Should we care how we play?

Despite sitting 2^nd in the N Power Championship table with a nice little cushion of 3 points between us and third placed Crystal Palace; there seems to be some dissenting voices amongst the natives of the Boleyn.

I’m a little perplexed by any criticism levelled at Big Sam and this current West Ham side, I think those who aren’t satisfied need to take a look at the plush surroundings of the Championship and realise just how far we’ve fallen…we’ve traded in 8-10 minute highlights on MOTD for a paltry 90 seconds on the Football League show, we garner a fifth of media the interest that we used to and we lost in Parker and Ba two players who are currently lighting up the big league.

It’s of vital importance that our stay outside of the only league the press and media seem to care about is for a single season.

What would we rather? Continue to play the way that we are and hunt down Southampton or adopt a more aesthetically pleasing style and possibly have to settle for a place in the end of season lottery? We’re all aware Sam has a style of playing and it does get results (two 6^th placed Premier League finishes with Bolton Wanderers would testify to this.) wouldn’t it be risky/unwise for him to tailor his tried and trusted methods to appease the dissenters? Would it be wise to gamble our hopes of automatic promotion on a set of beliefs that haven’t been successfully embraced by our club since Zola’s first season at the helm?

Under Sam it’s not pretty and we can’t help but look on enviously around London town and witness the sort of footy being played by Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea without a wistful glare of better days; but the dark reality is that we need to get to get back ASAP, I for one firmly believe that Sam can deliver this at the first time of asking but we’ve got to get behind his methods. Other clubs in this division who do play with a stylish swagger such as Southampton and Brighton do so without the looming pressure that stalks West Ham; it’s simply promotion or bust for us. Key members of our playing personnel will be playing Premier League football with or without us next season.

I understand and respect the traditions of our great club and it’s a shame we must compromise them, but we must trust in Allardyce’s methods to lead us back to the promised-land.

The ‘West Ham way’ is ingrained upon us all and it is a beautiful, noble and idealistic vision of how football should be played. One look at our current surroundings however suggests that we must be more pragmatic with our views.