The response by David Gold and David Sullivan was as predictable as it could be. What else were they going to say in the circumstances? They clearly have no intention of calling time on what increasingly appears to be a lame-duck tenure, probably mindful of the huge pay-out that would be required given Sam Allardyce’s incredible salary that they were responsible for negotiating. It is in essence a masked vote of confidence in their man.
The board really appear to be ignorant of the fact that a huge swathe of the fan base are truly sick and tired of appalling, negative performances, a lack of alternative playing styles once the route one method was well and truly scuppered by Andy Carroll’s lengthy absence, and a non-stop list of excuses whereby it appears to be everyones’ fault except the man who is in sole charge, who has bought the players he wanted to fit his rather Neanderthal style, and who most worryingly appears to have been unable to use any clearly defined tactical nous when combatting more adventurous and attack minded management teams. The lack of a counteracting strategy during matches has been clearly evident leading many to question Allardyce’s ability to effectively coach and set up teams in play.
It is also widely felt amongst the fans that the youngsters were in effect hung out to dry against a decent Nottingham Forest side, and that a couple more old heads could have been utilised to assist the youngsters in what was always going to be a difficult fixture. Again the board have sanctioned his team selection, but surely they couldn’t have expected such a demoralising and frankly embarrassing display against the Championship outfit.
The letter commences “We know Sam has not lost his ambition or desire and is committed to making West Ham United a great Premier League club.” As with players, a huge basic salary can often dilute the urgency and passion needed at this level, and one wonders whether the current boss has become a little too cosy and well re-numerated to really feel the pain that Hammers fans are feeling at this time, and have been feeling for the past few months as they have watched the side sleepwalk into the relegation zone, despite mutterings from the managers office that all is well, and that things will improve when big Andy returns.
Looking at Sam Allardyce from my seat close to the dugout on home match days, it has become clear to me that the passion and pride no longer seem present. The previously animated and belligerent managerial style has given way to a more morose, and almost resigned manner, mostly spent slumped in the pitch side chair, frozen to the spot as things unravel around him.
All does not appear to be well.
As the letter continues, “January is not an easy time to do business but we are pleased to confirm we are close to securing one of our key striking targets,” Just who is going to sign and play second fiddle to a soon to return (?) Andy Carroll is anyone’s guess, but its unlikely to be a name that will strike fear ion the hearts of opposition defences.
The regularly linked Southampton star Rickie Lambert will want to showcase his talents for the upcoming World Cup so it would be a major surprise if he were to show up at E13 anytime soon. They continue: “A defender is high on the list of priorities as well and progress is being made on that front.” The signing of Roger Johnson from League One side Wolves hardly is wholly underwhelming, and hardly compares with the much lauded potential signing of Dutch international Johnny Heitinga, but beggars can’t be choosers as the saying goes!
As the letter concludes:
“We are under no illusions as to the seriousness of our current predicament in the Premier League,” added the letter.
“But on the board we have a combined talent of running football clubs and we will draw on all of our nous to get West Ham United out of this situation.
“We are all working round the clock to do everything in our powers to help arrest our slump in form.”
I can tell the board without compunction that the blindingly loyal support that follow West Ham will read the bland pronouncements, just like they digest the weekly apologies and excuses trotted out by the manager in his online report and to a man will ask why the predicament wasn’t identified earlier, how will they manage to escape from the current mess without throwing good money at the problem, money we understand they simply do not have, and do they realise that this “slump in form” has been going on since the second week of the season ?
This letter may help the two Davids feel they have helped shore up a critically damaged regime, but it is likely to provoke nothing more than disdain at best and outrage at worst from the long suffering supporters who witnessed one of the all time West Ham United lows on Sunday last.
It’d be interesting to run a survey to see just what percentage of West Ham’s fans want Sam out, as the club seems to be totally disregarding the people who pay their wages, being the fans. They, being the owners and staff are on the inside and appear to be just doing whatever suits them. We, the fans seem to be treated as though we are on the outside, even though they rely on the fans to pay their wages, they seem to snub their noses at us! This club is like a club that is run by the bankers. They dip their feet into the water being the Premier League, while spending as little as possible, we start to sink & then they panic with the realization that more quality players are needed & more money needs to be parted with, but refuse a change of management. This club is run like something out of a Monty Python movie, with the crusty old insurance company creaking along looking out for reefs & claims. Sorry, but the reef has already been struck. We are sinking!
