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Another Sam post, that’s what they want! The masses did not cry.
But my lord, any form of social media, sports channels, newspapers, magazines, my conversations with other Dads on the school run, Loose women debates, GMTV, PM question time, everywhere you go everyone and anyone is talking about his future….
I’ve been very busy for a while now. Life, children, work etc. It seems the more successful the team (were) are my private life ramps up accordingly, precluding me from dedicating as much time as I would like to follow the fortunes of those that often hide.
Obviously this coincided with the death of the .org, (long live the .org) that saw many of us wandering the virtual wasteland like a bad Tron film (is there a good one?) trying to jump onto the cart of another WHU forum vehicle. Realising that the inhabitants are strange or the clique was tight to get into (good fun trying though….I digress). It was a strange time, the team were scoring like it was going out of fashion, 4th place felt….natural….Sam was kissing other men (well, Russell Brand) people in work began to talk less about football for fear of me extolling the virtues of Diaffra or Chek.
But like a wet fart, you know it’s around the corner sooner or later.
The fall from grace. Down with the decorations, the strange injuries (teacup?) the strange signings (Ninny Nene Nanny or whatever his name is, a Canadian called Henry with hamstrings tighter than a 4 string bass).
You know it’s coming, but like my wife when she pulls my trousers down, you really don’t want to face it.
So to Sam. We must you see. We can’t ignore it. The board are trying their best, but the cacophony of rumour and counter rumour is now louder than Madonna backstage at the Brits. And of course it affects the team. I believe no one who says “The lads don’t listen to it, they just get on and play the game they love”….rubbish. Poppycock. Every footballer is a man child, most of them barely able to stir their own tea let alone make it. Giving a child no security or sense of belonging is damaging. It’s the same for a team (the clue is in the name).
So the org, and the rest of them, will be divided into 2 camps (David) – Camp David – do you reckon he was? I digress again….
So how do you eat yours? Oh no sorry that’s Cadburys crème egg isn’t it – easily confused with Easter calling us.
I meant which way do you hang? Oh no, that’s something else entirely, that’s a different forum I’m involved with….
So are you for Sam or against Sam?
I think, putting on my fedora to be sensible for once, you have to apply some cold hard business sense, a dash of reality, a splodge of history and a dribble performance examination.
Many will argue I’ll always counter the popular opinion, and this is often the case. However, I think in this case, my head and heart still say, keep him.
No, I don’t really like him. He’s arrogant, not very flexible, stubborn, antiquated, reactive.
But I counter this with his CV with us. Promotion. Consolidation. Purchase improvement. League placing improvement. Securing players long term futures.
Whether he stumble upon all those signings is a moot point. Whether he made the team play more expansively and attacking in the first half of the season is irrelevant (they did) whether he thought of Downing at the tip of the diamond, Song to hold. It happened. And for that the man takes credit.
Awful run of form lately, agreed. Back to the bad old days. But there was a time when a man could take some credit and store it up. I think he’s earned this bit from the first half of the season.
Agreed, the run in will be very interesting. But he’s doing this without 2 first choice centre halves and 2 first choice forwards at the moment. That’s not easy.
And what if we get rid? Some lovely names out there; Klopp, Bilic, Moyes, Benitez etc. The average length of time a manger needs to implement ideas, review squad and make it his own is 18 months. I for one am fed up of this merry go round. I don’t want to watch works in progress. I want to watch someone who has had 3 or 4 years, with their players, their mind set, accountability. Now if you look at it from that point of view, our team is 10th, with one of the best assembled squads in around 15 years.
The cliché is “careful what you wish for”. I don’t think that applies here.
I think people have forgotten their manners (something that used to be an East end tradition) and have forgotten to thank Sam for what he’s already done.
We probably won’t miss him when he’s gone, for a multitude of reasons. But when I look at the squad he inherited, and what we have now, allied to some flashes of wonderful football this season, I think we need to take a cold, hard look at ourselves.
Let’s show a bit of respect. Keep our powder dry and don’t, for the love of god, start turning into whingers.
I for one love a pounding at home to the Palace of Crystal. Makes me feel alive. Reminds me my fallible club should really appreciate the good times, and maybe, dare I say it……laugh a bit more, even at the bad times.
Else you’ll turn into a spud…
At school my essays when
At school my essays when marked usually came back with the comment "given to brevity." I bet you never had that problem Darren! LOL
Well done darren.
Fantastic post,love sam or hate him - i am neither.But i am in the "be careful what you wish for"camp.Moyes is not the answer,so who else is available bilic?No prem experience,so no guarantees of success with him either.Me-im gonna get some more splinters & go & sit back on my fence....
