I will start by saying a couple of words that sum up the life of a West Ham fan currently and those words are ‘I love it’. We are utterly dreadful, have lost 7 in 10 and I have absolutely no confidence that our form will improve yet I still love it.
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Some fans will point to the Spurs game saying how we lost in the last minute and we were unlucky. I was at the game and we were not unlucky. We were incredibly lucky that we only lost by one, we got absolutely hammered and the stats back me up. The stats don’t lie and we were poor.
So who do I blame for my frustration? Those of you who read my articles will know who I blame. It is not the players’ fault that our system does not work, it is not the players fault that our manager has no concept of tactics, it is not the players’ fault that we are rubbish at the moment. It is everyone’s favourite manager, Big Sam Allardyce’s fault.
I knew when I first piped up about my discontent with him a few months ago on Twitter that I was perhaps a bit too quick to get on his back. However, I sit here writing this now with a complete resentment of the way we are playing. I go to the Boleyn just to sit and watch us play useless football in the freezing cold and lose. I cannot understand how anyone can praise or stick up for Big Sam anymore so please comment and let me know what is actually good about him. His tactics are known by every team in the Premier League and by taking Guy Demel and Mohamed Diame off on Monday he further proved he has no clue what he is doing with regard to in game tactics. I personally cannot see any positives in Big Sam as a manager.
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When Kevin Nolan was taken off at the weekend I cheered with joy only to see Matt Taylor, a left midfielder/left back come on to play in midfield. We had Jack Collison available and Big Sam brought Matt Taylor on!! Now that Kevin Nolan is out maybe we will see two up front. I will probably cry tears of joy if that happens because it will be such a momentous occasion. What would be even better is if Ricardo Vaz Te is given the chance to play up front. We can all dream hey.
Life as a West Ham fan at the moment is stressful, frustrating and utterly demoralising but yet still I find myself loving the fact that I support this great club yet I have absolutely no idea why. I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel as I can’t see the owners sacking Big, my favourite player Vaz Te never gets a chance to reproduce his hat-trick hero performance against Brighton and I am sick and tired of watching us play rugby, I mean football. My point is that whilst I hate almost everything about us at the moment I still love it. I am not a happy hammer by any stretch of the imagination but I still love it.
The light at the end of the tunnel will be seen by me when Big Sam is sacked. We have some great, young players in Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Jordan Spence, Ravel Morrison, Rob Hall, Jack Collison, the list goes on. When we do eventually see a team made up of these guys we could be a real force to be reckoned with so there is a light at the end of the tunnel but for me that does not include Big Sam as our manager. We are the academy of football and it is a shame that our manager is someone who has no idea whatsoever that players under the age of 30 can actually play Premier League football.
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Yes, this is a slightly tongue in cheek article and brutally honest about Big Sam but I actually believe everything I am saying. Some may say I am exaggerating how bad we have been but I am not. Some will say that I am just being overly negative but again I am struggling to find any positives at the moment. When you actually look at the way we have been playing it has been horrendous, even against Spurs, don’t be blinded by the scoreline. If you watched the game you would agree with me. I find myself wondering if I preferred life in the Championship and to be perfectly honest I did. I knew life in the PL would not be easy but we have been utterly dire under Big Sam and I cannot wait until the day he and his Bolton rejects follow him. Please comment and let me know if you agree.
I agree with some of your comments on our BFS, tactics, formation and current starting 11.
Everybody in the stadium wanted Jack on over Taylor and how Gary O’neil has had 180 minutes in the last two matches is laughable they guy is a 3rd rate footballer perhaps 4th with a half decent work ethic. But Sam likes him more than Jack so who cares!
Lastly your best mate Vaz Te who you overate to the same degree sam does Gary O’niel is rubbish he is one of those rubbish Bolton rejects you speak about!
Thanks for the comment mate. You are right I do overrate Vaz but after last season I believe he deserves a chance to play up front. Until he is given a chance I won’t count him as one of the Bolton rejects.
Jack will not ever be 100% fit, He does not do training with the rest of the guys he goes to rehab and manages his own training swimming etc The reason he does not get to play much is because he has to be handled carefully much like Ledley King. Sam admires him and wants him at the club and is hoping that in the long run he can do lots of minutes lots of times. BUT HIS KNEE WILL NEVER BE AS IT SHOULD BE EVER AGAIN, SO THESE ARE THE FACTS. It has nothing to Sam preferring anyone else Sam cares about him and his future, The club has patience and so the fans should have
Anne, please refrain from commenting if you are going to manipulate facts and twist the meaning. The facts are that Jack Collison has an issue with his knee and has to train as you say doing his own thing, the facts also include that he can play for as long as he wants his career to be as long as he manages his knee correctly. He has only started 4 games this season. Are you seriously suggesting to me that his knee means he can only start 1 game every couple of months? He has only got a look in when people have been injured. His knee isn’t like Ledley King as King could not physically play week in week out. By and large Collison can he just has to do his special training in the week. He played week in week out at the end of last season. Sam loves Nolan too much too drop him in favour of Collison and there is no denying that. The injury does not stop Collison playing it is Sams favouritism.
