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COOL HAND LUKE 12:54 Mon Apr 20
What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Penned by Jason Roberts, another of Sam's arse licking 'old boys'... yet another well meaning pundit who has no idea what is really going on.

Jason dear... West Ham are struggling because of Sam's attitudes and behaviour towards the club, NOT the other way round... (in playground speak: HE started it!).

We are managed by a man who only cares about HIMSELF, wants to control transfers to line his and Curtis's pockets, surrounds himself with sycophants and yes men, and gets sulky and pisses on the chips as soon as he can't get his own way. YOU, Jason, are writing about the man as you remember him, whilst WE and WHU are having to live and breath him in his current deranged state (team selection / tactics / subs... all gone to ratshit) and it ain't funny.

c&p - BBC Sport

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32376251

Man City 2-0 West Ham: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

MOTD2 pundit Jason Roberts explains why West Ham's performance in their 2-0 defeat by Manchester City was evidence of the issues facing Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, whose team were fourth at Christmas but have won only two out of 16 Premier League games since then.
Sam Allardyce's position as West Ham manager has been in doubt for a while now, and I think we saw on Sunday how the growing uncertainty over his future is affecting his team.
When you are a player, you look to your manager for leadership, especially when you are playing a brand of football like Allardyce's, which demands discipline and commitment to the cause.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce
Allardyce's contract as West Ham manager is up in the summer
I know from playing under him at Blackburn that those are the key factors in a successful 'Big Sam' side, and I did not see any of them in the Hammers' display in their defeat at Manchester City on Sunday.
Instead, I saw a team who did not look like they were buying into the philosophy of hard work and organisation that I know Allardyce usually installs in his players.
'West Ham did not even do the basics'

I was Upton Park in October when West Ham beat City 2-1, and it was a fantastic performance.
At that stage of the season, they were producing a brand of football that even I was surprised about.
The hallmarks of an Allardyce team were still there - they went long when they had to, they were a threat at set-pieces, they closed people down and they were committed.
But their players also seemed to have far more freedom than usual when they received the ball. It was refreshing, and great to watch.
Injuries have held West Ham back, but there are bigger issues to blame for the way their season has gone downhill in the last few months.
West Ham's starting XI vs Man City
Nine of the team who started against City on Sunday also started that game but they were unrecognisable with their performance at Etihad Stadium.
Far from playing with any freedom, they were not even doing the basics that you would expect from an Allardyce side.
They were not getting the ball forward in the first place, let alone winning any knockdowns.
Time and time again they were caught in possession in their own half and they were not doing enough to get it back. That meant City had lots of space when they attacked, and it turned into a extremely comfortable afternoon for them.
'We were hauled in at 6am for training'

At Blackburn, Allardyce was always very pragmatic - he would always target certain games for wins, usually at home.
He would not have said that City away was a place where you could go out and go for the three points. His approach for games like that was to make clear to the players that we started with a point, and the aim was to work hard to try to leave with one too.
So Sunday's result in itself would not have been an issue for him. It is the manner of the defeat that will cause him most concern. His side did not put in any effort.
With performances like that, I can see why West Ham have won just one of their last 11 games.
James Collins' own goal put Man City ahead against West Ham
West Ham could not recover after going behind to James Collins' own goal at Etihad Stadium
They had a similar run last season but it is not a sequence of results you would associate with Allardyce as a manager, and I certainly did not experience a run like that under him at Blackburn.
One reason for that was that his man-management skills with players were very good - when things were going well, he made things easy for us. When we played badly, then he would make things really bad.
I remember times when we put in performances like that and we were hauled in at 6am the next day for training.
At the moment, though, it looks like Allardyce is having a problem motivating his players. For me, that is a by-product of the uncertainty over his future.
It is no secret that his contract is up at the end of the season, that there is a constant stream of stories about who is going to replace him, and there has been a lack of support for him from above.
That all helps the players - or at least some of them - to not give the commitment he needs for his teams to be successful.
'The players don't need to impress Allardyce'

It is not just the players. For most people watching the situation, myself included, it looks as if Allardyce will not be in charge next season.
But the way the situation has been handled has been messy and I think it has undermined West Ham's season.
When a team of players know the manager might not be in charge for the longer term, then it is harder to motivate the group. They don't need to impress you.
Newcastle manager John Carver
Newcastle manager John Carver has got the job until the end of the season - his side have lost their last six games
When he was Tottenham manager, Tim Sherwood came out with that quote about being a supply teacher, and he is exactly right. Ask Newcastle boss John Carver too.
That is the problem Allardyce has to deal with at the moment - it will be very difficult for him to turn things round before the end of the season, unless he gets a new contract.
If that happens, the players will recognise they are playing for their futures under this manager.
At the moment, though, it is easy for them to think that if a new man does come in, it offers them a clean slate.
'Hammers fans should be careful what they wish for'