Love some of the comparisons
Love some of the comparisons here, I am firmly on the Sam camp and I think part of the style change early season was down to coaching. We have attempted more shots from distance and as has been proved in average of laws one has to go in every now and then. Apart from the FA Cup mauling at WBA not one side has thus crushed us. John Lyall a gentleman widely respected and fondly remembered brought us two FA Cups a record breaking Div 2 Championship a League Cup and ECWC final as well as our best finish in the top flight but in order to win that Div 2 title we had to be relegated in the first instance and it took 3 seasons to get back up. Second relegation under Mr Lyall saw him shown the door then a quick return under Billy Bonds followed by the drop and again promotion. Glenn saw us drop with arguably a better squad than Mr Lyall had in most of his managerial stint. It then took Mr Pardew 2 seasons to get us up and then a Cup Final. Mssrs Curbishley, and Zola faired not to well and Mr Grant saw us plummet. Club in disarray no cash , over paid mercenaries the Daves Uncle Avram plan had failed so enter the Gladiator (Mr I've never been relegated) one season albeit by the play offs (and what a lovely day at Wembley that turned out even though my nerves were shredded!) back to the top flight and here we are for the third season running and there will be a fourth! We need continuity and yes I agree with the merry go round prognosis, maybe a good assistant to Sam someone with a vision who can learn and build on the old wise ones format and take it to the next level. Liverpool for years had continuity Shankley, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish brought continued success and when the link broke well no titles in how long?
We are West Ham we must be realistic and whilst Sam is not everyones cuppa he is if nothing else consistent.
Thank you Sam?
Thank you for promotion, by the skin of our teeth, thank you for the signings that you sent out on loan, thank you for playing one up front in the chumps league, thank you for bringing back Calton Cole, thank you for playing Nolan, thank you for playing no one up front, thank you for 18th. Century football... Shall I go on or just thanks Sam and close the door on the way out!
And yet
We're 10th with a great squad.
Promotion by the skin of our teeth - better than the first play off final attempt.
Signings sent on loan - have you heard of Chelski?
One up front - he can't take the credit for that surely?
Bringing Carlton back - Twitter friend loved by morons
Playing Nolan - top scorer for 3 or 4 seasons in a row? Teammates love him
No one up front - Tottenham beaten 3-0 away
18thC football - a point at Chelsk
Shall I go on?
you've gone down in my
you've gone down in my estimation darren , i thought you knew a bit about football , defending the indefensible only leads to instability, gota say i dnt get half of you points , Nolan top scorer 3 or 4 in a row , ? hmmm that says a lot doesn't it a point at Chelsea , big deal that statement is like the dip sticks goin on and on about about Cole scoring the winner in the play off , west ham deserve better than this guy , sling your hook Sam and take your garbage with you
Blimey Molly, you think I care about opinions?
My view is built on facts. It's not fragrant and fluffy and no it doesn't feel right at all. But facts are facts. As much as I love my team, as I have for 36 (knowing) years, I know when we have a good thing. If you can name a time when our team has been stable in the PL, not faves for the drop the next season....well, I'm all ears. If you don't have an answer, that's because we are living it. So enjoy. X
what makes west ham different
what makes west ham different and our fans is our (was our) statue with almost every one in football from the great players to numerous to mention , to the age old "i love the way west ham play , if i didn't support( Arse, chelk, totalscum , hub caps ), i would support west ham " , they loved us , ok we've had our fair share of up's and down's but through it all we played lovely stuff , (with the odd exception of course) now what have we got a clapped out manager playing clapped out football with clapped out players , well a few anyway , some west ham supporters like your self and Dave are settlers, content to settle for success through ending up in tenth place , just so long as we dont end up in a relegation dog fight , not for me mate i wont trade lovely flowing football for mid table obscurity , life's a gamble , a risk take , so is football , sometimes you get your asre burnt and sometimes you achieve notoriety, you may not win a trophy every year in fact it might take 35 years , you might have facts darren , sure we we beat totalsum 3-0 away from home ,thats facts and the reason we did it , fire in the belly , not sitting back looking for " a bloody well deserved nil nil
Nonsensical pish
Written through claret bifocals from a bygone era much of which shamed the club " lovely team west am 3pts thanks". Haven't seen us mullered 456 like we were regularly a few years ago. Not good enough for us now though is it?
A note from the opposition
"What a dreadful game that was. If SAFC appoint "Big Sam" as their next manager I will not renew my ticket, he is dreadful and throughout his managerial career all of his teams produce dire football. I have now had enough of dire football at SAFC so I do NOT want him at my club to replicate his boring football. We played a team today which I believe is one of the worst I have seen this season, they were woeful and were there to be beat today. I just wonder which games we can get points from as our football has no cohesion whatsoever and we cannot score goals. I really fear for our safety as clearly the players we have are mostly second rate. I have been left wondering today have ALL the managers we have had in the last five years really been that bad or is it more likely that we have mostly had a squad of players who cannot play at this level?"
