I fired off a volley last night as soon as I read his criticism of the fans but, unless the interview I read was heavily edited, he has built upon yesterday's comments, widening the divide between himself and those who pay to see the team play.
Just listen to him! According to Allardyce we should be "harmonious" because we have only "lost three at home all season". Well excuse us. Southampton have only lost twice at home all season and have drawn just three times. Saints fans have enjoyed FIFTEEN home victories whilst West Ham season ticket holders have witnessed just NINE. Southampton fans have celebrated FORTY TWO home goals, West Ham fans just TWENTY EIGHT!
He complains: "The pressure is on us like it is every week. We have more pressure on us than anyone else, but we have to live with that and deliver, and today we did. Let's hope we do on Saturday."
So why is the pressure on us more than anybody else exactly? The Southampton and Reading players aren't under pressure then? Promotion doesn't matter to them perhaps? Allardyce seems to think we are the biggest team in the division. Cobblers. Leeds have won titles and been in a Champions League final. They are a bigger club by far. Leicester were the pre season favourites to win the division. Southampton are top, and have been for most of the season, and everybody wants to beat the team at the top.
He goes on: "I looked at the facts, and the facts are that at Burnley we've out-played them, out-passed them, away from home, and all the other six teams recently we've done exactly the same, that we've drawn against."
The facts are:
1. We had to come from behind against Burnley and Leeds. At no point in either game were we in control of the match.
2. We only drew against Middlesbrough courtesy of an incredibly lucky goal.
3. Doncaster - bottom of the table - finished as the stronger team at Upton Park in a shameful 1-1 home draw.
4. We had to come from behind at home to Watford and only salvaged a point with a goal three minutes from the end.
5. We were played off the park in the first half against Palace.
Those are the facts but Allardyce claims: "The only team we didn't outplay was Southampton with 10 men recently, and that's probably eight games ago."
Well that's ten games ago actually but who is counting? But what Allardyce doesn't seem to grasp is that we have only played one decent team in that run of games. Leeds shipped seven goals in their next home game after we struggled to score one. Watford and Doncaster are crap. Cardiff were punch drunk after the penalty shoot out defeat against Liverpool (It took us six months to recover from ours!). Burnley were without their leading scorer. Middlesbrough had lost their previous game 3-0. Palace are mid table. Peterborough are seventh from bottom and have now lost 8 home games. We SHOULD be outplaying these teams. And we should be BEATING them! COMFORTABLY.
He goes on: "It didn't start off from there though [the media] - it started off from other managers many years ago, because they got jealous because I kept beating them."
You what? He sounds like a spoilt brat complaining about being bullied. Is he seriously asking us to believe that he tried to beat Arsenal at Wenger's game? What an arse.
But he's not finished! He boasts: "It's there and I just have to carry on, I don't let it affect me personally, I just know what's good for the players at West Ham, I know what's good for West Ham as a football club, and I know how to win football matches."
No you don't you pompous, arrogant twat. You know how to NOT LOSE games. If you knew how to WIN games we would be top of the table and as good as promoted. If you know how to win games, why didn't we beat Palace, Doncaster, Watford, Middlesbrough, Leeds and Burnley? If we'd lost two of those and won four, we would have netted 12 points instead of the Allardyce return of 6. That's a fact, a damning fact, the most damning fact of all!
He has the cheek to moan, "I'm sick of all that rubbish"! He's sick of it? He should try paying to watch it, then he might have a better understanding of why the fans are so hacked off!
we are stuck with the cnut simple as that im surprised the dildo brothers havnt sacked him for his outbursts and shit football
ReplyDeletehes gotta be a silly cnut slagging off his own suppoerters i agree with most of your post but what can we do if the fans stop supporting the team what chance do we have of getting promoted
i dont fancy us getting through the playoffs
allardyce should be at a shit little northern team where not losing is classed as a victory but we are stuck with him
Cannot fault ANY of that young man. I'm afraid Fat Sam has made your team the laughing stock of the division. It seems he expects to walk the League as of divine right! What a total arse.
ReplyDeleteWhat BFS has said in the last 24 hrs is the biggest bollock he could have possibly have dropped. At a time when we should all be getting behind the team, he calls us fans deluded and creates a serious issue before a home game. He clearly is a Big Girl and he has contradicted his 'I am so hard' image. For example, He talked the other day about having a Rhino skin and then an Elephants skin - yet a bit of criticism and he runs screaming to the press. Turns out the only skin he has is a foreskin - which we can all see as he has just acted like a bell-end. I am seriously disappointed in him. Having said all that, please let us get behind the team on Saturday and not let this stop us giving the team the best support of the season. COME ON YOU IRONS!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone of us believed for a moment that we have a team capable of winning in the playoffs perhaps we wouldn't be so worried. But if we fail to make it into the automatic promotion places I don't think we can get there through playing good football in the playoffs. Moreover, it should be obvious by now that even if we somehow make it to the Premier League, we can't survive playing this type of football. Obvious to everyone except Sam of course.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to argue with almost all of that, HF. It is a well written, damning, yet compelling case. I agree with Jim and the other posters who lament the hole that Allardyce is digging here. He has clearly learned nothing from being ousted at St James' Park through fan power. He needs to learn it pretty quickly, in my view. Failure to be promoted will see a significant drop in season ticket sales I am absolutely sure. Indeed, it is becoming doubtful whether promotion itself will be enough for Sam to retain the goodwill of the faithful. He seems to fail utterly in any understanding of our expectations that our beloved team should attempt to play with some style or panache. Cocking a snoop at 'the West Ham way' is folly and alienates him from the supporters - it's basic emotional intelligence and Sam appears to lack that. I believe he began to sign his own P45 last night, personally.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article based on the facts! I am a Saints Fan but at the same time have always had an admiration for West Ham and had them as my favourites for promotion at the start of the season and actually wanted them to go up. Sad to say that Allardyce has changed all that and I have lost all respect for the man with his excuses, constant whinging and arrogant atitude BUT mainly for the safety first, long ball, one up top style of football he has your guys playing.
