Why broken record Sam Allardyce is fooling no one... least of all West Ham fans


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I'm glad Allardyce has joined us and I think he'll keep us up but I'm under no illusions what the football is going to be like at times. Plenty of 0-0's and hopefully some 1-0's in our favour but there will be games when we will be ultra defensive, barely having a shot and lose. There will be plenty on here moaning about the style of football after a few defeats like that. His style is to concede possession and nick something from a free kick or corner before sitting back and defending the lead. Most people will accept that this season but longer term, I guarantee the more turgid defeats we get, where we show no attacking ambition, the less popular he will become, just like at his other clubs.
Speaking to west ham season ticket holder today and he said expect you to get a lead and then sit back rest of the game. The only time he tried to attack was if the opposition pulled a goal back. Hes not proactive hes reactive was what he was getting at. So pretty much like we were under MoN then.
 
It doesn't matter how you dress it up with their position in the table, the fans had started to get fed up with the style of play.
I can guarantee there'll be plenty of dissent on here in his second season. It's the way of the world.
I just think the over defensive reaction to that piece is disingenuous, and I'm not likely to think any differently because Sam, got them to steady mid table.
We've had it so bad, that we're actually thrilled at the prospect of mid table. It doesn't mean that every fan in the country should feel that way. Considering the cost of a seat at Upton Park, I can see why they felt short changed.
The thing that is different here our fans dont demand the sunderland way because there isnt one, we arnt as f***ing stupid and any form of football that sees the club moving forward and away from last few game heart attackers will be progress. We arnt as silly as fans like west ham we know what we are and as long as we see effort and progress large majoritiy will be happy.
 
I've been watching football for over forty years and I still haven't got a f***ing clue what 'The West Ham way' is. I've seen Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and even the Mags (briefly) play some breathtaking football, but never West Ham. Deluded fuckers.
 
He knew they weren't going to renew his contract and he would be out of work by May. If that happened to me, I wouldn't give a shit either.

That's a fair comment actually.

He took over a Championship side and made them a PL mid table outfit and still got the sack for all intents and purposes. It's not very professional but I wouldn't know I had six months left in a job and give it my all either. There is also the very real possibility that he did give a shit and it was the players who switched off a bit knowing that they were safe and felt little need to impress the soon to be gone manager.
 
To be fair BSA done it for being booed after winning and Fletch done after not scoring for a year.


yes a memeorable home victory against Hull which we won with an own goal

Hull played 70 mins with 10 men

they still had 65% possession and spent the majority of the match camped in out half while our response was Ginge hoofing the ball in the genral direction of their goal from 80 yards away

this was not the first nor last such turgid performance by a long long way
 
In general I would agree, but there aren't (with the possible exception of Liverpool) any sets of fans in the Prem as entitled and deluded as West Ham and the Mags.

Pardew failed terribly after the Mags didn't he? They were absolutely right to turn up with all those Pardew out banners over the years...

BSA got hold of West ham in the Champo - gets them up and into safe mid table and gets sacked for 'not playing the West Ham Way' - they actually are worse than the Mags...
All clubs have certain amount of deluded fans. The Mags are the worst bar none, but that is not helped by the promises made by the owners, or the fact that they have tasted recent success. West Ham have highly ambitious owners who also know how to play the fans, and it's the press that keep the West Ham way thing going. In all fairness, they are now starting to deliver on their promises. Liverpool fans have been living on past glory, but their moaning is now paying off.
We don't tend to moan much, despite lack of success. There's an often used phrase on here "shy bairns get now't", so maybe we've been too easy.

The thing that is different here our fans dont demand the sunderland way because there isnt one, we arnt as f***ing stupid and any form of football that sees the club moving forward and away from last few game heart attackers will be progress. We arnt as silly as fans like west ham we know what we are and as long as we see effort and progress large majoritiy will be happy.
I would argue that it's us who are silly for being so obsessed with not being called delusional. We continue to doff our cap at the status quo, and we continue to get shat on.
 
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All clubs have certain amount of deluded fans. The Mags are the worst bar none, but that is not helped by the promises made by the owners, or the fact that they have tasted recent success. West Ham have highly ambitious owners who also know how to play the fans, and it's the press that keep the West Ham way thing going. In all fairness, they are now starting to deliver on their promises. Liverpool fans have been living on past glory, but their moaning is now paying off.
We don't tend to moan much, despite lack of success. There's an often used phrase on here "shy bairns get now't", so maybe we've been too easy.


I would argue that it's us who are silly for being so obsessed with not being called delusional. We continue to doff our cap at the status quo, and we continue to get shat on.


a fair point at the end. We have the 3rd highest ticket prices in the League, the stadium is % wise the most full in the league.

We've been in the top 6 spenders in the country over the last 4 seasons

Why should we not be allowed to expect a little entertainment?
 
yes a memeorable home victory against Hull which we won with an own goal

Hull played 70 mins with 10 men

they still had 65% possession and spent the majority of the match camped in out half while our response was Ginge hoofing the ball in the genral direction of their goal from 80 yards away

this was not the first nor last such turgid performance by a long long way
I never have and never will accept boos for a win, no matter how shit the performance or tactics. As it happens I don't boo anyway but understand those that feel the need, but not for a win mate.
 