Seems Sunderland don't want 18th C football delivered via a dinosaur either
He maybe right about sam
But how can he say that westham are one of the worst teams hes seen this season,even when we are poor we are light years ahead of the mackems.Ive always found sunderland fans not particularly bright & certainly deluded!!
well said Dartford ,summed it
well said Dartford ,summed it up for me , the end of the season and thats his lot
From the man
Who has trapped his hound under the stairs and photos the petrified darling for enjoyment. They got the RSPCA over there?
there's nothing royal here
there's nothing royal here mate this is a republic, its the ISPCA , you should pay a visit to spec savers she's half way up the stairs not trapped underneath
Potato potatoe chief
Looks like a Korean menu. Shame on you.
And if you take that to heart....
never did trust anyone who
never did trust anyone who talks in riddles
That's a great post Darren,
That's a great post Darren, you've put forward a very good argument for keeping Sam, I loved the first part of this season, football that we haven't witnessed for years along with an air of confidence that we could beat anybody, reminiscent of Bolton in their glory years under the big man, perhaps an insight into what we could become given time, but that's just it, us fans aren't interested in 2 or 3 years time, we want it all now. I can't deny that the recent results have got me thinking why the hell do we employ this idiot, his substitutions and tactics are sometimes mind blowing, the latest being bringing on Jarvis, the bloke hasn't had a decent game since he joined us, why would he suddenly change the game!
I think we're being a bit naïve though if we expect the owners to replace Sam, these people are businessmen, their first thought will be to protect their asset, whatever we think about Sam Allardyce he will deliver enough results to maintain progress, is he my choice, no he isn't but it can't be coincidence that every fan of a different club you speak to says how well West Ham are doing and can't understand why us lot want rid of him, perhaps there's something in that
you sound like a motd pundit
you sound like a motd pundit
I go up and down
thinking we need some stability rather than playing with fire at the depths of the league your right about that but:
1) How many forwards has he bought to the club of use? Our top scorer this year he didn't want and sent back to France, he was a pressured board signing.
2) He is rumoured to be one of the dodgiest managers in the game I have heard from many sources, read his wikipedia record section named 'Controversies'
3) Some managers have been known to have a good run at some point in their careers but failed to sustain it, like he has done this season only and not for past 12.
4) He has never shown any passion to the fans whatsoever, personal opinion that its weird given the passion of our fans.
5) He hides behind more excuses than a politician, I found it particularly embarassing the penalty bullshite at Tottenham when he thought that the referee should have blown the whistle after Adrian saved the initial shot as when have you ever seen that in a football game???
6) He signed Maiga
7) There are other reasons I can't mention on here and some Iv'e forgotten so going to open another can, I'm back....
Love your posts DH but have to disagree with your opinion as I think it would be a great time for the club to move forward rather than sidewards for just a few months, but still down towards the depths of despair with him in charge. I have no idea what the answer is, Billic showed a lack of loyalty and respect to us, Moyes done okay with a small budget at Everton and walked into a 'no-win' position trying to follow Fergie so not sure about him.
Great post Darren and, as
Great post Darren and, as usual, put across in your own unique way! Have to agree with you and am firmly in the keep Sam for now camp. Mainly for the reasons you point out about him having got us to where we are today. An excellent achievement considering where we were when he arrived. Sam has his faults, don't we all, but I'm willing to see out another two years with him at the helm. Sam will steady the ship and our club will continue to progress over the next two years and we will then be in the Olympic stadium with an excellent opportunity to start something exciting at West Ham. Many fans will be unhappy and Sam will continue to get stick but I think the owners will see the clubs best interests at heart and see the long term picture ahead and keep him.
Whether he goes or stays he
Whether he goes or stays he'll always have a little place in my heart for the treble over the north london pretenders! orgasmic moment!
Sorry Dazza I think you're
Sorry Dazza I think you're way off here mate. All you're telling me is about the past. If we weren't a team that's trying to achieve things in the future and near future with our OS move, I'd say yeah stick with old Sam, keep us safe finish mid table and a last 16 cup run every 4 or 5 years. It depends whether you think we deserve more for a manager on £3 million a year. For me I personally do and the constant Jarvis, Nolan, Cole, JOB selections instead of Poyet, Zarate, Lee and Burke tell me hes's a lazy manager, he goes to type too easily. Watching Taylor play right back and McCartney at CB was painful, no youth coming through and if the owners buy a player they'll get minimum chance but players who are with the same agent as him, get chance after chance? His recent better play, was luck. Nolan and Carroll getting injured forced his hand, he had to find a way of playing without them. Nothing to do with coaching, because as soon as they came back he played them again and we went back to dross. Nolan's contribution in games is embarrassing, he must be embarrassed himself. He doesn't touch the ball, everybody in football and at the club can see it, so why is he played over Poyet? The answer because Allardyce manages for his best interests not the club or the fans. Time to go, inject some hope and optimism, then we definitely wouldn't be a moaning bunch of fans.
