What a month, what a turnaround and what a relief! Even though we are far from safe, based on the flimsy points tally covering so many worried clubs, looking down from the lofty height of 10th is a damned site better than peering through the trap door to the Championship.
There is a huge psychological advantage to be gained from the recent surge up the table, not least the fact that an amazing improvement in results has come at a critical time in the season, and relegation competitors can only look on in envy as the seemingly doomed Hammers raise two proverbial fingers and leave the burning building rather sharpish.
So the big question is, is it a case of cometh the hour cometh the man? Is this where Sam Allardyce comes into his own, shows us how to survive in the pressure cooker of a Premier League relegation battle, and proves that despite all that is said and written, this man is a proper manager who has been there, seen it all, got the t-shirt, and has never taken a side down?
Lets forget the other issues that hang over Allardyce and West Ham like an unwanted, reputation polluting smog. Forget the style of play, the long ball tag, the one-dimensional boredom, and the bus-parkers par excellence.
For the time being, nothing is more important than getting enough points on the board to stay in the division. Nothing. Yearning for our free-flowing, skill laden, ball playing magnificent best is pointless; a happy but distant memory where flashes of Moore, Greenwood, Brooking, Devonshire and others remind us of where we were then, and where we are now. Grace, elegance, innovation and occasional perfection have been replaced by strength, application, organisation and functionality. Pretty, no, effective, yes.
With the best clean sheet record in the league bar none, there is absolutely no doubt that defensively West Ham are so very hard to break down. This is an Allardyce trait that has earmarked all his tenures, and clearly huge credit must be given for this crucial improvement. In James Collins, Winston Reid and James Tomkins, we have three excellent ball winners who are effective at both ends, and this solidity has provided the bedrock for what has happened defensively, especially since the Chelsea match where four games has seen us concede none and score six.
Sam Allardyce looks like West Ham play. A hard faced, unsmiling, no nonsense straight talker, his personality has bled through the club. Any fancy-dan nonsense receives the Big Sam growl. Take no chances and you don’t concede goals is the mantra, and clearly this stifles any form of free expression and individuality. But it also means that well drilled and obedient players who carry instructions out to the letter of the law and are prepared to die for the cause carry West Ham up the table and let us leave the Boleyn with a guilty smile on our face and for many I suspect, a sneaky feeling that gruff old Sam, the football anti-Christ isn’t so bad after all. Winning ugly is better than losing pretty…surely?
Clearly the players are giving everything for the cause, and for the manager who has kept, at times it must be said, a ridiculous amount of faith in under performers like Mohamed Diame, Kevin Nolan, Mathew Taylor and Joey O’Brien.
The excellent recent form of Nolan (I cant believe I’ve written those words) and Taylor, and the previously invisible Diame who against Norwich looked more like the old powerhouse, show that Sam is able to rally the troops when things are tough and get the maximum from players who are repaying their boss for his support and belief. I actually feel that blind allegiance by Allardyce to players who simply shouldn’t have been selected has been a part of the problem, but that’s my opinion.
As we stand, Sam Allardyce is most definitely the man to lead us from the spectre of relegation, and with important players returning from injury, a current mid-table slot under our belts, and the confidence that clean sheets brings, I really feel that its time to park any prejudices about the man, look no further than the seasons end, and get behind the boys in their struggle for survival.
Taking West Ham forward? Well that’s another issue entirely!
I’m growing tired of the all the whiny schoolgirls that post on these blogs! (My apologies to any ACTUAL schoolgirls that post here.)
Big Sam was hired, and given 2 objectives- get us back us to the Prem and keep us there.
In one go he got us back up. Then last year we saw a 10th place finish in the Prem. This year we have been crippled by injuries and still have managed to salvage a mid-table spot.
We’re going to need 42 pts to stsy up this year. And the end of this season will be ugly but we will stay up!
For anyone that pays attention, you will see that Sam’s contract runs out right before we move to the OS. To get rid if him early would cost the club 5 million. So… as long as he is meeting his objectives he isn’t going anywhere!
Pull your skirts up boys! Like him, love him or hate him, he is here to stay awhile.
COYI!
You’re SPOT On AmericanHammer!
Maybe I’m too long in the tooth but I think it’s a reflection of society as a whole. I usually steer clear of posts like this because they always attract the weak minded knee jerkers.
If there is one thing in life that rings true it’s that with Short Term-ism you win……..NOTHING!
1. You sack a manager because a few supporters don’t understand what STABILITY means!
2. You hire a manager who is a popular choice with the fans.
3.You give the new manager money to spend…
4. A year and a half down the road, he has been a complete failure and those SMAE fans are calling for his head….
5. Possible relegation….. another sacking, a new manager, more spending, throwing good money after bad and before you know it the club is in financial meltdown.
Where are you going to find a manager with Big Sam’s experience & nous? I’ve seen many many managers who have lost the dressing room…..Big Sam isn’t one of them. Long many he continue to incorporate a resilience into this club that we have needed for Years.
Stability means EVERYTHING to this club and with that will come revenue, support, investment and BETTER players. ALL we need to do as supporters is CALM DOWN.
You obviously don’t sit through all those games paying and watching the dross allardyce serves up and haven’t followed played thousands of pounds following the hammers over the years. The game is called football and allardyce is the anti of anything resembling that with or without money his the same, should never ever have been employed by these businessmen that claim to be west ham fans. Staying here till os and profits taken we know and understand and the thousands like me waiting to return to paying a season ticket again when this Brady bunch leaves and football returns to our club can’t come quick enough.