I never have and never will accept boos for a win, no matter how shit the performance or tactics. As it happens I don't boo anyway but understand those that feel the need, but not for a win mate.
me either but lets be clear i've seen us lose 4-0 and play better

not agreeing with it but it was the most soul destroying period I've had in the 38 years I've been going to matches, never have I been closer to packing it in, even through I think 5 relegations and some absolutely shite teams in that time I never felt that bad about things
 
This is what he said himself

"When I was at West Ham my wife would constantly read the supporters' websites to see what new insults were being fired. It upset her but she couldn't keep away from the screen.

Now she's been reading the Sunderland fans' sites and she tells me the reaction has been very positive, which makes me very excited to get going.

"Everyone wants to be praised and to feel wanted and I just hope I can give the Sunderland supporters some of the excitement they are looking for.

"It's nice to be loved, but at West Ham and Newcastle I was faced by passionate fans that made themselves heard if they weren't happy.

"It wasn't just me at West Ham, it was every manager that was there. I got it because I was manager at that time, but before that they moaned about Avram Grant, Alan Curbishley, Alan Pardew and Harry Redknapp."

"Look at how Alan Pardew's career has transformed. They gave him a hard time at Newcastle and he moved to Palace, where the fans love him. The turnaround has been scary."

I Can't see what the fuss is about to be honest.
 
This is what he said himself

"When I was at West Ham my wife would constantly read the supporters' websites to see what new insults were being fired. It upset her but she couldn't keep away from the screen.

Now she's been reading the Sunderland fans' sites and she tells me the reaction has been very positive, which makes me very excited to get going.

"Everyone wants to be praised and to feel wanted and I just hope I can give the Sunderland supporters some of the excitement they are looking for.

"It's nice to be loved, but at West Ham and Newcastle I was faced by passionate fans that made themselves heard if they weren't happy.

"It wasn't just me at West Ham, it was every manager that was there. I got it because I was manager at that time, but before that they moaned about Avram Grant, Alan Curbishley, Alan Pardew and Harry Redknapp."

"Look at how Alan Pardew's career has transformed. They gave him a hard time at Newcastle and he moved to Palace, where the fans love him. The turnaround has been scary."

I Can't see what the fuss is about to be honest.
Ah right. He wasn't slagging their fans off at all.
 
me either but lets be clear i've seen us lose 4-0 and play better

not agreeing with it but it was the most soul destroying period I've had in the 38 years I've been going to matches, never have I been closer to packing it in, even through I think 5 relegations and some absolutely shite teams in that time I never felt that bad about things
Try 8 relegations since 74/75 when I started. I know your frustration only too well but we disagree on one point, nowt spoiling mate. f***ing love footy though, when my team scores a meaningful goal there's no better feeling than lowping about like a twat with your mates and dad.
 
as I said watching that dross week in week out left me feeling worse than ever have about going to games, serious effort needed not to just stay in the pub some weeks, never felt like that before or since (although since not very long an things have gone well lol)

when things are going well you can get past it, but when as they will at all clubs you go through a sticky patch the crap football being played just emphasises it
 
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all this West Ham way stuff is that we like to see our sides play entertaining attacking football

it's not some set formation or style and the press have made more out of it than anyone else

unfortunately if the "West ham way" is as I said attractive attacking football, then we were right Allardyce does not provide it


the change in both style and results was moving Downing from the centre and breaking up the successful Sakho Valencia partnership

all done to accomodate Nolan and Carroll. Who strangely share an agent with him

I actually don't mind west ham and have always found their fans to be canny in person. The 'west ham way' saying is annoying though, in much the same way as it's annoying when commentators bang on about "these Newcastle fans love entertaining, end to end matches and good number 9s".

There isn't a single set of fans anywhere in the world, as far as I know, that don't like watching exciting, attacking games. There aren't any who, on the whole, prefer a good old fashioned centre half to a skillful attacker. I'm sure Lincoln city fans want to see their team pass the ball around and score good goals, hell, even stoke fans are enjoying the fact they play a bit "better" football nowadays. So it seems pointless to say "this is the way our fans like the game to be played" as if west ham supporters are somehow different, more refined in their footballing tastes, we all want good football to watch. For now I'll just take results like.
 
I posted earlier that I've had loads of chew on twitter with some West Ham fans who hate Allerdyce. They reckon they have only spent 4 years out of the last 24 outside the top flight? I can't be arsed to verify this.
It could all go pearshaped with Bilic and they may end up like Bplton and Blackburn out of the PL.
 
it could but with 14 points on the board already it would take a run so bad, well as bad as the last 23 games under Allardyce to send us down

With Carroll, Ogbonna, Song and Valencia all coming back into the squad this weekend (and we were doing well anyway) 'd be frankly stunned to see us even remotely near the bottom of the table
 
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Tbf the West Ham way is all media driven bullshit along the same lines as the mags/Pompey/Stoke/palace are the best fans in the world and ours all fuck if at half time.ive yet to speak to a Hammer who's mentioned it. Sams team played some good stuff at the start of last season and looked poor after Christmas. I hope he Keeps us up but I bet we're not impressed with the football once he's been here a while.
 
He did a very good job with the Hammers - precisely what was asked of him.
However, West Ham fans quickly forgot the work he'd done and rapidly started with the 'West Ham Way' stuff, calling for more exciting football as per their imagined tradition.
He wasn't a wanted manager, and he almost certainly knew his tenure was coming to an end, so it's not hard to see how he may have lacked motivation towards the end.

It's way too early to be singing Bilic's praises. It's going very will for them so far, but he needs at least a season before anybody can draw sensible conclusions. It probably needs two seasons to get an accurate picture.

However you look at it, Allardyce took them from mid-table, 1 league lower, and established them in the PL without a huge budget. A job well done by anybody's standards.
 
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