For some strange reason, Sam Allardyce, Fat Sam or whatever name you want to call him is still the manager of our beloved West Ham.
Last season, if we never had the good run of results in February, we would have been relegated and that would have been the end of him. But we survived to fight another season with Sam leading us to the promised land of Stratford.
After the opening game of the season, a sad home to defeat against Spurs, it looks like all the noise made during the close season from our joint chairmen about wanting the team to play “the West Ham way”, Sam will still set the team up to play the style of football he believes so much in.
A team where one lone striker battles to win the ball and knock it down to team mates who should be supporting him. This might work in theory and on paper but after last season and the first game of this new campaign I believe that it will only lead to another season of the same style of football the fans got increasingly annoyed with.
Mr. Allardyce has not made himself the fan favorite he believes he is by his team selections, his substitutions, (why take off a forward and replace him with a defender when you are chasing a game), the players he has transferred in and his big mistake of taking the piss out of the fans by cupping his hand to his ear when the fans loudly booed a home win. We were here before he arrived and will be here long after he has gone.
I did not like it when he was appointed our manager because if you look back at his style of play at all the clubs he managed before West Ham, everyone knew what we were getting.
He sets his teams up to play the “Sam Way”. Big forward up front and try to defend a one goal lead. He won’t change his ideas on football regardless of what is said or written about him. I have to give him some credit, he did get us out of the Championship league, by the Play-off final and we have somehow survived in the Premier League for two seasons.
So, just how long has Allardyce got before he’s told to pack his bags? Football is a funny game, IF the results go well for us, he will still be here, but IF the season turns ugly, the chairmen will be forced to get rid of him before it’s too late because we will only dig ourselves into a deeper hole and it will be harder to get out.
I think we all know deep down that he will be sent on his way sometime this season but when that time is, remains one of life great mysteries.
