Wednesday 1 June 2011

Sam Pot Arrives

Sam Pot has arrived. The colours now change to Khmer Rouge and Blue. Civilization restarts today in Year Zero. Prepare the Killing Fields!

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

That’s it then. Aerial bollocks from now on.

Chunky said...

With an average win ratio of 35% and a defensive negitive style of football i am not disappointed anymore that i wont get to see our beloved irons much next season.

All together now "Hooooooooooooof"

RexHammer said...

Congratulations on your 1 million views mate!

Stani said...

Actually HF, he'll probably go back to conventional wing play the thing you've always wanted no?

Anonymous said...

Upson first out !

Anonymous said...

Who has the final say re:new signings?

It's me and David Sullivan. He's very knowledgeable in the football world and has done [this] for a number of years at Birmingham. My discussions and recommendations go to him and we'll try our best to secure the player. But I'll have the final say, it's not a football club I think that drops a player on your door that you don't know about, I don't think that's going to be the case at all.

hahahaha - you'll be lucky if you stay in the division - you're going down!

Anonymous said...

With the owners interferring already by offering Gabbs and Spector new contracts and Hitz the captaincy I cannot see him tolerating them for long.

Stani said...

Fernandes has put in a offer for the club HF

Shaun said...

Sam Pot?! Would that be Stu Pot's brother then?? Take it you don't approve then HF?...never mind eh...

On a different and far more interesting note...
According to Ross Davies of The Guardian, Tony Fernandes (Air Asia) has THIS AFTERNOON posted on his Twitter page....
“For all you West Ham fans an offer has gone to the present owners of West Ham. Let’s see if they accept.”

Anonymous said...

Mr Samuel “Sam” Allardyce: an apology.

Supporters of West Ham United FC may, in the past, may have inadvertently given the impression that we do not believe “Big” Sam Allardyce is a fit and proper person to manage a football club. Jocular banter such as “you fat c*nt”, “you northern bastard” and “how many bungs did you take today (you fat, northern, c*ntish bastard)?” could, regrettably, be construed in a way that – taken out of context – might imply we do not believe “Big” Sam is, in fact, “one of our own”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We now unreservedly accept that “Big” Sam is the saviour of our club and that he will lead us to the promised land of mid-table security in the Premier League. Furthermore, we now accept that the style of football for which this club has been famed since the inception of Thames Ironworks FC in 1895 is a terrible mistake and, actually, we should have been attempting to intimidate* our opponents rather than merely outplay them. (*Correction – this should, of course, read: “let our opponents know we are there”.)

We recognise that, contrary to some ill-informed remarks that may have been overheard in some sections of Upton Park in years gone by, “Big” Sam is a tactical genius and his innovative methods can only be a good thing for West Ham United; its players; its supporters; and the club's owners, who are universally recognised as a remarkably astute group of businesspeople who will always put integrity before short-term gain.

We very much hope this clarification finally lays to rest the misguided notion that “Big” Sam is regarded with anything but the most sincere respect and affection by West Ham supporters throughout the world.

Michael said...

I really do not understand the people that are slating his appointment. It would appear that there only argument is that he doesn't play football the "West Ham" way. First of all we haven't played that style of football since Pardew left and Benayoun was sold. We are yet to replace Yossi. It seems like we hoped Mark Noble would be an appropriate replacement but he clearly isn't. Secondly, the clubs Sam Allardyce managed before us have not had a history of passing football so he had no need to try and play in such a way. He must be fully aware of what the fans expect and I'm sure he will try to deliver it.

I fear we will do to him what Liverpool did to Roy Hodgson. The simple fact is Sam Allardyce improves the results of teams he manages and they take a slide when he leaves. He is exactly what this club needs right now.

Ted said...

Brilliant sir. This is clever on so many levels. Love Khmer Rouge and Blue, brilliantly witty. Sam Pot is a great name. Hope it sticks. Do you do this professionally?

Stani said...

I told you Dale was thinking of how to go back on his word HF! Hilarious. And Dale not attending games was one of the best things about Big Pam's appointment. Damn

Hammersfan said...

Thanks Rex and cheers Ted. Made me blush!

BaitMan said...

Sam has a career win ratio of nearly 41%- not matched by any manager within the premier league, outside of course those who represent one of the big four.

He signed JJ Ococha, Anelka, Nolan, Djorkaeff, Guiterez, Hierro and Pedersen.

I predict if given time he'll do more than all right.

Michael said...

Which manager would other people have chosen and why?

Hammersfan said...

We should have got Pardew before Newcastle. Not hindsight, I've been calling for him ever since he was sacked!

Michael said...

I agree with you. You didn't give a reason why but never mind. Managers that are currently available I mean.

DoubtingThomas said...

One FA cup final a manager does not make.

Think we should have had a punt on CH

FatSamAin'tWestHam said...

I've seen Rex's efforts and I wouldn't puff up my chest from the compliments of someone who can't string 5 words together.

Hammersfan said...

Nasty and unnecessary. But my chest puffed at Ted's comment anyway. Who cares about a million plus hits? How many? A million plus! Over a million hits! Who cares?

Hammersfan said...

Currently available? I'd have tried to lever Poyet away from Brighton or Lambert from Norwich. Why? Because they aint Allardyce!

Michael said...

This blog is clearly well written and it's author an intelligent man. If people don't like or agree with his views or how he gets his point across then that's fair enough but you cant argue that what he writes is very well thought through and at times very humorous.

Can we please now have a debate on West Ham?

Michael said...

Technically they are not available and that is a ridiculous reason really. Do you simply hate Allardyce because of the style of football his teams employ?