First time responder here. I just read your comments and agree with some, but by no means all, of the contents. I have been watching WHU for 30 years now and have seen players and managers come and go. Some perspective is required here I think – firstly, no one is under any illusion that Sam Allardyce will be the last manager we ever have. Needs come and needs go – we needed to make a pragmatic decision when we got relegated; we needed a manager with a track record of results with limited means. We got precisely that in Sam Allardyce. Hence the reason he was offered, and signed, a 2-year contract. He has delivered on one of the requirements; promotion. He has almost delviered on the second; remaining in the Premier League. I have seen 2 games this season (I do not claim to be a regular any longer – finances and circumstances dictate that I cannot attend every week like I used to) – v Southampton (4-1) and Swansea (1-0). I must be honest and say that the games were forgettable (how often can you say that for a 4-1 win?!?!) but the results were achieved through working for a common goal. This is pragmatism. Sure, we could all secretly wish for Paolo to come riding to the rescue and provide swashbuckling football – however, the reality is that this would inevitably end in disaster and with WHU returning to “laughable” status. We have, at the moment, what we need – someone to bring stability and to deliver us safely (we hope) to both mid-table (which is where we are as a club, let’s be honest; we are not contenders for the top 6, no matter what those with claret and blue tinted spec’s say) and to the Olympic Stadium. In a few season’s time we are likely to require something all-together different; if we get relegated we will need to ditch Sam Allardye (along with the majority of the players) due to finances. If we stay up for a few seasons and are established, then we will require someone more forward-thinking and adventurous (both manager and players). However, and going to back to the length of time I have been supporting for, I am actually quite relieved to have Sam Allardyce in charge. Think back – have we ever really had someone in charge who has a plan and a way of achieving it? It is simply what we need at the moment, no more, no less. I admire him in many ways.
I agree with everything you say only I don’t agree that Sam is the only manager that could have got us the stability we need and going week in week out to watch the useless rubbish we play is insulting to us paying fans. We are the academy of football and it is a crime that we are losing sight of that currently.
I think my point is that, from what was available at the time, Sam Allardyce was probably the right choice. Memory does not serve but I can’t recall the names of the others who were in the frame for the job but, in my opinion, none could have provided more of what we needed than him. I absolutely take your point, though, on the style of football – however, I must put in the caveat that I have only seen 2 games at Upton Park this season (it will be 3 after the Wigan game – I’m taking my 7 year old, God help him :-0 ) so probably do not have as much “first hand” evidence as you. However, football is now about results and, like it or not, he gets results (by and large, and in a “certain” style…..). Maybe, when we are established, our manager will be an upcoming, forward-thinker, who plays in a different way to Sam. My view is that the Brighton manager would be very well-suited, but that’s just an opinion. Who knows, in 3 seasons Paolo di Canio might have calmed down, got some perspective and got more experience and is ready.
Besides, surely by now, the “West Ham way” is shown to be delusional. I remember sitting through dross when Lou Macari, Billy Bonds, Redknapp (whisper it…), etc, etc right up until Allardyce – the “academy of football” is as real as Narnia and just as much of a fairy tale no matter how much I’d like it to be true. Even in 1966 (etc, etc) were were at the bottom of the league.
I am a season ticket holder and have been for more years than l care to think about, The players now playing under Sam are playing for each other and l agree with with Dan. I do not have a problem with the way we are playing it is the results that count and staying up. Football has gone mad since the Chelsea takeover by the Russian. WE WILL NEVER have the money that these top teams have and it is time to realise it and stop dreaming. I have seen some pretty football and lousy results , Ugly football and good results. So just get behind the team. club and manager all this moaning is very wearing. And having PD as a manager will make us a laughing stock he is unstable.
Some fans will never be happy! When we were trying to play the ‘west ham way’ under grant and zola, no one was happy and we were utter crap. Are we as fans any where near as disallusioned as we were back then. Of course not, most of us are actually pretty damn happy! You’re stating how bad we have been this season yet we are out performing the 2 teams that finished above us last year, and haven’t spent anywhere near the money taht Southampton have? If we had appointed Chris Houghton as many wanted 2 years ago where would we be now? More than likely mid table in the championship? Birmingham were a better team than us the year we got relegated and we lost better players than they did but they didn’t get promoted under Houghton, who then he blew them out for a premier league club! As fans we need to think how far BFS has actually taken this club in the last 1.5 years. We need to stabilise and be a premier league club again especially with the OS in a couple of years. I say give Sam a 2 year extension, then look to change if he can’t move us forward with a better squad. sack him at the end of the seaqson and I can see us going down just like Newcastle and blackburn did! For fickle fans like yourself, that is exactly what you deserve!
Maybe you would prefer us to play like we did under Roeder, Zola or Grant?
Just look where that got us.
Or maybe you would prefer us to play pretty football for a season and then play pretty football in the championship?
Just remember 1966/67 season we finished 16th with the world cup 3….
