West Ham did not hang about in announcing Sam Allardyce’s departure from the club this afternoon. It took them just three minutes after the final whistle at St James’ Park to announce that they would not be renewing Allardyce’s contract. West Ham will now look for a new man to lead the club forward into the last season at Upton Park before the big move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
Joint chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan released a statement on the club’s official website thanking Allardyce and explaining West Ham’s ambitions for the future:
““We would like to start by thanking Sam Allardyce for his valuable work since arriving at the Boleyn Ground four years ago,” they said.
“He leaves the Club in a considerably better state then when he arrived and, for that, the Board are truly grateful.
“However, we have made the decision not to renew his contract, so we now have the chance to appoint a new manager with a new philosophy to lead us into two of the most exciting years in our great Club’s history.
“Our target is to recruit a manager that will build a team capable of saying a fitting farewell to the Boleyn Ground next year and do justice to the outstanding surrounds we will call home from August 2016.
“We have already been impressed with the quality of candidates that have expressed an interest in the role and fully expect to appoint a manager with the credentials to take this Club on to new heights.
“From our point of view there isn’t a more exciting job in the Premier League at present.”
The final sentence of the statement is an interesting and accurate one. West Ham are looking for the right man to go to the next level and this appointment has to be one that the owners get spot on. Slaven Bilic remains the favourite after reports that Jurgen Klopp and Rafael Benitez turned the club down. Bilic is set to leave Besiktas at the end of the season and it is understood that the Croatian would leap at the chance of becoming West Ham’s new manager.
Despite Bilic lacking managerial experience in the Premier League, he has managed at international level and boasts an impressive win percentage of 52% at current club Besiktas. He knows West Ham well having played for the club in the 1996-97 season and his footballing philosophy meets the right criteria for the West Ham board and fans. He is incredibly passionate and it is no surprise that he is the front runner at this stage.
Whatever happens with the managerial situation, it will be a gamble appointing a new man but it is a gamble that almost every West Ham fan will feel is necessary. The capitulation in form from Christmas cast a lot of doubt over Allardyce’s ability to take West Ham forward and the club have made the right decision today.
Having said all that, everybody at Forever West Ham would like to wish Sam Allardyce the best in whatever move he makes next in his managerial career. He guided West Ham to a number of memorable wins against the likes of Millwall, Blackpool at Wembley, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City to name a few. Sam Allardyce did everything that was asked of him at this great football club of ours and for that, we say thank you.
David Moyes in the crowd at Preston NE v Swindon. Could he be here for more than watching the game?
Finally finally finally gold and Sullivan get their hands out of the sand and have done the right thing , now sort that Brady bird out now please , COYI !!!!!!.