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Who’d be a football manager?

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Pablo ArmeroWell, I did wish it could be February every month in my last piece, sure enough just one day into March, the Hammers unbeaten run came to an end at Goodison Park.

There was an air of predictability on Saturday, let’s be honest we never beat Everton, but it was still a performance we could be proud of. Once again the Hammers back four were defensively solid and had Andy Carroll had his shooting boots on it could well have been a different story.

Lets not be greedy though, February’s return of 12 points out of 12 was a fantastic and much need return from the players and staff. But did Saturday’s defeat mean chances for new heads and old heads?

Pablo Armero and Antonio Nocerino will be banging on Sam Allardyce’s door pleading for a chance to prove their worth to the team after signing loan deals in January. Both it is thought are set to be offered permanent deals at the club come June.

Allardyce will though want to see what they can both offer in this league, and now this unbeaten run has come to an end will this be their chance to get the Irons back to winning ways.

Nocerino has seen his chances from the bench and has impressed with his assured displays. He, as well as Mohamed Diame, will be eyeing up Matthew Taylor’s place in midfield.

The former Portsmouth man, looked jaded and tired in the Everton game, and who can blame him after his antics over the last month, he hassled and harried as much as anyone in February and played a key role in West Ham United’s four match winning run. His uncharacteristically poor game on Saturday could open the door for Nocerino who will be itching to make his first Premier League start.

Armero meanwhile, who is blessed with pace and flair, offers Allardyce something different at full back, whilst George McCartney, like Taylor, has been fantastic in recent weeks, us fans and Allardyce know that our Linda struggles with his fitness and with nine more points minimum still required to survive we must have players playing at 110% every week until the end of the season.

The Colombian full back has impressed Allardyce & co in training, and is well on his way to winning a contract at West Ham. He will now hope to turn his training form into match form to seal the deal. Whilst we are on the subject of the back four, how about Hammer of the Year Winston Reid? He hasn’t been able to force his way back into the Irons starting XI since returning from injury, thanks to the form of James Tomkins and James Collins.

He will now hope to force his way back in, but, for me, the relationship between Collins and Tomkins will be hard to separate they have built a very strong partnership over February including clean sheets against Chelsea, Aston Villa, Swansea City and Norwich City before finally being breached against Everton, ironically after Reid entered the field of play.

So, the midfield and defence could see changes with Armero, Nocerino, Diame and Reid all pushing for a place in the starting eleven. With Andy Carroll returning from injury and suspension, is it time he gets a starting berth?

Carlton Cole has been superb since his rather bizarre return, and is the Hammers joint top goal scorer with Kevin Nolan; it would be harsh to drop him. But in Sam Allardyce’s system you can only play one man up front. And that man simply has to be Andy Carroll; he holds the ball up better has a fantastic working relationship with Kevin Nolan and in truth makes a better team. It is only a matter of time until the big man breaks his duck this season and I feel he will go on a run as his mind fixates on getting that World Cup chance.

The real question for Sam Allardyce is whether to trust the players who helped us climb away from relegation danger, or put ‘his’ team out and prove he can build a team.

Decisions, decisions who’d be a manager aye? Good luck Big Sam I don’t envy you one bit.

Come on you Irons!

Tweet me @Bowdenwhu

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1 comment

  • JB says:

    The only thing that went wrong was Sam’s substitutions that backfired. Carlton should’ve stayed on for 30 mins longer, as he is the in-form striker + Reid was brought on too late!

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