Jose Fonte may have left East London over a year ago, but the £1.8million-rated centre-back has got the Hammers fanbase reacting on social media.
The 35-year-old was in action over the weekend for LOSC Lille – who he joined four months after leaving us for DL Yifang – and found himself getting the better of Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, and their star-studded attack featuring wonderkid Kylian Mbappe.
The 36-cap Portugal international even managed to get his name on the scoresheet for the third time this season, making his maiden campaign in France his most prolific top-flight season and best overall since hitting seven for Southampton in League One.
His 84th-minute strike at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday helped Lille to a 5-1 win over the soon-to-be-crowned French champions, and could have led to a Man of the Match shout had star winger Nicolas Pepe not been in fine form himself.
Focusing on Fonte, beyond his goal from his only shot, the 6 ft 2 defender also won each of his aerial duels and made a game-high five clearances – more than double that of joint-second-placed Dani Alves, Jonathan Bamba and Colin Dagba.
But when the London Stadium faithful were alerted to his display across the channel, this is what some had to say…
It has to be said.. he was absolutely woeful for us!
— Giesen (@Giesen12) April 14, 2019
Our fans didnt like him because he was absolutely dreadful
— Jed (@jed_w) April 15, 2019
He was dreadful for us. Utterly dreadful.
— TOM RENNIE (@thomasjrennie) April 14, 2019
Abysmal player
— Simon②⚒ (@BrexitIniesta16) April 14, 2019
He was awful. End of
— ⚒ Tez ⚒ (@TezzyWHU) April 15, 2019
One good game ????
— 父 Scott Barnard™ 父 (@barnard_15) April 15, 2019
He was a liability nearly every game he played for us.
— IronLion (@scott161) April 15, 2019
Have you given up on logic and decided to just become a full blown parody account now then? Fair play. Your decision.
— Matthew Poysden (@MattPois) April 14, 2019
So if a player leaves a club after a bad spell and improves elsewhere that means they were good enough? That’s exactly the logic you’re using here. He’s way past it & the prem was too much for him at the end.
— Olve (@WestHamdeland) April 14, 2019