There have been a couple done on other sites and basically with over 3000 fans voting for Sam to go with over 60%
Well there you go people. Thanks Warren. Polls are always fairly consistent, just like elections, they don’t vary very much, so if 60% of 3,000 polled for Sam to go, then you can bet your life that 60% is the true figure of all West Ham’s fans. I’ve supported Sam up to a degree, but when I realized the effects that his game plan & training tactics are having on the players, i.e. he is burning them out with a non possesion type game, with so much more running and chasing involved than the possesion type football that West Ham always used to play. I mean I’d say that ignoring muscle fatigue would be the cause of many of our injuries. Sam’s burned the players out. A bit like treating a racehorse like a cart horse & making it run marathons every week.
west ham united are getting very good at spinning stories.
Are you the same people who thought last year was great ? It wont help just keep slagging of G & S dont you realise that before they came along we were gonna be Pompey mark 2 ? I know they seems like its to little to late but believe me they will be as worried as us about relegation. So lets get behind the team and manager while he is here.
Hi Roy. I fully agree that until things change we owe it to OUR team on match days to get right behind them, even if it is to the bitter end ! I just feel there is no harm in letting people at the top know when we aren’t happy. We all pay bloody top dollar to see matches, and though Hammers fans are as loyal as they come, we all have a tipping point which I feel we have just about reached. I think the fact that last year WAS so great has made the disaster that has been this season all the more difficult to stomach and get to grips with ! We all expected to maintain or even push on a little after the great first year back and its not even looked like happening has it ? COYI !!
Sam clearly isn’t going any where. Why to people spend so much time into complaining about it and writing as many negative comments on social media as possible.
Does this negativity improve the situation.
Does booing the players improve things? Does making home games hostile for your own team improve things?
Just because you want change you should try and prevent the current establishment from working
Sorry, I can’t see your logic here.
Mistakes havw definitely been made and I am questioning the manager longer term for the first time for many of the reasons you highlight.
But I actually appreciated the board coming out after that clusterfuck performance.
It is extremely hard to sign quality in January. More so when you are 19th and plummeting. They are trying to get players in.
You have to accept that at this stage of the season THEY WILL NOT SACK THE MANAGER!!!!!. A new manager makes it even harder to get players in and we just have to get behind the most important people at the club: the ones who put the shirt on.
I’ve spoken to a SWFC mate of mine by the way and he said Johnson has been good this season in the championship and is an experienced CB.
Hi Mark. The board had no option but to come out and support Sam Allardyce as the daily papers were full of sacking stories. They clearly had to protect their man at some stage, and they chose to do it directly after the simply appalling Nottingham Forest mess. Pity we didn’t get more from them during the season to do with the team and their objectives rather than non-stop Olympic Stadium drivel. Remember every other bottom five side apart from us HAS sacked the manager, and seen clearly tangible improvement, but im not necessarily advocating that as their is no guarantee that things will suddenly come good, especially with major injuries such as we have. I have never, and will never advocate booing the team or giving less than 100% support on match days. That is clearly counter productive. However, letting the top brass know you aren’t happy with things is both necessary and often productive. lets hope that is the case with the January signings. and yes Roger Johnson should do a job for us short term. COYI !
I can’t see the situation improving at the moment. West Ham need to sign players and the thought of Roger Johnson from the 3rd tier doesn’t set me alight. Look I really hope West Ham stay up, but it’s not looking to good, and now we face another team on Saturday who have had a good old shake up & changed their manager, being a young manager who was an ex Man Utd star who is keen & vibrant. I want to feel positive about where the points are going to come from. Sorry I’m just being a realist & unless we sign some star strikers I can’t see things changing. I mean I thought the signings of people like Robbie Kean, Wayne Bridge & others we had playing for us 3 years ago would have kept us up, but sometimes when things go to far the pressure is too much for any player to turn it around. Check in on this comment after the game at Cardiff, because if we get a result there I’ll feel differently. I’m trying to stay as possitive at possible, but the club’s lack of action in the summer transfer window was pathetic!
It seems the owners definitely need new investors. I am not anyone to tell anyone else how to run their bussiness, but the 2 Davids own 86.2% of all the club’s shares between them. If they don’t sell some soon &/or open up to more investment, they could lose even more money if the club get relegated. There are 3 weeks left of the transfer window remaining. They have to entice more investors &/or investment in, so as they can virtually buy an entire new squad this month. Arsenal used to be known as the “Bank of England Club”. It all boils down to money as the 2 Davids well know. If they don’t open up to investment now, they may live to regret it with another stint in the Championship, and if so? Who knows when we will get out of it this time. You owners are bussinessmen. You know what is required. This is your bussiness & our passion as fans. PROTECT IT!!!
Agree about the West Ham Spin machine, have we employed Alister Cambell. Really getting fed up with this talk of Lacina Diarra, sounds a good player but we all know he will be refused a work permit, storey drags on of imminent arrival window nears closing we make panic signing at last minute, sounds familiar!