ReplyDeleteI hope for the fans sake you do go up, not at our expense of course AND at the end of the season David Gold sees sense and gets rid of Allardyce.
Allardyce and Ken Bates should be at the same club. Definitely two of a kind. Both suffer from an acute absence of common sense and the realisation that without fans there is no club.
ReplyDeleteLeeds haven't been to a Champions League Final, thanks but it was just the Semis!
ReplyDeleteLeeds didn't get to a Champion League Final, thanks but it was just the Semis!
ReplyDeleteSplitting hairs Andy. European Cup and Champions League are same competition. 1975? Bayern Munich?
ReplyDeleteYou gotta chuck Forest in there. 2 European cups!!
ReplyDeleteI agree Allardyce is a twonk and is talking his way out of the job in the summer no matter what happens in my opinion but at the same time I can ignore his stupid comments to a degree and just focus on cheering him and the team in until the end of the season. Fingers crossed we have found some ability at the right time.
BFS can eat my Sh!t!
ReplyDeleteHe's taken a big risk criticising the fans before the biggest game of our season. If we go a goal down and are playing crap, there will be no coming back into the game if the fans begin to make their feelings known.
ReplyDeletewe shud ov won that game lol
ReplyDeleteCul de sac,
ReplyDeleteStill remember that one, though I was very young. A blatant penalty on Allan Clarke seen by everyone EXCEPT the referee... and Bayern undeservedly won the final...
WOW U REALLY HATE THAT GUY ALL I CAN SAY IS U KNEW WHAT U WERE GONNA GET MAYBE BLAME THE POWERS THAT BE RUNNING UR CLUB WHO LOOK MORE LIKE A KREMLIN MARCH PAST . I AM AS A SAINTS FAN GLOATING SLIGHTLY BUT WE ARE PLAYING THE GAME AS IT SHOULD BE PLAYED AND GETTING RESULTS WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION WHY CANT YOU ? I WISH U THE BEST BUT REALLY IT WAS A BAD SAD APPOINTMENT.ATB SAINTS FAN.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article.
ReplyDeleteOne important point you're wrong on though. Most of the teams in this league do consider West Ham the biggest club in the Championship & we are the most high profile club, with the highest expectations amongst supporters & media....which does lead to more pressure.
Forget Leed's (& Forest for example) 70's success & 92 title, this is 2012.
Now, despite Sam's outburst (& let's not forget how manipulative the media can be) we all need to be UNITED & behind the team at Fortress Boleyn on Saturday. COYI.
shut up and support the team. the team INCLUDES the manager.
ReplyDeleteAllardyce has turned us from a losing team to a winning team. wake up and smell the roses.
One of the best blogs ever and this is from a Saints fan.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work fella as you have a gift.
Pilchards
It's hard to comprehend just how much discord there appears to be at your club. Reading on the other hand have a united squad and the fans adore their manager. It will be a fascinating match on Saturday and it will be interesting just how much impact 'sock-gate' will have. I read with interest how Reading apparantly didn't respect the Hammers in that 3-0 match. Just how much respect were we supposed o give you? Enough to allow you to indulge in your delusion of a god-given right to be promoted? You lost due to a lack of discipline and a lack of leadership by Nolan & BFS who didn't know how to reorganize after the first red card. I hope your team can put that aside and concentrate on football as a battle between us will only benefit Saints.
ReplyDeleteCheers Pilchards.
ReplyDelete1306, I was at the game and both teams showed too much respect to each other until the sending off. Hardly any attacking intent up until that point. Fear there may be a repeat on Saturday.
Very good article but must say to the Saints fan who states they are playing the game as it should be played....that certainly was not the case when you paid us a visit.
ReplyDeleteAlways quite liked the saints but lost some respect for them in that night. Poor performance and cheating, we looked like the better team which really doesn't happen too often this year.
Having said that overall saints have had a great season and deserve to go up. I just hope we get the other automatic spot as don't fancy our chances in the playoffs.
I will never boo the team and support West Ham no matter what but £1000000 for allardyce if we go up seems pretty generous. I'm sure Zola or even avram could have secured promotion with this squad in this league so are we really any better off!
why dont all of you get off sams back andstart getting behind the team we not playing good football ,and still 3rd second come 5pm saturday we need to show reading what we are about no one has had a good hiding at home yet only blackpool ,dont care what you all think but this is a hard division to get out of,everyone wants to beat west ham its like there cup final,so come 5pm sat were be sitting pretty in second coyis
ReplyDeleteDon't worry - apparently the new rumour is that Claudio Ranieri will mange WHU - if we get promoted. Or Gus Poyet - if we get promoted.
ReplyDeleteNow that's what I call deluded.
Big Sam
hes always been useless ask any magpie fan.what was frightening is that he was in the frame for the england job not so long ago.why doesnt he go with 2 up front ie maynard & cole
ReplyDeletethis time last year I was saying to my mates "I would rather go down than have him as manager"
ReplyDeleteDamm I got the worst of both worlds !
It hurts to watch us play sometimes.