The way West Ham's season has gone has hardly helped Allardyce either, but I don't think that is all his fault.
The Hammers were fourth at Christmas, but if the Premier League had started on Boxing Day they would be 15th, three points off the bottom.
They still have a chance of a top-10 finish which, for West Ham, would be an excellent achievement but on the back of their current form it feels like they have had a bad season when they really haven't.
West Ham fans protest against Sam Allardyce
West Ham fans held up an anti-Allardyce banner during their defeat at West Brom in April 2014
I know Allardyce has always had a frosty relationship with the Hammers fans, but I would give a message of caution to the supporters putting pressure on him now.
They have the right to do that of course, but they should be careful what they wish for because they will have to live with the consequences.
West Ham are a big club who are about to move to the Olympic Stadium, and I am sure there will be a lot of people interested in the job if Allardyce does leave.
But they have to make sure they get the right man to ensure the club continues in the right direction.
Under Sam, regardless of whether you like his brand of football, the club did that. I would stick with him.
Jason Roberts was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

ajc123 7:25 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

I make you right Luke and WillTell's paragraph should be nailed to the forehead of all the Allardites. I've had enough, I'm not paying for 38 games to watch us turn up to 28. That doesn't make me a fan, that makes me a mug. In no other sport would this happen. If you watch snooker and support a qualifier, you don't think 'Ronnie O'Sullivan next, eye eye, think I'll play the clever game and turn up to pay even though my man has got no chance and is playing with a broken cue, so save his 'best' cue for the games he 'might' win.

COOL HAND LUKE 7:15 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Because the arse licking old boys are / were those that toed the line, signed with Curtis, etc etc e.g. like Nolan at our place.

Now he can't just recruit these cronies and featherbed them, his power base in the club (and hence his 'control' over the less compliant players too) has been eroded.

He doesn't like it, he's been rumbled.

Personally I ditched my ST at end of last season, and that has been the correct decision, imo. So I am reaching the point where it makes no fackin difference to me if he stays or not, BUT he IS destroying our club and it is sad to watch it happen.

If Brady believes what she's said, she's a fackin idiot.

stomper 4:06 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

If BFS is so bad, and I'm not a fan, how come he has so many "arse-licking old boys"?

Moore than enough!!! 3:43 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Part of the problem is that we lost the element of surprise. Teams didn't expect us to be so fluid in our movement and certain players rediscovering a bit of form.

Injuries to certain players helped to an extent; but come Christmas time when you've been through every team; people had an idea about what we were doing.

The problem that comes from that is rather than persisting with it and continuing to have a crack at teams; our management panicked and reverted to type. Type is easy, type was sort of successful before - so to them it's like a cuddly blanket.

I think his time has been up for more than long enough now. Out of ideas, lost power with recruitment and who he can employ to the coaching staff. Any employee in the world with a shit, clueless; powerless manager eventually loses faith and stops putting the effort in.

At the start of the season; you could encourage a good siege mentality amongst the players (world against us sort of stuff) but with no international tournaments this summer, safety assured and not giving a shit about the management (and subsequently the club) it's flip flops on time.

The Hammers 2:55 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

I think we will bounce back :)

stewie griffin 2:53 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Firstly, its still bollocks.

Secondly, if there's a single one of the players that is going through the motions, or not producing results that would jeopardise him leaving, then they can fuck off, we don't want them here.

COOL HAND LUKE 2:51 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Willtell 9.57

I make you right re the early season situation - he hoped to sink us then come roaring to the rescue with his trusty sidekicks, but the players revelled in their new freedoms and blew the doors off.

And FWIW I believe the players are behind the ongoing 'fail' in 2015 too... THEY know Sam is being a twat and so whenever he pulls a silly stroke now (be it stupid team selections / tactics / subs) they simply keep schtum and go through the motions.

Roberts reckons the players have gotten lazy because they are worried that Sam is going, but I don't think thats it at all. I think the majority of them HOPE he is going and they don't want to produce the results that might jeopardise that.

Of course, even 2 months or so back, this was being called sensationalist bullshit. Funny how that noise has faded away to virtual silence of late...

daveyg 10:02 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

The reason Roberts backs Allardyce is because he was a very average footballer who was one of the lucky ones who got to play PL football under managers like Allardyce.
Of course he's going to back him. "he picked me and that makes me look almost good".
As others have pointed out " he would always target certain games for wins, usually at home." is his downfall and these negative tactics are why the fans can see through him.
Better managers than Dyche,Sherwood and even Pearson go out to try and win every game.
Sick and tired of his negative tactics and these so called pundits backing Allardyce.
Oh for a change now and a Sherwood philosophy. We should of been going to Wembley not being shunted out by the likes of WBA.

