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Two owners, one huge decision. What would you do?

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Sam Allardyce David Sullivan

With Sam Allardyce’s future still shrouded in uncertainty, the board are going to face a very difficult decision at the end of the season. Do they stick or twist? If they twist, who can they realistically go for and if they stick, do they run the risk of upsetting the Hammers’ fan base?

Although the decision may appear pretty concrete for some fans, it may not be as straight forward for others. Some may have been big supporters of Big Sam at Christmas but have found that their initial enthusiasm for him has waned a little since then. If that is the case, West Ham need to look for the right manager to take the club forward.

Rafael Benitez has been linked with the managerial post in recent weeks and he certainly resembles an excellent candidate for the job if Allardyce wasn’t to be offered a new deal. The problem for the owners is actually attracting him to the club as he may have more appealing offers elsewhere. There is also the added issue of Napoli’s keenness to keep hold of the Spaniard following a successful season both domestically and in Europe, where Napoli reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

There are other options for West Ham, Marco Bielsa, for example. The Argentine eccentric is currently plying his trade for Marseille in France.  He likes attacking football but his philosophy is certainly extreme and he can’t speak a word of English. Would the owners realistically take this risk considering Bielsa’s complete lack of experience in English football? If you were in their shoes, would you?

Slaven Bilic is another name linked to West Ham due to his connection with the club and his rather impressive managerial career so far. Once again however, Bilic lacks experience in the Premier League and could represent an unnecessary gamble considering Allardyce essentially guarantees Premier League survival.

For some, getting rid of Allardyce may be the top priority. Although this may appear incredibly straight forward, the ideal replacement is not too obvious at the moment. The likes of David Moyes, Michael Laudrup and Steve McClaren have all been linked to West Ham but are they an improvement on Big Sam? There still remains the strong possibility that if Allardyce were to leave, we could end up with someone far worse at the helm for the last season at the Boleyn and that really is a nightmare of a situation.

Therefore, the important thing to take from this is that the owners will soon face their toughest decision since being at the club, who’d want to be them, eh? They’re bound to upset a group of fans somewhere as it appears that the Hammers’ faithful are still split on what is best in terms of going forward for West Ham United.

If you were in Sullivan and Gold’s shoes, what would you do and why? Comment below…

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20 comments

  • sue merchant says:

    I think allardyce has done a good job at West Ham and has been given unfair criticism

  • Rob Robinson says:

    Huge decision for the board.
    Unless a manager with a proven track record of managing in The Premiership to a Top Four/Six finish it would be too big a gamble to change from Big Sam.
    Who the alternative manager/coach the owners could attract to West Ham remains to be seen.
    Big big decision for DG and DS.
    Hope they get it right. Can’t afford to go to OS in Championship.
    Still love the club and have done so for over 60 years.

  • Andy says:

    Unless Mouhrino is available then none better than big Sam. The injuries weren’t his fault and 10th is a greart achievement.

  • Dicey says:

    It’s simple, if you are ambitious get rid, if not, and you never want win anything, and stay safe in the bottom half of the premier league then offer him a new contract,

  • John says:

    I think Sam has been a safe manager given the budget he had to buy with any other manager wouldn’t have done better.
    Provide a bigger budget then judge him if he doesn’t hit top six. It’s not always about tactics. Money matters in the prem league.

  • Dan says:

    Is this a joke.?
    It’s not even a discussion,OJ’s glove was a better fit than West Ham and Sam.with the current squad he has under achieved massively.
    If there is no one available I would rather stick the tea woman in charge.

