There is a significant section of the West Ham support which I think, will never truly accept Big Sam as being our manager. For those supporters, he will at best be considered as a necessary evil, there to stabilise the club in a time of uncertainty.
As far as I can remember he has never had a song sung about him, and he has certainly never received a great deal of support from fan forums etc. And during the poor first half to this season, the attacks on Sam Allardyce became more and more vociferous, to a point where many were demanding his head, with more restlessness in the Upton Park crowd during match days, and even talk of making demonstrations during the recent match at home to Newcastle United.
However, it is hard for me to understand all the bile that has been directed at Allardyce. I know this may be easy to say now that the side appear to have turned a corner, with three straight victories, pushing us up into the mid-table places, but he really has achieved a fantastic amount at the club.
There have been so many memorable moments at the club since he has been in charge, and fair share of exciting matches, yet you get the feeling he will never receive the accolades he deserves from many Hammers fans.
Has any other manager in recent history achieved what Allardyce has? Particularly during some of the difficult periods he had to negotiate? I don’t think so.
In his first season he took over a side in turmoil after the previous relegation season under Avram Grant, full of players who were either totally out of form and confidence or simply couldn’t care less. So he had to virtually rebuild the squad and to have missed out on automatic promotion by a matter of two points was a great effort considering. There were some great games from that campaign, most notably the brilliant victory against Millwall playing with 10 men for much the match, and several thrashings, such as the 6-0 demolition of Brighton. Then of course there were the Play-offs, which culminated in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the final at Wembley. No one can tell me that wasn’t exciting or nerve racking!
Since being back into the Premier League, the Hammers have finished in a very decent tenth position in the first season back and are now currently sitting in eleventh this campaign, despite the terrible first half to the season. After that dark period under Gianfranco Zola and Avram Grant I think any supporter would have ripped your arm off at the socket for that kind of comfort and security.
Since being back in the big time under Allardyce we have seen a brilliant 3-1 win at home to the then Champions League holders Chelsea, notable draws against Manchester United and Liverpool, an incredible 3-0 victory at the home of our most hated foe, Tottenham Hotspur this season, then to rub it in another win at the same place to book a spot in the last four of the Capital One Cup.
Most recently, a brave defensive display saw us gain a draw at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, upon which followed three straight 2-0 wins to lift the club out of the relegation places. This most recent run of form has meant this is the first time we have achieved three straight Premier league wins in a row since 2007 and the first time we have kept four clean sheets in a row since 1985. You can add to those statistics that we currently hold the most clean sheets in the league this season, ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, which really is an incredible achievement.
So why so many fans have never taken to Big Sam is a bit of a mystery. Is it because he talks with a gruff northern accent and has his perceived direct long ball style of play reputation? If Alan Pardew had done the same job as Allardyce he would be revered, there is little doubt about that. As for style of play, is it really that bad? Personally I certainly enjoy watching West Ham nowadays as compared to when the likes of Curbishley, Zola and Grant were at the helm.
Has Allardyce made mistakes since being here? Yes. Is there areas to criticise him over? Yes. But does anyone seriously think a Di Canio or Glenn Hoddle is going to do a better job? I think it is about time more supporters started recognising the excellent work Big Sam has done at West Ham.
One final point is the attitude of the players. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better team spirit amongst a West Ham side in the years I’ve been supporting them than is the case now. Look at the never say die attitude that won us a point at Stamford Bridge, and contributed towards that solid base that has helped see the team keep so many clean sheets. Just look at the celebrations of the likes of Adrian, James Collins and Mark Noble when we win a match. It is genuine passion and emotion which is so great to see for supporters in an age of mercenaries. Do we really want to risk all that with a change of manager any time soon?
Hear hear. Well said that man.
Dear author, is your surname allardyce? Really, this man is so arrogant, blames everyone else when we lose, tries to take sole credit when we win. Stoke, Norwich, Palace, Hull, Fulham, Sunderland, WBA have all made us look like relegation fodder at times this year. Starting the season with 1 striker and 3 centre backs in the squad, negative tactics, mind boggling substitutions, players dropped, played out of position, the sacrifice of the youth squad at forest, becoming a laughing stock, the constant arse kissing of “captain kev”, and don’t get me started on his record in the transfer market. I will never sing his name. He got us up via the play offs, with a squad that should have walked that league, and last years top 10 finish has been proved to be a flash in the pan. We are still just 4points off the drop, and if spurs send us down on the last home game of the season will you still be singing his praises?
