Tuesday 12 February 2013

West Ham can't afford to sack Big Sam

Allardyce is no doubt smiling at reports that Poyet might succeed him at Upton Park. Apart from the fact that the Uruguayan has achieved nothing as a manager to date, Doctor Evil might point to an aggregate score of 7-0 in head to head games between them last season. West Ham fans might not like Allardyce's style of football, but his teams don't ship six goals in a game too often! Hopefully those days are in the past, but with Poyet in charge, I wouldn't be so sure.

As Newcastle, Bolton and Blackburn have all discovered, there's only one thing worse than keeping Allardyce as a manager, and that's showing him the door. The trouble is, he assembles a squad that can only play one way, so if you sack him, you have to build an entirely new squad.

We already face a big enough problem replacing Carroll next season. A decent replacement will cost £10m+ and that's before we attempt to sign alternatives. Carlton's days are numbered and Chamakh isn't good enough, so by the time we have signed three forwards, the coffers will have been emptied of close to £20m.

Then there's the need for a left back, a right back, a centre back, two midfielders and at least one keeper if you change the manager. That's one hell of a bill!

Allardyce, on the other hand, will mix and mend, signing yard dogs and fitting them into a system that will bruise its ways to points. I hate it, you hate it, every West Ham fan with a sense of heritage hates it, but we hate the Championship too!

So before we jump at Poyet or Di Canio, we need to understand that relegation will almost certainly follow without a massive investment in the squad. You sup with the Devil with a long spoon for a reason. Unfortunately, Gold and Sullivan ushered Satan through the door and greeted him with open arms.

Bolton went down after Allardyce and Megson (Satan's footballing twin!) left. Newcastle went down after Allardyce left. And Blackburn went down after Allardyce left too. There's a pattern for a reason!

14 comments:

fred149 said...

The thing is with us theres more players who can plaay football then not so get rid of him at end of season

tonka said...

Isn't this an argument for getting rid of him sooner rather than later? The longer he stays, the harder the transition to playing football again will be.

In any case, all of the new players you mention will be needed anyway, whether he goes or not, so they are not extra expenses at all.

Allardyce's obsession with signing players in their thirties and stubborn resistance to giving young players a chance to prove themselves is an expensive policy in any case. We could be saving money now by playing Potts and Spence and not paying wages to useless past it lumps like Pogatetz.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of whether we get rid of Allardyce or not, the squad needs a massive overhaul. I'm not saying we should get rid of him by the way, as he has brought stability to the club. He does however need to bring a little more imagination into the way he sets out the team we are far too one dimensional.

Going back to the squad overhaul, it's a must in the summer. Carroll, Chamakh and Cole are not good enough and don't contribute enough goals. I wouldn't be all that fussed to see Carroll go, seeing as the money they want for him and salary he demands is far too high for a player of his limited talent. Chamakh is another one that can go. No great loss.

Anonymous said...

Dear god, i can't bear the thought of another season of anti-football. I refuse to pay £50 a pop to see the dross that is currently being served up.

How can Allardyce and Nolan describe our recent performances as 'fantastic' and 'really unlucky', are you serious??? We didnt register a single shot on goal in the first 45 mins against Villa, who are clearly one of the worst teams in the division and a side deperately lacking in any confidence or cohesion recently. It was so dull my kids walked away and did something else.

I wont be renewing my season ticket if he is still around next year and most of the guys who sit with me each week feel the same. We all travel a long way to get to the Boleyn (some from as far away as Devon)and 90 minutes of the same long balls hoofed up to Carroll doesn't justify either the effort or the outlay.

Enough is enough.

Scotty70 said...

Things aren't perfect by any means but how do you see Premier League survival, stability, mid table mediocrity and a squad overhaul being achieved? Are all the names being linked as a managerial replacement going to achieve this? No. Are the current owners going to pay for a squad overhaul without generating additional revenue by moving to The Olympic Stadium or selling Upton Park? No. I don't particularly like the football under Allardyce's but some people are seriously deluded if they think getting rid of Allardyce's is the answer to our problems.

COYI

Stani said...

Thing is, we have Spurs next, and we'll probably end up beating them. That's the Allardyce conundrum.

I do agree with Fred and Tonka that we're not a typical Allardyce squad yet. But I fear we could land in trouble should we get rid of him now, as you have suggested.

Anonymous said...

BFS says that they had to buy / loan the players did because his 1st choice options didn't want to sign.

I wonder if the prospect of playing host ball had anything to do with their decision to join lesser / lower teams?

John said...

His record shows he can keep clubs with very little money up around mid-table and we are in that category.
I agree his defensive attitude away is sometimes costing us points and he should be more adventurous, but it has worked for him in the past.
Not getting hold of decent players is probably down to what the owner's are prepared to pay out for them. This is not Sam's fault.
If we get into the Olympic Stadium our financial position should improve drastically and hopefully so will the team and our impressions of the manager.

Anonymous said...

Swedish Hammer fans doesn't recongnize WHUFC. Last game was laughed at in the TV studio and was one of the worst games I ever watched at this level. Bolton used to be awful in their game although some results, but get rid of Sam, latest after the season.

hoopspur said...

Oh what to do? As a spurs fan, I really wouldn't fancy you lot throwing in a succession of high balls at the head of Carroll - the kind of anti football you talk about. If you try to out play us then you'll probably come unstuck this game - we're different this season (at last!).

Walk before you can run is my thoughts. Put up with it for another season and then get someone in to take you back to a better level. Stick with him for now. I know, I know you'll think we probably would hate it too if the boot was on the other foot, and you'd be right, but you have to stay in this division.

Looking at the other articles though you will not get into the Olympic Stadium before 2017, so it'll be stick or twist time way before that I reckon.

Anonymous said...

I am sick and tired of hearing Sam say "we were unlucky, the goalkeeper had a blinder". I'm also sick of watching them perform and feeling suicidal after wards. I've followed my beloved Hammers for 44 years so don't anybody tell me I;m not loyal but if he stays I won't

Stani said...

Have a crap game? Start the PR machine...
http://www.whufc.com/articles/20130214/noble-eager-to-earn-his-spurs_2236884_3071820

Anonymous said...

Well warnock will be available soon,he wants an 8th promotion so perhaps he can get it at w,ham? It's nearer Cornwall too.

Deane said...

Somewhere along the line hopefully the fans will realise that Sam is there to keep the wage bill down and ensure premiership survival.That is the way Gold and Sullivan maximise their income and that's all they're interested in they're businessmen they're there to make money and being in the premiership coupled with minimum expenditure is the easiest way to make money until you find a sucker to buy the club at a vastly inflated price They love (sic) the club ( that much they've brought Terry Brown back to advise them (he was personally very successful with this approach)and Sam the anti football man into 'the academy football' West Ham is just a business nothing more no soul in football these days just a great big Murdoch cash cow