Look what Zola is doing at Watford. We sacked him far too early and didn’t give him a chance. I want us to play like Swansea who have shown you can play good football from the Championship. Too easy to say Big Sam’s hoofball is the only thing that works but the fact is it isn’t.
The biggest Hoofer at the club is Collins he can not control the ball, bring it down and run with it. He is the main man for the long ball
We’re twelth in the league, almost assured of safety and have just beaten a team that’s only lost twice at home all season. Sam must be doing something right. I was at the Spurs game and felt we played well,with only Bale being the difference. I think while Big Sam’s in charge the only thing you can see is negative.
You must have been watching a different game Peter.
The spurs game was a good game for us and it was only a Brilliant goal that made the difference. I don’t think lots of fans are ever going to be pleased even it we for Fergie. To much football on the TV and the fans want to be like the teams they see on it. But unless you have a bottomless pit of money like your Man City’s it ain’t ever gonna happen We are what and who we are
Anne please just go look at the stats of the game. I am assuming you weren’t at the game as it was not a good game for us. If Spurs could finish they could have scored 5 or 6 with ease. Jussi had an incredible game and still conceded 3. They had more shots on target than we had overall, that is how one sided it was.
whats it like being a whu fan
do you really wish to know 60 years things to tell
yes
All we seem to do is go to places and try not o concede and to be honest we can’t even do that. Ok so you could say that a clean sheet at Norwich WBA and stoke are good stats. But loosing to Reading, Spurs they way we did, Sunderland, Arsenal in the manner we did and Wigan ( all games i Attended) We were just not good enough.
I think We played well at QPR and Newcastle but that’s about it, And lets be fair QPR are bottom for a reason and we beat a very poor, out of form Newcastle side. All of these poor results come down to the manager and the tactics used in my eyes.
I think its fair to say Sam always goes for “experience” (or as we call them veterans) over youth and always will which is clearly a massive negative for a club that has produced and are still producing fantastic young players.
Having said all the above I believe our home form has been fantastic. I think we have played some great football on the ground and only played our physical long ball game against teams that we probably wont beat how ever we play. Manchester Utd in the cup was a classic example of how Sam’s approach to the game can be effective, and if it wasn’t for an out of this world ball from Giggs to the feet of RVP we would of won the game!
The point I’m trying to make is as much as i want to agree with what you have wrote in this article, part of me has a soft spot for Big Sam and if we stay in the Premier league this year which looks ever likely then in my eyes he’s done a very good job.
If he went for youth and we kept losing that would be wrong to He is in between a rock and a hard place with the WHY fans. As long as we stay up that id the promise Sam made Get us up and keep us up.. G&S are happy with him so why can’t you be. Gold said today the deal they made with Sam is to discuss a new contract if we stay up and nothing has changed he said “We trust Sam and He trusts us” So just get behind the team Club and Manager We do not want to turn into moaning Spurs and Chelsea fans do we ??
I must admit that iI did laugh to myself on numerous occasions reading this article, Great Work! I’m not sure I agree with you entirely but the trouble is a lot of what you have wrote is correct, if that makes sense.
Firstly we have honestly played the worst football on the road I have ever seen, Ive seen us play on the road a lot this year and have had the pleasure of seeing us pick up 8 points, But the performance have been horrific. Early in the season i went to the 0-0 draw at Norwich and was disgusted with what was served up in front of me and i knew from that day on how we would set up away from home this term.
All we seem to do is go to places and try not o concede and to be honest we can’t even do that. Ok so you could say that a clean sheet at Norwich WBA and stoke are good stats. But loosing to Reading, Spurs they way we did, Sunderland, Arsenal in the manner we did and Wigan ( all games i Attended) We were just not good enough.
I think We played well at QPR and Newcastle but that’s about it, And lets be fair QPR are bottom for a reason and we beat a very poor, out of form Newcastle side. All of these poor results come down to the manager and the tactics used in my eyes.
I think its fair to say Sam always goes for “experience” (or as we call them veterans) over youth and always will which is clearly a massive negative for a club that has produced and are still producing fantastic young players.
Having said all the above I believe our home form has been fantastic. I think we have played some great football on the ground and only played our physical long ball game against teams that we probably wont beat how ever we play. Manchester Utd in the cup was a classic example of how Sam’s approach to the game can be effective, and if it wasn’t for an out of this world ball from Giggs to the feet of RVP we would of won the game!
The point I’m trying to make is as much as i want to agree with what you have wrote in this article, part of me has a soft spot for Big Sam and if we stay in the Premier league this year which looks ever likely then in my eyes he’s done a very good job.
I completely agree with you. The points you have put across in the article are similar to the ones I touched on in mine. “West Ham must Go back to the Future”, I’m not going to bore you with riddles and stats, but at the end of the day we are boring. We had a purple patch in which we were effective, now we are not. If things go wrong, we have no plan B, and half of hour squad are still Championship standard players. All this leads back to is Sam Allardyce. He is One dimensional, with no idea to how play side with different tactics. With managers like Laudrup playing good football and winning trophies, it proves that football is evolving and we are being left behind.