If sam had half the amount of money curbs spunked in one season we would be fine but because of the so called beautiful football and previous management and managers he has had to make do on a tight budget . For that I salute ugly football sam for all the hard work in the face of all the haters .+the chairmen.
They sang for him on Saturday against Norwich im sure but it’s something that I’ve said before that we have probably got the most negative bunch of fans on the planet.
Lee Jones is correct. Unfortunately, Sam under the two crooked east enders Gold and Sullivan has and continues to ruin the club many of us love. He isn’t even a necessary evil as having him isn’t bloody necessary. I have never in my years of being a ST holder gone to Upton Park and thought “the atmosphere here is absolutely rubbish” yet this season almost all of our home games have been as atmospheric as a barn dance in the Antarctic. Whilst he continues his work of ruining my club, no matter if he gets 10th or not, I will not be appreciative and I will not thank him for his work because one ok thing does not right a hundred wrongs. Believe what you want about Sam but you are not looking at the bigger picture.
Well said Lee.
“In your opinion” he’s correct.
Never ceases to amaze me how some fans choose to remember what they want when it suits them.
Has SA got everything right? No of course he hasn’t but what Manager does? He has got the majority of it right though.
Atmosphere….hang on but this is a club with a bunch of fans who told one of their own “you don’t know what you’re doing” when only winning 2-1 at home to bottom club Derby…..quite incredible really.
I suggest there were many that didn’t want Sam in the beginning because of perception or what they’d read in The Sun or Mirror…..plenty have managed to shape their view in a balanced manner, assessing al the factors along the way, some just can’t bring themselves to admit that part of the job he’s done wasn’t actually that easy.
Deluded he said….
He’s a means to an end….We’ve managed to mess up Curbs tenure in the stands and the boardroom and had Zola / Grant debacles after that and people still seem to knock SA more than all those 3 combined….did.he hurt your feelings when he said “West Ham way”?
My main and only critisism of sam was that we lacked a lot of strength up front as there was no real fire power yet he insisited on playing an unfit carlton cole and a out of form maiga when we had elliott lee and paul mccallum in the dev squad who were scoring well, while i agree they pribably wouldnt be prolific they would have got a fair few more goals than their seniors, other than that the injury list we had would affect any team so its no suprise we were poor. At the end of the day fans can dislike sam but this is still west ham, support the club regardless, not boycott it because of 1 person 🙂 COYI!
Have to agree with this generally, but if Lee wants to talk B*ll*x he’s entitled to his own point of view, At least FS reguargdless of Style (Or lack of it) has steadied the ship.
Well said WHU647580. The Allardyce haters speak as though west ham were always playing wonderful free flowing football and every fan were always onthe edge of their seats watching our incredible football until the devil allardyce came and changed it all. Nothing could be further from the truth. We were an absolute wreck in the years preceding allardyce. Losing games with little fight and team spirit. As for signings, I would argue allardyce has been much more astute in the transfer market than his immediate predecessors. Dyer, ljungberg, faubert savio, kovac, hitzlesperger, piquionne all spring to mind – often for big money
I merely stated my opinion. I am not a football manager, nor am I privy to what exactly goes on at the training ground or in the dressing room. So my opinion is based solely on what I see with my own eyes week in week out, and the post match interviews and my weekly email from the manager of course.
The tactics and style of play employed by the manager this season has been baffling to say the least. Is Diame a winger? Is Morrison worse than Nolan? Was Rat better than Jordan Spence? Did fielding a weakened team at forest help us a few days later at the etihad?
Our development squad are flying high in their league, but they don’t play the formation or tactics that Allardyce had them do at the city ground.
We have recently beaten Swansea and Villa who are both in freefall, and we were incredibly lucky to beat Norwich. These results leave us 4 points off the drop. Back to back defeats could see us right back in the mire.
So you may disregard my opinion as b***ocks if you wish, but after 30 years of following my club, home and away, I have experienced all the highs and lows of being a West Ham United fan, and I sense that the lowest of these lows could be yet to come. The final home game sees the visit of spurs, who would love to send us down, and IN MY OPINION this is still a very real possibility.
I just hope I’m wrong.
