Were we right to boo Big Sam?
Article by e-West Ham Correspondent Brandon FreemanFollow e-West Ham on Twitter here!
Eight points clear of the relegation zone, fifteen points from our last eight games and on the cusp of securing Premier League safely, what exactly do us West Ham fans have to boo about?
Well, despite my admiration for Big Sam and the way he dragged West Ham from the championship into Premier League safety, Wednesday night’s performance left hammers fans like me departing Upton Park with a real sense of concern about where exactly Sam Allardyce can take our club. Although I am a great believer that the most successful clubs are those where the fans, manager and players wholeheartedly believe in the direction which the owners and management are taking the club, you cannot argue that Big Sam’s style of play has brought results and much needed stability to West Ham.
The boos may have been harsh on the players who definitely played their hearts out against Hull but the manner of the victory was poor and certain sections of the fans felt that Sam Allardyce needed telling. However, I do feel that certain fans may have shown a lack of taste in their criticism of Big Sam, after all the boo boys at Upton Park kept very quite in February when West Ham won all four of their games and dragged themselves out of trouble. It may be cliché to say that sometimes you have to win ugly, but clichés are often rooted in truth, particularly when your side is being dragged back into the relegation scrap following three consecutive defeats. West Ham did indeed win ugly, with Chester’s own goal being one of the most fortuitous goals I have witnessed at Upton Park this season, but as has always been the case with Allardyce, when we desperately need a win he always gets one no matter how ugly and one dimensional it may be.
Despite being hugely disappointed with the team’s performance, I never resorted to booing my own team, especially not after such a vital win. However, the boos did cause me to admire the theatrical cupping of the ear and Sam’s smile to the fans. The admiration came from the thick skinned approach Allardyce has to all of his critics, even his own fans, and his post match comments reminded me of just how far we have come from the team relegated under Avram Grant. Big Sam himself admitted to being deeply confused at what he heard after the final whistle: “I’ve never been in a place where we have won and got booed. I couldn’t believe it” Although the older generation of hammers fans may be yearning for the so called West Ham way, doesn’t the fact that we now boo our team even after it wins, and finds itself on the verge of safety in the league, show how discontent we have become with safety in the Premier league, something which we were crying out for under Avram Grant.
Although the style of play may not always be easy on the eye, it gets results, and as Sam Allardyce has regularly said: “We are in a results business” and it is these results which are keeping West Ham in the league, so do we really have any right to complain?
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Were you not at the game ? A man sent off and Bruce takes off a defender as he knows we have only one up front and he can cope with three at the back. Does Sam take a midfielder off and go two up front to give us the advantage ? NO he carries on as we were and virtually gave up the one man advantage, these negative tactics are what piss the fans off and make me a season ticket holder of 18 years think I will not renew next year to watch what is some of the worst football I have seen and I have seen some shit there over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the 4 wins in Feb were due to a different format (ie minus AC) and Big Sam immediately reverted when Andy was available even if it didn't and still isn't working. He is too set in his ways and one directional. We should have been able to profit more from Hull going down to 10 men but we scraped a win. We do have players capable of playing better football than just lumping it forward at every chance, but Sam doesn't consider changing his 'proven' style. Even if we buy new players next season they will be in the same mould and look to supplement AC instead of introducting variable alternatives. Change your policies Sam or change the manager Messrs Gold & Sullivan
ReplyDeleteWe're not in the results business, we're in the entertainment business foremost - it's why people go to football matches for enjoyment, pleasure and excitement!
ReplyDeleteIt is a results business. Staying in the Prem is important to the future of the club and the club needs that stability now. We could have gone in a different direction and ended up with problems the same as Leeds, Portsmouth and Birmingham. Yes, I was there on Wed but I just thought three points, the players were looking and getting nervous. It was a must win game and while I agree we were not the best team on the night we did hold out nerve just about. If we really attacked Hull we would have been very vunrable on the counter attack. Bruce played this well and went for broke. It could have gone very wrong. I have not seen "the West Ham way" really since Harry left. Some of the football under Sam has been ok at times. I would say Wed was not one of the best nights and there have been some other stinkers this season. I don't enjoy losing or being relegated. I think Sam has done the best he can with the resource he has. I have been a West Ham fan for 43 years.
ReplyDeleteI would never boo however that was the worst Performance I have seen in the Premiership, we have clapped the team off when we have lost but put in a decent performance so how is booing a win, when we played p*ss poor any different?
ReplyDeleteReally good article and agree with all of it. Same fans moaning now are the same ones that were crying during the last 2 seasons in the prem. Our fans conveniently forget how poor we were when we went down and how we lost our best players - Parker/Ba. And with our debts its a miracle that we went straight back up!
ReplyDeleteFact is we still have massive debts and a very limited team. Thats not down to the manager, thats down to our financial position. I personally would swap our team for some of them around us as man for man we are very limited and feel that with a different manager this team would likely be relegated. I also hear all of the time that fans aren't going to renew the season tickets/gates are down etc. Our gates are still higher than under grant and Zola (who plays 'our' football)?
Booing the team was laughable, they even got booed at half time. Are we so arrogant and deluded that we feel superior to a team like Hull and should've stuck 4 past them, a team who were above us before the game. Lets not forget that we have won twice this season with 10 against 11 as well. Some of our fans have delusions of grandeur with regarsd to our players and where we should be in the league. We are a lower premier league team and have been since teh prem statred over 20 years ago. We have to earn the right to move up the table, we cant expect that in our second season back in the most competitive league in the world.
Personally Im happy for Sam to stay until we move and have the funds for the new manager to buy the right players to change our style of play to what we are more used to