SAM ALLARDYCE hit back at West Ham fans who booed his team off at Upton
Park but admitted: “I got it wrong.” After a disappointing home performance against
a side we have to beat if we are to go up champions.
The Hammers chief revealed that his players were miffed by the cat-calls at the final whistle, despite being top of the table before rivals Southampton’s win at Watford.
But it was only a superb display from keeper Rob Green and poor finishing from Palace that saved him from explaining a fourth home defeat.
He said: “The lads are disappointed with the booing. As a manager, you are prepared to accept anything. But one or two in the dressing room said they weren’t happy with it because we’re second in the league.”
But Big Sam claimed the Hammers were tired after playing large parts of the last three matches with 10 men, following red cards for Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor and Green and that he had made a selection gaffe.
He said: “Those games have definitely caught up with the large majority of the lads. I might have made a slight mistake picking exactly the same side that beat Blackpool on Tuesday. Palace also did not have a game in midweek so their energy levels were bound to be higher. I changed the system and got fresh legs on in the second half and we did better.”
Big Sam, however, will struggle to keep Hammers fans on board unless he becomes Big and Beautiful Sam. Taking away the club’s traditional, attractive style of football from their Academy of Football is like closing down all the local pie ‘n mash shops.
Apart from a few spells in the second half notably when sub Sam Baldock had two feeble efforts blocked by keeper Speroni and sub Carlton Cole shot wide the Hammers did little to deserve three points.
Palace boss Dougie Freedman, on the other hand, had more to crow about. Had it not been for two brilliant saves by Green in the first half from Chris Martin and then Wilfried Zaha and Mile Jedinak missing a sitter with a free header, the Scot would have been celebrating a stunning win. Green who only played after his red card at Blackpool was overturned also made a low stop from a Jedinak power drive.
Freedman said: “That’s why Green is back in the England squad. He’s going to make great saves and he was the difference between the sides. And it was a credit to West Ham that they changed it at half-time and forced us back more where we had to show our defensive qualities.
Freedman had little sympathy for Allardyce’s men being booed off and joked: “Fans pay money and are allowed their views. I ended up booing my son the other day at a rugby match!”
As a season ticket holder for 20 years + i have watched many highs & lows but i am proud to say i have never booed, i have come close last season was not good but we just have to understand that we have lost many good supporters due to the state of the country & we are now getting the passing fan who thinks we should win 10 v 0 every week.I just hope the players know it’s not the true fans that do this.
Hammer50
I think it’s a trait of the modern fan, I’ve got into all sorts of stick about speaking about it on other WH sites but if we want the best players we can get, then we have to appreciate the facy that even the likes of Messi & Ronaldo have a bad day in the office, yes, on paper I suppose we should have beaten Palace and in all fairness if Baldock had had a little more luck we probably would have,saying that, Palace played well and deserved thier point. How would these loons like it if the lads stood behind them during the week and giving them abuse for having a quiet day
There are probably not many teams in world football that are harder to support than West Ham. The Highs and Lows, the inconsistency, the frustration (and remember, we are going back some 40 years when this trait started) and the ever prevailing hope that THIS game will be the one when all the great facets of the team come together and we win 5-0 playing with flair, pace, style and a ruthlesness that always seems to elude us…..One day Rodney…one day…….