Sam Allardyce has moved to odds-on to become the first managerial casualty of the season with some bookies.
Sky Bet for example have him priced up at 10/11 for the bullet but word from inside Upton Park is that the relationship between himself and the owners will need to markedly deteriorate for the axe to fall.
Relationships between the board and the manager could best be described as tense at the moment after David Sullivan’s Talk Sport interview last week displayed a big difference of opinion over Ravel Morrison’s future.
ClaretandHugh has also learned that Allardyce’s decision to claim pre-season results may have been affected by the new attacking policy demanded by the board has not gone down well.
However, the owners are great believers in keeping their word on contracts and are always totally loathe to break them.
A source told us: “The odds on saking are too short at the moment given the two Davids’ track record with managers.
“They believe in keeping contracts. They believe that to be the right thing to do.
” They have never been hire and fire people but of course there is always a line which can’t be crossed.
“A lot has been said of late and results so far haven’t helped anything. Sam has had a lot of backing but apparent public differences aren’t helping things.”
Who could be surprised that Allardyce is under pressure already, given that the pressure never really let off after last season. The assurances that Sam would let the team play with more freedom seem without foundation, given that the perfect time to mess with the formation and try the untried is in a pre season tournament, and the leopard failed to change his spots.
If the exercise was one of WHU fan base building in the Antipodes then the time was a success and hopefully taking Winston Reid home to parade him as a Hammer will cement him in our defence for the next campaign.
But this idea that Sam will embrace a flowing style of possession football and join the 21st century let alone play the mythical ‘West Ham way’ has no credence in my book.
If he really believes that the team he puts out each week has the tools to play attractive attacking football, why not let them off the leash and see what happens. And if it’s true that he rejects the idea of using Ravel and Zarate before they have kicked a ball in anger, then to me he demonstrates only the desire to survive another relegation season and leave us in a state of turmoil when his contract finally lapses.
To the two Davids, I plead, look further than the settlement money to get rid of Sam and think how much money will be lost in transfer fees and wages for players that don’t get a chance in the side, the lost ticket revenue of fans staying at home and the cost of relegation to the Championship, in the last season at the Boleyn Ground. You may be honourable in sticking to the managers contract, but I don’t believe Allardici is living up to his end of the deal, and I think now is the time to act before it is beyond salvage.
Very well put