You disappoint me Betty
Has he not utilised the tools he had within a given framework? I think he has. I would argue Jarvis is his only failure signings wise. That's pretty good going in today's market.
Ps the team still look United, working hard and have 42 pts with 8 games to go without our best players. If we've had it better in the premier league please remind me.
err think not mate
Carew, Jarvis, Maynard, Baldock, Maiga, Johnson, Diarra, Morrison, Zarate.....where are they now? Championship most of them me thinks. Playing Jarvis still just says it all really and the quicker he is sacked the better, today was so painful against a rubbish team and it's no wonder we have only won one game in 12/13 games. 42 points whoop whoop! How many points would we have if we had a decent manager that didn't take a cut of appearance fees and carried on picking those players? A lot more as the results in the PL this year have been more unpredictable at times than any other year, hence our decent start under the crook. Love you DH but totally disagree with your opinion on our arrogant manager.
Hasn't used all his tools or
Hasn't used all his tools or often uses the tools for the wrong purpose and persists with broken tools too. If you have a brand new untried screwdriver why continue to use a hammer? Poyet/Nolan.
Mate I don't know if you've
Mate I don't know if you've been going recenty but they are scraping through games. Since Xmas we've been playing with 10 men. You're an intelligent guy, you have to ask the question what is the fascination with playing Nolan? Especially as we have alternatives in Downing, Zarate, Amalfitano and Poyet. Some people are very grateful for med table mediocrity and a last 16 cup rum very other year, just like Stoke fans probably are. However when you get to top four playing how most fans want us to play and then change it to accommodate your buzz mate, it just enhances the opinion he's only here for his own interests. It can be a little frustrating to say the least.
Well summed up Betty
We need to look ahead and Sam is not the man for that . He just sticks with what he has done over the seasons he will not change now, we need new blood.
42 points
With 8 games to go. You lot are more bananas than me. Let that sink in a while....
What's the saying
If you stand still you end up going backwards .
I believe we've found a comfy chair
I'm happy to stay still for now.
Having read your piece Darren
Having read your piece Darren I get the feeling that your view is if it's not broken why fix it. You could be right, my view is we had a great start . We make it to the dizzy heights of fourth, nose bleeds are the order of the day. This new attacking style with a certain amount of pace is very easy on the eye. We were in my opinion playing a brand of football that was good enough to finish in the top 6. Then when Carroll and Nolan came back the pace of the game changed. The long ball became more evident. I give it to Carroll he scored a few goals and did look like a player who wanted to repay the belief the club had in him. He really is very unfortunate with injuries . My biggest gripe with this season is the cup exit, we were safe so a good cup run was on the cards. How he couldn't get the team up for that game I'll never know and because of that I wonder what real influence he has on the team. Having flicked between the rugby and the match at UP today I was getting the feeling I wasn't missing a whole lot from the east end. It looked more like end of season football. As for Sam I think Sugo will go for a safe pair of hands and see will Sam lead us to the OS in the Premiership, especially if we hit fifty points.
Great piece darrenharry and I respect your view
But I still think Sam should go at the end of the season. I think he had an opportunity to make nice with the West Ham faithful and blew it when he changed both style and tactics when he brought back Carroll and Nolan into a successful winning and decent flowing football team.
Too many fans read him like a book and I was one of those who was trying to give Big Sam some credit thinking he had seen sense but then as soon as they were fit he could not wait to destroy what was already working so well.
Now I am a Carroll fan but Nolan for over two seasons has been average to poor and that Is probably all your gonna get he is now poor in practically every game though I guess even he can shine occasionally but I can not understand with players like Amalfitano and Poyet who are fit and raring to go he still plays the usual suspects.
The squad is good and much better than It is being allowed to play by Big Sam.
I will applaud him when the end of the season comes darrenharry because I genuinly feel he has achieved positivity for the club even if it was done through negativity.
The fans deserve better and yes it may be a scary place to go and even unpredictable with a new manager at the helm but believe me this squad will not go down with a slightly more attacking manager who knows his job they are too good.
I will not kill myself if Big Sam stays another year or two but I think many fans are right now in a bad way because of the way West Ham play and they cannot take it much more, and that is not good for West Ham.
It's a good piece DH
You've put your case across and generated some good responses with fans on both sides of the fence and one man sitting uncomfortably on it. Too many more splinters and he's gonna be sanding rather than wiping it!
The main reason i sit on the fence
Is because at the moment i cant see another manager out there,whos available.Ill be creosoting my fence in the summer & so ill have more of an idea then...;)