  • cyprus hammer says:

    What has Sam ever one. Name one youth player he has ever developed. Name any team he has managed apart from us, that you would have Watched because his team style of play entertain you

  • Brian says:

    Sam was the right guy to get us up but his instance on playing nolan when clearly all season it has shown that he not good enough to play prem football nowadays and his lack of trying any youth players even poyet has been given no chance whatsoever, downing who was actually looking a good player when used in behind the forwards has been pushed out wide to make way for nolan, when sakho and valencia were playing together at the start of the season the runs they made and the early crosses into the box caused all sorts of problems for teams then carroll comes back and that quickness to get balls into the box goes, more emphasis put on humping the ball up to him to get flick ons or control on his chest, only problem no one within 20 yards of him, would love to see defenders deal with carroll if the ball was being sent out wide and quickly crossed into the box towards the penalty spot, don’t think there is a defender in the prem who would relish trying to stop a charging carroll getting onto those crosses. So in summary I would be happy to see sam go if we brought someone in who would use the guys to their best advantage. Think we can save a fortune now not having to buy a central defender, reid and Tomkins backed up by collins Burke and our new Canadian import should mean we can put the money towards a playmaker of high calibre and another decent winger

  • craig says:

    There are hundreds of managers I would take over Sam. Really can’t understand how people stick up for him. Look at the facts. 2 up front was forced upon him and it worked but then he put Carroll and Nolan in at first opportunity and it went down hill. Downing was playing season of his life in the hole and he moved him out wide. He’s clueless. I’d risk Warburton from Brentford.

  • Dave says:

    Well do we want Carlton Cole, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll playing when available. Or any other Mark Curtis player Sam signs. This issue will destroy the club, a new BROOM is necessary to sweep clean. Develop a more attacking brand of football. Which we played at the start of the season when the players above were injured.

  • tim kelly says:

    Give him a rolling contract

  • Graham says:

    If I were in their position I would stick to a manager who has done what has been required”,To much money at risk!

  • Spyinthesky says:

    Trouble is though it’s often said you don’t get relegated with big Sam the truth is that in each of the last 3 seasons we have played at least a third in relegation form including this one despite the quality of the squad. Just not sure how many times you can get away with that without relegation form meaning actual relegation.

  • Ben Torr says:

    I would give sam another contract because he has kept us in the premiere league so i would say give him a two year contract and let him be the manager of the olympic stadium

  • Kevin says:

    Letting SAM Alladyce go would be a risk too far . Is there really another manager out there better suited to the task of taking us into the New Age ( Olympic Stadium ) as a Premiership Club ?.
    I think not ,,, the owners don’t need to and shouldn’t knee jerk because a section of supporters are expecting too much from the Manager and team , a team , I might add that has been decimated by injury and the all to often poor decisions by officials .
    Give SAM a new contract ( rolling ) and see where we are after a dozen games . You will never win over the SAM dejectors who in my opinion are in the Minority .

  • Beckton Geoff says:

    As I said before Mr gold and Mr Sullivan, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND AND DO THE RIGHT THING !!! ,and while your doing the right thing please please shut that Brady bird up to, and then and only then can we as supporters and the club move forward , so COYI !!! and I can go back to seeing away games again happy days .

  • jaybs says:

    Sam has been his own downfall, since Christmas he put Nolan and Carroll before the Team and Club, come the end of the season next weekend his contract is over, time to say BYE SAM! and thanks.

  • Beckton Geoff says:

    I have the upmost respect for mr gold and Mr Sullivan for the way they have turned our club around , and we all know that nobody is perfect and that we all make mistakes , but surely now is the time to put it right and say, thank you BFS for getting us up to the premier league and keeping us there, but now it is time to say goodbye so goodbye !!.

  • MO DAGENHAM says:

    If we can tempt Rafa then let Sam go but still a big risk. At least with Sam we will be in the
    Premier League when we move to the OS. Give him a Year.

  • Ian O says:

    Good to see some realistic views on one of these forums. I’m ambivalent towards the owners and Sam Allardyce – which means, unlike those who have called for his sacking from the beginning, I judge by how the club has progressed since his tenure. The football may not be pretty but we are now secure in the Premiership and that needs to be the case next season. The club would be ridiculed if in sacking the current manager his replacement was not a success and we ended up in starting life in the new stadium as a Championship side. A new manager may improve things, he may not. At this moment in time, better to keep things steady. I can wait a couple more years before we play in the Champions League qualifying round!

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