It’s been hardly two months since I was being asked whether Sam Allardyce should be backed as West Ham manager, or sacked.
In mid-December, many felt he should be given the time to turn things around, and most agreed he was the man to reverse a difficult start to the season.
What followed was a series of demoralising defeats to the likes of Fulham and Newcastle United in the Premier League, and capitulations in the FA Cup to Nottingham Forest and the Capital One Cup to Manchester City.
By then, even those who had held faith began to reach for the knives and join the dissenters.
But with the resources he had, Allardyce argued he had sacrificed the cup, and kept the club ticking along until the squad was replenished.
It was only fair that he be judged when he had the full complement of players, and now that has been achieved, he must take most of the praise for the team’s turnaround.
Some will argue that the players are the ones who record the results on the pitch, and therefore they should be hailed for the upturn in form.
However, with a better squad to choose from, it is the manager’s role to make the correct selections and implement the appropriate strategies.
Players who appeared to not be pulling their weight, such as Modibo Maïga and Ravel Morrison, have been farmed out, leaving the squad clear of potentially disruptive influences.
This is a decision taken by the manager in a bid to create solidarity amongst those left. Importantly, he has never appeared to lose the dressing room.
The performances of the players reflect the respect they have for Allardyce. He has given players like George McCartney and Matt Taylor a run in the side, despite international loan signings coming into their positions during the transfer window.
That faith has been repaid in kind, and the whole team seems to have been working hard for the results, which have amounted to five games unbeaten, winning the last four.
This mentality has been no more evident than in the attitude of club captain Kevin Nolan, who has been Allardyce’s go to man throughout his career.
He recognises more than most the importance and influence of the manager, and has worked to remedy some of the mistakes from earlier in the season.
The football hasn’t been the most attractive, but it has been wholly effective, and that comes from the manager.
He has had the defenders at his disposal, and playing well, to ensure the foundations are set for not losing a game, and the attacking players have played in a disciplined manner to allow them to be clinical without too much over the top embellishment.
And much of this has happened without the so-called superstar of the team being available.
Great hope rode on the back Andy Carroll, and he no doubt makes a difference to the team when he is included.
But the approach of Allardyce to address earlier failings in the team has been the driving force behind the improved league position, and here’s hoping the return of the big centre forward only works to further improve the positive development of the team.
The Magnificent Eleven
The starting 11 that does the business, being the 1st West Ham team in 7 years to have won 4 games in a row, with Andy Carroll starting the 1st game in this winning run;
Adrián, Demel, McCartney, Taylor, Collins, Tomkins, Jarvis, Noble, Cole, Nolan, Downing
The last 5 games undefeated, 13 pts scoring 9 goals and conceding just 1. = 87% of pts available
Table of form over last 4 games of all Premier League teams to date 23/02/2014;
(1st)West Ham 12pts+8, = 100%, (2nd) Liverpool 10pts+6, = 83%, (3rd) Chelsea 10pts+5, = 83%, (4th) Hull 7pts+5, =58%, (5th) Man City 7pts+4, = 58%, (6th) Tottenham 7pts+4, = 58%, (7th) Southampton 7pts+2, = 58%, (8th) Arsenal 7pts+1, = 58%, (9th) Swansea 7pts0, = 58%, (10th) Sunderland 6pts-1, = 50%, (11th) Crystal Palace 6pts-4, = 50%, (12th) Man Utd 5pts+1, = 42%, (13th) Stoke 5pts0, = 42%, (14th) Norwich 4pts-2, = 33%, (15th) Cardiff 4pts-6, = 33%, (16th) West Brom 3pts-2, = 25%, (17th) Everton 3pts-5, = 25%, (18th) Newcastle 3pts-9, = 25%, (19th) Fulham 2pts-4, = 17%, (20th) Aston Villa 1pt-4, = 8%
THIS IS PROUD STUFF WEST HAM. KEEP IT GOING!
If Man Utd &/or Everton continue a 42% performance they will only total 59 pts at close of season.
If West Ham continue to get 87% from the next 11 games they will total 59 pts & will be close to a 7th Europa position.
West Ham, you now know how to win, no matter who your opposition are. Just keep on doing what you’ve been doing.
12 /12pts from last 4 = 100%, 13 / 15pts from last 5 = 83%, 13 / 18pts from last 6 = 72%, 16 / 21pts from last 7 =76%
31 pts from 81, from 27 games played so far, can be a course for 54pts. The goal diff was OK until West Ham played at Norwich. Things fell apart after that loss, until West Ham played at Cardiff on 11th January 2014 = 16pts = 5 wins, 1 draw & 1 loss from 7 games since then, to date 23-02-2014. Great work West Ham. Let’s go for at least 7 wins, 2 draws & just 2 losses from the next 11 games = 54pts! COYI!
And don’t forget, we’ve been waiting for this re-match with Everton, after we twice took the lead against them, when at Upton Park in September, when Mark Noble went in with a great defensive tackle on the edge of our penalty area, when he won the ball fairly, and not only did the referee unfairly award a free kick, no, the ref gives Mark his 2nd yellow & Mark gets sent off for great defensive work, and then to add more salt to our wounds Leighton Baines sticks the free kick just inside the angle of upright & crossbar. Not only should we have won that match, which was decided by the referee, no, up pops Lukaku right at the end to deny us even 1 point in a game that was ours until the ref stuck his beak in by reducing us to 10 men, so after Sam went to all of the bother in appearing at a work permit hearing to get Lacina Traore accepted into the country, a deal that paved the way for him to sign for West Ham, no, the player stabs Sam & West Ham in the back and does a deal behind everyone’s backs to join Everton. No, give this blasted club both barrels West Ham. GIVE ANDY A FREE HAND!!! We also have no match with Hull the following Saturday, so make this game count West Ham, and now it’s our turn to really make them pay, and just remember, that if Chelsea &/or Arsenal get a clean sheet this weekend & we don’t? Then Chelsea &/or Arsenal will equal our record of 13 Premier League clean sheets, and do you think we want that to happen??? No way, and by the way, this is phenomenal coaching from Sam Allardyce, all of Sam’s long term plans are finally paying dividends. Congratulations to Sam, to all of us fans & to everyone involved at the club COYI!
Credit where credit is due aside, I still feel like we should let Sam go at the end of the season.