West Ham will go into their most important match of the season at home against Burnley on Saturday amid an atmosphere of toxicity among a section of their supporters.

Saturday’s 4-1 away defeat to relegation rivals Swansea added to growing feelings of resentment towards the club owners, and the anger spilled over straight after the match when co-chairman David Gold’s car was stopped and he was confronted by an abusive fan as he left the Liberty Stadium.

A planned protest march organised by the Real West Ham Fans Action Group was cancelled on Friday following a meeting between fans’ groups and vice- chairman Karren Brady. But other factions, including the West Ham United Independent Supporters Association, still hope to stage a march before Saturday’s match at the London Stadium.

The association has contacted the London Legacy Development Corporation, landlords of the London Stadium, asking to stage the march on their property since arrangements with the police on the original route had been cancelled.

A statement on the association website read: “WHUISA exists to represent our members, and the feeling among fans, as best we can. Our members and the wider fan base made it abundantly clear that they want the march to happen so we have taken action.

“We have worked with the FSF (Football Supporters’ Federation), the Met Police and spoken to Newham Council to save the march and give our fans a chance to show their lack of confidence in the current direction of West Ham United.

“As it stands there will be a change of route but the authorities are in consultation for a peaceful protest to go ahead on Saturday March 10.”

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Meanwhile, amid this toxic atmosphere, West Ham manager David Moyes must try to pick his team up following their morale-sapping defeat at Swansea, which leaves them just three points above the bottom three in the Premier League.

Moyes offered no excuses for what he admitted was the team’s worst performance since he took charge in November.

However, he was up against it before the match started when he lost two of his central defenders, James Collins (hamstring) and Angelo Ogbonna (illness), followed by a third during the match when Winston Reid was taken off on a stretcher with a damaged knee and suspected concussion.