Reading Sam Allardyce’s recent comments on how he was approaching the summer break hardly mirrored the serialisation of a captivating beach book. But what it failed to deliver in terms of earth-shattering excitement and drama, it made up for by providing concise points of interest and pertinent detail.
And that is symptomatic of his tenure so far at West Ham.
Criticised for not playing with the flair akin to the ‘West Ham way’, Big Sam has delivered results in an often uncomplicated manner and secured Premier League survival.
He has worked hard and honestly to fulfil his brief – promotion followed by consolidation. The reward of a new two year contract is no less than he deserved.
And as four of the top six teams prepare to go into the 2013/14 season with a new manager at the helm, it is encouraging for us to be approaching a third season from a stable base.
After some questionable, careless and darn-right ridiculous managerial choices in recent years, there was a distinct risk of watching the West Ham become branded as a sacking club.
But Sam has added the type of stability that could take us forward into a new era.
Watching live games can be somewhat easier after a few drinks around 2am here in Australia. A match viewed through bleary eyes at least ensures bore draws and poor performances are easier forgotten.
However, my two full seasons of watching the Hammers in Australia have coincided with Allardyce’s time at the club. And in those two seasons, I have celebrated play-off final success, results against some of the Premier League’s powerhouses, and solid wins over teams we’ve been known to struggle against.
The satisfaction of watching the team win just before bed takes preference over the quality of the play. It is a basic, but somewhat refreshing realisation (after two relegations and three seasons in the Championship in recent years), that the end does justify the means.
If Big Sam can continue to bring stability and results, then the faith shown in him by the board should be backed up fully by the fans.
As well spoken an argument in support of Sam as I have read anywhere.
Agree 100%.
Well said, I wish some closer to home had the clarity & vision to see where we have been as a club and the direction we’re heading in now.
The players the club are after should also make people aware of the depth of a manager like Big Sam and what a difference funds will make to the players we are able to purchase and everyone should understand that better players mean…..
COYI
I agree, he had been a god send to our club. I was one of the few that welcomed the appointment as I realised what a disaster it would have been stuck in The chsmpionship with our level of debt; we could’ve gone the same way as Pompey! If we had appointed any of the other popular choices I’ve no doubt we would still be languishing in the lower leagues, looking at teams like Swindon at mk dons to see where we can strengthen in the coming season!
Fact is the vast majority are happy with him, the minority are the vocal ones who seem to have unrealistic hopes of us spending 50m every transfer window and if we appointed paolo we’d clearly be higher up the league because he doesn’t play direct football; that’s for footballing dinosaurs!
I also think that some of these fans have had their noses put out of joint because we don’t play the football we believe we’ve been playing for the last 50 years. We’ve spent years looking down our noses and being arrogant cus ‘we’re west ham, we play on the floor’, suddenly this arrogance (mainly ignorance) is being levelled at us!
Do our fans really prefer us completing 600 passes per game, but only grtting 3 shots on target and losing more at home than we win or draw? Or do we prefer being tough to beat, competitive and finishing in the top ten whilst playing far better football than the ignorant opposition and blinkered media give us credit for? Personally I’m happy that Sam has a 2 year contract, it doesn’t need to be 8 years like pards. I also believe that he is likely to be our manager past this date as I fully expect him to push us forward and take us in to our new stadium!
A nice article mate, well said.
Well said. Over the last six years, watched most games live in the middle east and now China. Sam and the two Davids have done up proud. Two many people have the illusion that we are a major club. We are moving forward and hopefully success is not to far away. Actually felt we played good football last season. Championship was dire but tough league to get out of. Just be nice if all fans felt the same. Just read someone berating Carlton Cole. Not a world beater but a trier and a loyal one at that.
One of the best articles I read on here for a long time.