After forty odd years of supporting the Hammers I can understand some of the negative thoughts portrayed in some of the above comments, especially as a season ticket holder and having to sit through some of the most horrendous games of football that have graced Upton Park in many a year. I too miss the classy one touch football we were used to seeing but lets get real here, what have we achieved in recent seasons? An annual existence at the bottom of the league fighting for survival, lacklustre managers, directors and players with very little ambition, resulting in? Yes relegation!
But I have to agree with WHU647580, BFS hasn’t got everything right nor have the owners especially in the recent transfer markets. Yes BFS’s way isn’t pretty , he has openly admitted that, but it’s effective, up to a point I admit, and it isn’t going to get any better this season or any season come to that, as long as we are in touching distance of the relegation zone.
Unfortunately we don’t have the millions to pay for classy football like the top clubs but I’d sooner take my chances with Sam, the two David’s and the players we’ve got at the moment at least they’ve got some balls and very recently some heart about them.
As for us, the fans the “West Ham way” has to be put on the back burner, for the moment preference to the “Play to survive way” . What we need now is hope that the good times will come our way, who knows it could be with the Olympic Stadium? But they will only come if we are still a viable club in the Premiership so for now In Sam we must trust!
I’ve supported west ham for 35 years now and have to say the Allardyce years have been the most negative football I’ve ever seen the hammers play. I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been a single game home or away that we’ve had over 50% possession and that’s purely down to BFS and the style he plays. If we stay up I really hope we look to future and bring in a manager to bring us the good times and not the bore times
Look I for one did not want Sam when we first got him , but I hold my hands up and gotta say he hasn’t done a bad job at all, took us up in his first season and getting us finishing 10th in his second , yes we have struggled this term but what team wouldn’t have with the injuries we’ve suffered to our main players , now I for one know that we wouldn’t have been down in the relegation zone if all we’re fit , we have the makings of a very good side who battle and play for the manager , and who are a very tough team to beat defensively , when could you last say that, if we can keep the players that are fit now we will be ok .. Mid table security again.
So I’ve come round to the guy . I even like him when he laughed on the touch line at that dirty no good Chico fella , so all in all yep a happy hammer and onwards and upwards for next season .. COYI
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Wake up you miserable lot! We have a manager who really cares.We went through a period without a Central defender. Gold and Sullivan are not East End crooks, they took over a near Banckrupt club, and are steering them to a bright future .I bet some of the moaners who are calling for Sams head, are the nutters wanting Paulo Di Canio to replace him!
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Thanks
I still dont want him in charge of west ham negative football and shipping our best young player is wrong if the davids want to fill the Olympics stadium there a change at the helm is most defently needed
I, like the author of the article, have seen only an upturn in West Ham, and am sure much of this can be as a result of Sam being in charge. Long may he stay in charge.
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Garry’s right, Allardyce needs to be got rid of. He has no concept of playing football the ‘West Ham’ way and it will interesting to how many season tickets don’t get renewed if he’s still there. Only when paying customers vote with their feet will Gold and Sullivan take any notice of their fans. The last match against Norwich was a disgrace despite the result.
Yep same old crowd ,wishing for that glorious era in WHU past which never existed in the first place .Even in the days of Moore ,Hurst & Peters we were not a particularly good side (i know i was there) and had as much heartache as we always seem to have had ,however losing or even getting relegated did not seem so important back then .What has changed since those days is the money in football .If the team had approached games in the cavalier manner in which a section of our supporters seem to want , by taking on the top teams with all out attack and verve ,then i suspect we would already have been relegated in all but name .
You cant race a formula one car with your family saloon car and hope to compete on an equal basis and yet that is exactly what these so called fans expect Big Sam to do . I think he has done a very good job and without the injuries i think we would have been top 8 this year . We are moving forward as a team and a club as can be seen by the amount of jealousy and envy our move to the O.S has stirred up . I for one am very grateful we are in safe hands with a good manager and owners who also are supporters .
I’ve been watching West Ham for 45 years and this is the worst quality of football I have seen in that time. We don’t have to play dull unimaginative ball-hoofing football to stay in the Premiership. I think Southampton, Swansea and Everton have all done a great job on modest budgets with good Managers. The problem of getting players to even join West Ham under Allardyce during January should be a warning of what’s happening to our club under his leadership.
sam the man
Becarful what you wish for the grass is not always green on the other side