Willtell 9:57 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

I think that this is quite an insightful article by a player that played under SA. Roberts has confirmed a lot of what we thought about how SA manages the team. He cannot understand how this guy that he played for at Blackburn, has changed so much that he can only explain that difference by blaming the contract situation.

I don't think there are any doubts that David Sullivan has undermined SA. By calling for attacking football and taking the acquisition of players away from him has eroded his authority. But Sullivan's interventions were deserved in my opinion.

SA saw us struggle pre-season for the first few games as we suffered injuries to Carroll and Nolan. I genuinely believe that SA thought fuck it! I'll show then what happens when you play 4-4-2 attacking football and slip down the table. Then by the time Nolan and Carroll are back I'll go back to the SA game plan to pull us clear....

Only it didn't happen that way. We started getting results and went top 4. SA was getting the plaudits from everyone, me included was uncomfortable for him. As Roberts says he rules by being Mr Nice Guy when players follow orders but Mr Nasty when they fuck up.

He was lost because the team was doing well so he talked it down because HE wasn't comfortable with weekly success. It was alien to him and he wasn't leading by his iron fist approach. Chelsea away gave him the chance to revert to type and field a weaker defensive team preferring our chances against at that time a struggling Arsenal I think it was, 3 or 4 days later.

My impression is that he started to lose the players at that point. His ridiculous team selections, substitutions and favouritisms hasn't recovered their respect since and I see SA as a manager that has lost all his drive. As Roberts says, 9 of the team started against Citeh when we beat them 2-1 in a thrilling match. Roberts thinks it is down to the contract. I think it is down to SA having lost the respect of most of the players...

Texas Iron 5:27 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

COOL HAND LUKE 3:56 Mon Apr 20

Completely agree with you...

Well said...!!!

mentor 5:06 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Roberts would stick with Allardyce. And yet what has gone wrong is purely down to the fact that our owners didn't have the balls to sack him at the end of last season.

The White Horse 4:49 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Jason Roberts - who the fuck is he. Cnut

aldgate 12:31 Tue Apr 21
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

People like Roberts think we at West ham should be happy with mediocrity.
Well i'm not - nor am i happy with mediocre and lazy pundits like him who should do a bit of research before they gob off with crap like this.
If you are being paid to be an expert do the basics rather than harp on about fat sam was an alright bloke decades ago.
If we don't out him asap the rot he's set rolling will infect our club at all levels

wanstead_hammer 11:39 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Roberts is just a shit-stirring, mccains on the shoulder, not very good pundit for the BBC.
Thats why he looks so smug, cos hes sitting pretty now. He won't have to play the race card, cos the bbc will definitely never sack HIM.
They're his back-up unit now. He'll be a presenter on BBC London News next.

JR - (more like J.Arthur).


We all know its the fat useless walrus' fault that we're playing shit and slipping down the table. (As most of us have been saying for months).

Harlow Hammer SNR 11:20 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Absolutely spot on Luke. The walrus has to go.

Hammer and Pickle 11:14 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

I very much hope this piece of shit motivates our new manager and our players, fans and every club employee to really kick on next season.

Gavros 11:09 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Yep. Allardyce has done his best to sabotage the football philosophy that the owners had publicly told him they wanted and invested so heavily in in terms of quality signings. If i were Sullivan i'd be fucking fuming, but I also agree with them keeping the course with him til the end of the season, if only to prove what a fucking cunt he is (and you can bet your life if he knows he's going he'll get it across to us by some gesture or other). The only sad thing is that its our early performances despite of BFS which will guarantee him another job as he'll claim (and weak sports journalists will concur) that our final league position was down to him.

Sniper 11:05 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

I read this earlier and found it to be one of the least insightful and laziest pieces of supposed journalism I've read for some time. Even robbie savage puts more analysis and thought into his articles.

Nicey 10:55 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Luke you have it bang on.

I can't remeber a time in living history at any club where a manager has acted in this way. It's an absolute disgrace and embarrassing that his old boy cronies defend him and really sad that some supporters still back him even when he is laughing in their face.

Nicey 10:48 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

Roberts playing the race card again and protecting the fat oaf from the black country

Swiss. 4:33 Mon Apr 20
Re: What has gone wrong with the Hammers?

I think Cool Hand Luke has summed it up. That's the reason this vindictive, arrogant piece of shit has to go.

I don't think he was getting credit for the start of the season and rightly so. It was Sheringham and the new attacking philosphy he'd been told to adapt by G&S. If he's had any pride he would have quit when this was annopunced.

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