Razor is spot on about big Sam as is Bob. As season ticket holder for 17 years the football under sam has been consistently amongst the worst. It is not long ball its aimless ball – Sam is a fanatical prozone statistics man. Prozone backs him up that long aimless balls into the box are more likely to result in a goal than pass and move. I know which is more entertaining to watch. I am not arguing against being direct at times but when you see what the likes of Southampton have achieved by playing football it makes me weep. We may stay up but at a price – that price is entertainment and traditional west ham academy values. Would I rather go down playing football – if it means seeing the back of Big Sam. Yes I would.
Not for me , i was pleased when we appointed him when in the championship , and he did a great job first year back in premiership , but I can’t stand the football we play under him , I have supported west ham since 1964 ( 50 years ) seen over 1000 matches home away & abroad and have enjoyed every single moment , until last year , we stayed up comfortably but our football especially away from home was dire , I think we should have changed at the end of last season , so big Sam not for me thanks
Read the tea leaves my friend…
If wer’e not not in the top 4 before moving yo the OS Sam will get the sack! Simple as that.
Also, I believe the Davids will hire a high profile manager and sell the club at that point. Until then Sams only mission is to keep us up.
You obviously don’t sit through all those games paying and watching the dross allardyce serves up and haven’t followed played thousands of pounds following the hammers over the years. The game is called football and allardyce is the anti of anything resembling that with or without money his the same, should never ever have been employed by these businessmen that claim to be west ham fans. Staying here till os and profits taken we know and understand and the thousands like me waiting to return to paying a season ticket again when this Brady bunch leaves and football returns to our club can’t come quick enough. Kids for a quid to watch dross is a great way of showing the kids they should be at the emirates not here. Still what do this lot care like american hammer says Sam allardyce is doing exactly what his paid to do and were the only mugs watching and paying for their business venture.
Steady on! I’m not trying to put a downer on anyone’s optimism here, just being realistic, but have you seen our forthcoming fixture list? I do live in hope and will support my West Ham through anything, but it does worry me a bit! Squeaky bum time anyone?
It’s going to be close.
I believe 42 is the drop. Looking over the fixtures, I can see us grabbing 43-44 pts.
Strange season though, can’t remember another like it, it’s almost like there are two league tables in one! Exciting though! However, and I really do sound like a prophet of doom here, but didn’t we get relegated not so long ago with about 42 points and made an unwanted record with it too? Sorry! That’s why I’m so twitchy about how it will all pan out!
I’m twitchy as well sir but I DO believe we avoid the drop!
And as for this season in general… Well, I cant remember a more competitive, exicting season in the EPL.
COYI!
Agree with all that one american top and bottom son.
I think we will be ok , but I know what you mean , Southampton will be tough and a point wouldn’t be a bad result ,points to be had against palace , hull , home WBA , Sunderland , stoke away , plus man united & tottenham home chance to win at least one of these , hang on if got us into Europe !!!!!!
Man citeh on the last day too? I hope we are out of the mathematics by then!
I think they will change at the end of the season don’t matter where we finish ,
I do hope so! I don’t get the chance to see many games live anymore, I work and live in the Channel isles, but I watch everything on th Internet and quite frankly, I am bored witless by Fat Sam too. I do however, trust him to keep us up. After that, I am all for a change, however, like American Hammer says, I don’t think we will see the end of his reign until the move. Still, we are here now, so COYI’S!
I agree with the viewpoint of stability in a club, but I am not a fan of the BFS style of play. It works if all you want to do is survive in the Premiership, its too predictable and the bigger clubs can easily play against it. The main reason we drew against Chelsea was not just the ‘manful defending’, but also Chelsea could not hit a cows arse with a banjo that night. Yes I am pleased that we have finally got a run together, and long may it last. I hate these types of years where we are constantly looking over our shoulders, like Bob why I am a 40 year plus supporter so I have seen the occasional bad season. The style is ugly but necessary at the moment, ( I have always thought at the beginning of the season lets get to 40 points before I get too excited!) Will BFS be the manager and will the 2 Davids be in charge when we move from the Bolyen (sob different subject) probably not but lets get to survival points before we debate getting rid of BFS.
when we move to the new stadium I hope fat sam aint coming with us.
Sams doing the job and we will stay up.
Let’s get to the end of the season then judge him. on injuries The way he got on
With it. Even know the sack was on the cards
Give the Man a break and get behind the team. Up the hammers
I think survival total is way less this year, maybe 38? The reason is that the whole bottom half are losing points to each other. If that’s right then things look tough but better.
I am a season ticket holder and have supported WHU for 30 years.
1) Sorry but I find BFS style entertaining. Wingers breaking with pace and crossing into the box. But while we have been buying well, I think we need to improve the squad some more still to make this work better.
2) I also don’t get why people are so negative about the owners. They are the best lot I have ever witnessed. They are willing to spend money but also want to run the club in a sustainable way. Makes sense to me
3) 13 clean sheets now and this with our injury issues. I think we have been unlucky this season, although yes in retrospect it was high risk to have only 3 central defenders and crazy to not have better cover for AC (no disrespect to Carlton)
Spencer has really opened a can of worms over bfs and that is understandable, especially with supporters like myself who between the ups and downs over the years have come to believe that there is a west Ham style of play, win or lose, and that we actually earned the epitaph Academy of Football. After 79 years of committed support I am now worried that I might never enjoy those days again. The underlying problem that has been my experience over the years is that we have almost always been an 8-man team. Put it down to lack of finance, ambition or poor management but the times when the introduction of a couple more quaity players would have made a huge difference is legend. Truly I have not enjoyed the last two years of negative, defensive football. Please sam keep us up and go before I do!