"Look, I didn't get where I am today by playing pretty football. There's only one way to play football in my book. Pack the team with big guys and hoof the ball forward. Look at West Ham's record against my teams before I became their manager. I relegated them when they had footballers like Joe Cole, Di Canio, Carrick and Kanoute in the team. That's where pretty football gets you: into the Championship. And once you're down in the dregs there's only one way to play. When you're up against shit you have to be shit yourself. It stands to reason."
"Look at us today. A fancy dan West Ham team passing the ball could have lost that game. One misplaced pass in midfield and that's your lot. We saw it against Cardiff and Ipswich. But that was before I settled on MY tactics, that was before I set the benchmark at Brighton, that was before this team became MY team. And there was no way we were going to lose against Bristol City."
"Of course it was frustrating not to win but the clean sheet was important. That's why I took off Baldock and Sears. We needed Diop to tighten things up and Cole to try to win things at set pieces. That's the best way to score goals. Pump it high, pump it long, get the big guys charging into the box, hoping for the ball to land on a big black head and deflect into the corner of the net."
"It's down to percentages. Hit enough high balls hopefully into the box, attack them with enough big black guys, and sooner or later you should score. Look at us tonight. Second half we had Diop, Cole, Piquionne and Faye all in the box at set pieces. And Tomkins, McCartney and Nolan aren't short either. You have to reckon on scoring at least one with that lot. The delivery of the corners was poor of course. That's what cost us, not my team selection nor my tactical limitations."
"As for the West Ham fans who booed when Baldock was taken off, they can just bugger off. What do they know about the game? Sweet FA. They haven't managed clubs, so they haven't got a right to an opinion. I am Sam. I am the man. I know how to win games. It's the Sam Way or no way."
"West Ham traditions? Bollocks to West Ham traditions!"
21 comments:
"It's my blog & I'm going to swear as much as I like" - grow up!
It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to. Sorry, but to be Sam you have to think Sam."
I could not see or hear the match, but the on-line commentary did not indicate that we played HF's "Big Sam" football. Rather, we seemed to play the passing game HF wants, but could not finish for the life of us. Again, I am merely going by what other's typed about the match. Reminds me of many games last year where we showed a bit of qualtiy in the midfield, but were hapless up front to do anything with it.
@ 22:26 .. Dno who wrote what you were reading but we hoofed the ball pretty much the whole game. The only time we looked dangerous was when we PASSED it on the GROUND through them and down the line. Poor substitutions tonight. If you're gonna put on diop take off nolan or noble who were our worst players by a country mile
I hate to have to agree with you...
I mean, if West Ham played football like this when I decided to support them, I would probably be supporting Chelsea or Arsenal now.
Did you hear about Noble missing a complete sitter in front of goal towards the end by the way?
Thank God my super team in Cyprus APOEL Nicosia did it's miracle once again by beating Porto to brighten up my day!
I stand by what I said on previous threads. This is a very, very poor league and is there for the taking.
Unfortunately, without a full strength team out, we don't look like we can win the league. Even WITH a full strength team out, we seem to struggle.
It's the play offs for us if this continues. Valium is what we need, not sport psychologists. A bit of self confidence in our own ability and calmness in front of goal. LOL. Yeah right.
HYD
You missed the fact that Noble got man of the match for the second game in a row then Sav. And that Nolan missed two good chances and Piquionne two.
Sav, did you hear the one about the Greek definition of good manners?
You have to go out with a girl for 6 months before you bugger her younger brother!
Viva le Greek way...:-O
If you cannot see today why Noble gets man of the match awards then you're beyond help HF. Even in our last game there were fans admitting Baldock deserved it, but they were happy to give it to Noble. Perverse.
Everyone's played shite, but we have to give out a man of the match award. What shall we do? Give it to the fan's favourite! The crowd's restless, what shall we do? Give the man of the match award to the fan's favourite! That may cheer them up!
But what did the radio commentator say as soon as the man of the match award was announced? "Mark Noble's just been announced as man of the match... which no one is really interested in at this stage". No cheer, nothing!
I wrote that down there and then just for you.
