It’s official Sam Allardyce is staying in the Hammers hot-seat, I understand some fans are unhappy with this announcement as they were rather hoping Sam’s head would be served up to them on a silver platter. I would urge the fans desperate to drive Allardyce out to remember that in three seasons he has turned West Ham United from a joke who finished bottom of the Premier League, to an albeit slightly dull mid-table outfit and who amongst us wouldn’t have taken that after Charles N’Zogbia’s last second winner for Wigan Athletic sent us spiralling into the Championship in 2011?
In the statement issued by the club the words ‘the manager has agreed to recruit a new attacking coach’ have stirred up the red tops into something of a media frenzy. Sam has been at the club for three seasons’; if he wanted an ‘attacking coach’ he already would have, it’s clear this potential appointment has been foisted onto Big Sam and that could lead to some friction. The fans calling for Paolo Di Canio to take the position need to wake up! Di Canio is a manager and would only come to the club as a manager, not as a coach under the Allardyce regime.
In my humble opinion the appointment of an ‘attacking coach’ is pointless. If the board really wish to see West Ham United playing better football, then they need to give the manager substantial funds to improve the quality of the squad. Do people honestly think that when Sam was managing Bolton Wanderers and they had the likes of Okocha, Djorkaeff, Campo and Anelka all they used to do is lump it? If Sam is backed in the transfer market the football will improve, it’s that simple.
The popular question asked by journalists and pundits at the moment is ‘just what do the West Ham fans want?’ It’s a lazy question without much in the way of fore thought or research; the fans aren’t expecting Champions League football anytime soon or even its uglier sibling the Europa League. What the fans do want is a bit of entertainment for their hard earned. I think supporters realise that until we make the move down the road to Stratford we won’t finish any higher than 8th at best so the frustrations with Allardyce aren’t necessarily about league positions.
The owners deserve credit for listening to the fans and attempting to ensure the style of football which has always been the thorniest of issues under Sam will be improved upon, the owners also deserve credit for not bowing to popular opinion amongst supporters and axing a man who in his 3 years in charge has done everything asked of him.
The challenge for Sam Allardyce now is simple; he has one year left on his contract and he needs to deliver better football and a top 10 finish in order to stay beyond his current deal; if he doesn’t deliver he leaves and can’t really have any complaints.
If the owners are as committed as they say they are to improving things on the pitch, then this should be one interesting summer.
We had Morrison. Sam chose to play Nolan.
I don’t want to hear anything more about tranfer funds!
The way we have talked about ravel Morrison the last 2 weeks anyone would think he’s Lionel messi and Christiano ronaldo combined.
That would be because no one else on the team could be bothered with a shot on goal!
Every Possibility that this weekend he will play better than Suarez
It’s like our supporters have been lobotomised and can’t see the wood for the tree’s.
What would Gazza in his prime have done in the championship?
He would have singlehandedly put teams to the sword. For all Harry’s talk about Ravel’s amazing ability, he uses him as a late substitution impct player. Maybe some of our supporters haven’t noticed.
The boy’s got ability but people need to put it in context and understand that the tail NEVER wags the dog and you can’t as a manager pin ALL your hopes on one player. It has now been said by both Big Sam & Harry, Ravel NEEDS to be more consistant…..comes with age unfortunately.
Cat, I would never doubt your passion as a fan.
However, read your own argument, and ask yourself, why has Nolan started every game?
American Hammer…Any manager that’s starts Nolan over skill and flair, no matter how young and raw says it all buddy. Good shout !
Morrison could be our levels version of Messi or Ronaldo. Sam needs to stick his neck out and put the emphasis on Morrison as the mainstay of our midfield in front of nolan,taylor,diame and yes noble as well give him the responsibility,unleash him more often and we could bnenefit handsomely from this highly gifted player,along with some high class signings the next term could turn out fruitful and whisper it softly maybe enjoyable. We all have a moan but we can’t get away from our infatuation with WHU so new start,clean slate and let’s see how our brave new world evolves COYI
For me not much has changed! The next and final season was always going to be the most important under BS.
The first was all about promotion and the subsequent ones were all about stabilisation and steady progress.
Unfortunately for many reasons it all went a bit wrong last year! But this year was always the year where we made the big push in readiness for the OS.
All last season has done has concentrated minds to the task ahead and might even have made our transfer dealings even more important.
For we simply must be ready for the OS. Last season has given us a timely reminder of what it could be like if we are not!
As for our ravel, a hugely talented lad but unfortunately he has an ego to match! Not to mention an agent who is as immature as he is!
I would love for him to be a first team regular next year but that won’t happen unless he is prepared to knuckle down and do the work that turns talented players into great ones!
All in all next year is going to be one of the most exciting in our history! From who we bring in during the summer! How we then play! Our last season at the Boleyn! And not forgetting the move to the OS! I can’t wait!! COYI!
Agreed!
But, Phil, we need more shots on goal.
I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Morrison (the person), BUT I do know that we need more goals, going forward.
Sam has to be the manager that we pay him to be! And, needs to learn how to harness the power of players like Morrison.
Cheers!
Cat,we have all not been lobotonised as you kindly pigeon coop your fellow fans,but did Trev,Dev,Bonzo et al always put the second tier to sword at will? Not that easy mate. Just suggesting we give Ravel the same crack of the whip as more established and to be fair less talented midfielders get week in week out
“slightly dull MID TABLE outfit”…is this the same West Ham who, had it not been for the appalling Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff, and a February that saw them nick games they had no right to, would have been dead certs for the drop?
Bolton were long diagonal ball to Kevin Davies and feed off the scraps for years…sound familiar ??? Watch some old Bolton footage and remind yourself.