Stani said...

Stop agreeing with my managerial choices HF. And where were you when I was first suggesting Lambert and Poyet/Taricco? Saying you agree with me won't kill you HF, because if it did, I'd have played for it by now.

Stani Army said...

Oh, and I've seen Rex's comments too and I must say he seems a genuinely lovely fella.

Hammersfan said...

Cheers Michael. Tongue in cheek reasons obviously. They are winners, fresh and want to play football the right way. They both appear to be great motivators too. Yeah Stani, you was right. Explain to Michael why you wanted them!

Hammerheadsaint said...

Me?? Lord Allardyce of Dudley?? Left in charge of West Ham's Academy graduates for two years?? With my reputation???
(Apologies to 'The Fast Show')

This is not the appointment I was hoping for. I would frankly rather see us playing proper West Ham football in the Championship than see us reduced to endless diagonal floated longballs in the Premiership. God help us.
Suppose we should give him a chance, but I am really not hopeful that under Big Sam we will maintain our footballing principles. Gold and Sullivan recently promised us that this was a priority. Appointing Mr Allardyce just doesn't bear out that promise.
So, we will, most likely, start our time in the Olympic Stadium with Allardyce. The Olympic motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius" meaning "Faster, Higher, Stronger". Well, I think we can rely on "Higher" when it comes to our new 'style' of passing game....

Michael said...

I believe Poyet would be spectacular for those exact reasons but is he not more of a risk than Allardyce. Football is a business after all. The people that matter couldn't care how we go up as long as we do. It's a shame Sullivan and Gold are so short sighted. Long run Poyet, short term I feel Allardyce will be great for them.

Sammers Fan said...

Michael,

Poyet was never likely to come to West Ham. A quick chat with Zola would have sent him running back to the Sussex Hills. He has a had a great season with Brighton but his time at Spurs with Ramos hardly helps his cv.

Likewise Lambert was hardly likely to have swapped Premier league football for West Ham after consultation with MON.

Football is a business and Sam's the man with the best track record currently available to sort out the mess. Chris Hughton is aother who might have been considered but he does not have the experience or track record of Sam.

USA Dave said...

HF, take a look below. It's long. And thus if you are OK with it maybe it's own thread like the MON one. You're the boss.


In Defense Of Sam

Here I go again, thinking. The last time I did that I convinced myself Martin O'Neill would become our next manager. I don't think I was that far off since by many accounts he was offered the job but declined, although it could have been Lambert that said no. Either way an experienced manager of that pedigree was my point.

Big Sam must have been plan 1B, which I think of a bit differently than a backup plan like Chris Hughton or Dave Jones. In fact, if O'Neill hadn't stunned all of us by even considering the job back in January I would have thought of Allardyce as our "biggest" target, pun absolutely intended. And I for one am very happy. Here is a manager that took Bolton up and kept them there, had four top 8 finishes, was touted for a bit as a possible England manager, and was wrongly sacked by Blackburn. I know many supporters have voiced upset over the very idea of him, but I think that may be unfair and unrealistic. Here's why;

1) After what we have been through, what we need more than ANYTHING is a manager that can pick a team and organize it. Allardyce can do that.

2) He also is adept in the transfer market. He even was able to get some schmuck to pay 8 MILLION QUID for a medical experiment named Dyer! And that was after reneging on a 6 million pound deal for him. If we are going to have to sell people, I like the idea of him being part of the deal.

3) To those that are concerned about our style of play, let's give him a chance. Beggars can't be choosy. We just need a job done. We can be pretty again down the road. I'd also like to share something from one of my sports over here, basketball. In the 1980's, The LA Lakers won 4 NBA titles with Magic Johnson leading the way. They played a free flowing, fast paced brand of basketball. The press called it "Showtime". It was to basketball what we saw Barcelona do the other day. Pure artistry.

In 1991, Riley became coach of my team, the New York Knicks. Totally different group of players, and a totally different style of play. It was smash mouth basketball. You want to slam dunk on me? Fine, but you will PAY and PAY DEARLY. "Commentators admired Riley's ability to work with the physical, deliberate Knicks, considering that he was associated with the fast-paced Lakers in the 1980s" says Wikipedia. He didn't win the championship in New York, but he came close.

The point is, a good coach/manager can adjust based on what is needed. I wanted O'Neill, and I thought SuGoBrat would offer the moon to him. Maybe they did and he still said no. But next to O'Neill, considering who was available, Big Sam was who I wanted. I'm going to give Allardyce the benefit of the doubt here. With him calling the shots I have every confidence we will come back up sooner than later.

Tottenham Jim said...

And your lot thought Curbishley played boring football, Allardyce is the antithesis to the so called "West Ham way", so so funny seeing what you have descended to.

Anonymous said...

BaitMn is this true?

Sam has a career win ratio of nearly 41% not matched by any manager within the premier league, outside of course those who represent one of the big four.

Anyone else know?

Stani said...

I don't need to explain to Michael HF. I think we're both pretty much of the same opinion regarding the managers. One thing I would disagree with is the availability point because as long as a club is a better prospect than another, the manager of that club is always considered available, rightly or wrongly.

Big Pam will be good for us and I believe you will concede this, privately sooner than publicly, just so you can get as much piss-take out of it that you can. I actually thought he'd be right up your street!

John said...

Big Sam set up the youth academy at Bolton, brought some brilliant players in on a shoe string budget. He can organise a club from a to z, Each player will know his job, the player's will know how to play as a team,all this has been lacking at West Ham for years.
The alternatives offered have not got a proven track record in the premiership.
Pardew - he did really well at Charlton wonder why I forgot about him.