What Does The Future Hold?

As a West Ham fan, I'm used to seeing good football. Maybe not successful football, but certainly good football. Many of you will of course be saying that there is no "West Ham way" to play football, but have a look at the video below, and tell me that those goals aren't 100x better than what has been on display at Upton Park this season. I'm now willing to go on record publicly saying that I hope that Sam Allardyce either leaves, or is sacked, at the end of the season, or at the very least by the start of next season.  

It's all well and good Big Sam saying that he's not worried about what the fans think, but at some point he'll have to open his eyes to the fact that the football he is sending the players out to play is both ugly, and unsuccessful.

Let's now compare West Ham in the Premier League this season, with the West Ham team managed by Avram Grant in 2010/11.  Sam's 28% win rate is higher than Grant's, but his loss rate of 53% (19 out of 36 games) is higher than Grant's number, standing at 50% (19 out of 38). With West Ham still to play Tottenham and Man City, I can't see that percentage decreasing. Equally, Grant's West Ham scored more goals (43 in 38) than Sam's Hammers currently have (38 in 36), and I can't see that number increasing by a great deal, if, at this rate, any.

Allardyce has repeatedly said that he doesn't care for the fans' protests towards both the results being produced, and the style of football being played. However, here was his view on the sacking of Gary Megson's reign at Bolton Wanderers, one of Sam's former clubs: "Unfortunately for Gary, the fans wouldn't quite take to him and they always felt there was something they disagreed with, no matter what he seemed to do...if your fans decide they don't like you, then you've got very little chance of keeping your job, no matter how good you are." After fans at the West Bromwich Albion game on Saturday unveiled the banner shown (right), and having been asking Chairman David Gold on Twitter about the future of the 13th highest paid manager in the world, you have to wonder how long Allardyce has left at the Boleyn Ground.

By bringing in a new manager, the two Davids would be showing a willingness to change the mentality of a West Ham fanbase who are, at the moment, demoralised with the approach taken by manager Allardyce. His tactic of playing 1 up front, and refusing to budge from that tactic, even when 1 or 2 goals down. His recent decisions to replace both wingers, who are key to the current West Ham style of play, has not gone down well with fans. Considering that Carlton Cole often comes on, and Kevin Nolan has been less than effective, Allardyce could do with taking off Nolan and possibly one of Diamé or Noble, rather than persisting with no wingers when a couple of goals down.

 To see someone more expansive at the club, such as Malky Mackay or Slaven Bilic (themselves both former Hammers), or even fan favourite Paolo DiCanio, would be a welcome replacement. Although I think that DiCanio would be a disaster, it would be a real boost to the fans. From my perspective, he seems better suited to an Assistant Manager's role, used as a motivator for the players. That is unlikely, but any man who is willing to come in to a team that is fairly strong to be set up in many ways is likely to shake things up, make the squad younger and introduce a new philosophy, more akin to that of the West Ham of old.

Personally, I wouldn't be averse to saying goodbye to Sam, whatever the cost. His style of play doesn't fit West Ham as a club, and his attitude towards the fans is wearing thin. He still refers back to the fact that he kept the team in the Premier League last season, as well as the run that he had in February which saw him win the Manager of the Month award. For me, though, it's got to be "Goodbye Sam", as his philosophy simply doesn't stand up to the style of play that West Ham fans are used to, as well as the fact that opposition teams are finding it easier to stop a squad with seemingly only one way of finding the back of the net.