"I know exactly what happened at Rotherham as far as the dressing room saga is concerned and I know that to say it was a red herring is the major understatement of the year," he insists, "because last year, three times, players changed for a couple of different reasons, nothing to do with facilities.
"It is something a lot of the Premiership clubs do anyway, going changed in track suits and boots and the fact was it had been spoken about in the week.
"They were always going to do that, change in the hotel, and the first time they arrived at the ground they stayed there.
"It wasn't a case of going to the ground, turning their noses up, and going back again - they turned up at the ground once, played the match, and left.
"The fact that they turned up in track suits and gear was interpreted as a snub but in fact it was something that was done three times last year and Premiership sides do all the time.
"It is unfortunate because the only way that story dies a death is for West Ham to get a result, but the fact that it got suggested before and gathered pace and momentum.
"You can use that as a motivational tool for Ronnie Moore and I am sure he did, and with the crowd getting wind of it, it eggs everyone on - but the fact is it wasn't the situation.
"But in the end Rotherham won and that is a good tag line for the reason they did, so it one of those things you have got to wash away.
"But who is to say that whoever comes here doesn't do the same thing sometimes.
"The clear message, though, is that the team did not turn up, go back, and come back away.
"It was a 'good' story at the time because of the circumstances - but it wasn't a good one for us."