium or moving to a bigger one," said the former Hammers skipper.
"I think the focus on the atmosphere has been largely overplayed this season – from what I could see and hear, the atmosphere against Spurs was amazing and the team played very well with a high tempo.
"Many clubs seemingly find it difficult initially when moving stadiums, but West Ham looked like they’re settling in to the stadium now. That result against Spurs showed that the London Stadium can be home for West Ham fans and it really rocked.
"It's a big enough club with a brand new stadium to push on. It has the supporting structure to push into that Europe conversation but they’ve got to find the right players, with the right balance on the pitch."
Upson made 131 appearances for West Ham during his time at the Boleyn Ground.
He joined the club from Birmingham in a £6million deal during the 2007 January transfer window and left on a free transfer when the club were relegated at the end of the 2010/11 campaign.
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