He might of been awarded man of the match HF but he was a disgrace tonight. Started off with two brilliant tackles early on then played pretty much every ball wayward. His corner and free kick deliveries were poor. There was only one player worse than him and that was Nolan who was sluggish and slow on the ball all night. Faye was man of the match. Great defensive performance bar maybe one slip up and attempted to play the ball down the wing most of the night. Quick question HF do you actually go to the games / watch them? (btw its just a general question).
23:47, My definition of the Greek way is to go out with your sister for six months and then bugger your mother.
HF, I know you don't like censoring but you have to stop comments which contain nothing but an attempt to insult someone or his race. Sorry about my comment above but it is really unbelievable what you allow to be posted here. When it is a pure insult you should not allow it to be posted.
23:47, My definition of the Greek way is to go out with your sister for six months and then bugger your mother.
HF, I know you don't like censoring but you have to stop comments which contain nothing but an attempt to insult someone or his race. Sorry about my comment above but it is really unbelievable what you allow to be posted here. When it is a pure insult you should not allow it to be posted.
Allardyce's "football" is more akin to the utter shite that is American handegg, reliant on heavy blokes and set plays, full of long balls forward which is utterly rancid to watch. The only thing missing is the leotard clad, obese "athletes" (where's Benni McCarthy gone?) wearing more armour than an entire tank batallion. Allardyce should have stayed in hicksville USA with the banjo playing yank inbreds and their fuckwittery sport he loves so much.
Chris Hughton was available but no, it's Fat Sam we're left with.
HF, I will wait for your response regarding my request to stop the insulting comments (with no footballing or other content) such as 23:47 and then will decide whether I will come back again.
You have a responsibility towards your fellow bloggers to protect them from purely offensive insults. By posting these when there is nothing more than just mud and filth in the comment you are also responsible (or collaborator). I know you take a lot of this personally too and although I find it repulsive and in bad taste it is your right to do so or not. You cannot expect however that your other contributors/bloggers should also take this shit.
We had 10 shots on target - James played as blinder as all ex hammers do.
Sav,
Why on earth do you react? It is such a stupid comment and is surely best ignored. I must admit that I only glanced at comments this morning before posting, and I would have not posted it had I read it with more care, but I cannot understand why an adult would allow this sort of stuff to upset him.
Have you heard the one about the definition of Hammersfan's manners? He goes out with a girl for six months before buggering her brother. There, I've typed it about myself. So what? Is it true? No. So who cares? Change it to an Englishman's manners and I won't care either. In fact, I deplore the way the English behave when in Europe so fully understand why people insult us.
I just think that people need to grow up. I will block racism based on colour which is genuinely malicious, but silly comments like this really aren't worth bothering about, surely?
The same holds for the criticism of the Chelsea fans' chanting last night. So what that they sang "Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are"? He does know what he is. A professional football paid by QPR, a defender, an ugly sod and, based on his conduct when with West Ham, a bit of a twat. Big deal! And if they meant that he is black, well if he coinsiders himself black then he knows what he is in that respect too. That doesn't mean black is a bad thing, it just means he knows he is black.
How can you criticise fans if that is all they chanted? On that basis, you have to second guess what they meant. Maybe they meant that he is a liar. That may be their view. Maybe they meant he is a bit pathetic for making an issue out of this. You may not agree with them, but why are they not entitled to that view?
The world is going bloody mad! And intelligent adults should remember that sticks and stones may break our bones, but names can only hurt us if we let them!
It was directly addressed to me (by name) and contained nothing but insult for the Greeks as a race. I am not upset why a comlete idiot made that comment. I am upset why you did not think that you should not have published that.
I would accept any attack on issues we raise and discuss here (even when it is not on football). That post however was directed towards me and contained nothing but insult. I just wanted to alert you to be a little more careful and cut out such posts that aim at nothing else but to insult your guests.
Only because you have shared the fact that you are Greek. As I said, had I read the submissions carefully, it wouldn't have got through - so apologies - but I still think we should rise above such things and simply ignore them personally, as I said above.
I am above all that. No harm done.
Not mother Sav, it's brother and that's why it's funny.
20:03 you didn't read it carefully? ok so how did you originally read it?
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