I nailed it with the Hammers
SAM HAILS JOB WELL DONE DESPITE THE FANS’ REVOLT
SAM ALLARDYCE congratulated himself on a “job well done” at West Ham – during a reign that turned toxic with the fans.
Big Sam admits the only joy in going back to the pie-and-mash heartlands tonight will be to take at least a point.
Allardyce’s latest rescue mission enjoyed lift-off with his first win in charge of West Brom in the derby at Wolves.
One of his proudest boasts is never being relegated in 29 years as a manager, and Allardyce said: “I had four very good years at West Ham – they are in the Premier League because of me.
“I took them up in the first year, had three fantastic seasons in the Premier League and it’s nice to see them maintain that position and trying to improve on it.
“That was a job well done, and going back can only be a joy to me if we get a result.”
But Fireman Sam’s rose-tinted assessment of his spell with the Hammers overlooks the anger of his final year at the so-called ‘Academy of Football’, where his pragmatism was always tolerated more than celebrated.
And when Allardyce cupped a hand to his ear, mocking the boos which greeted a laboured 2-1 win over 10-man Hull in 2014, it was like a red rag to a bull.
Irate supporters hung a ‘Fat Sam Out’ banner outside owner David Sullivan’s Essex home but it was June 2015 before the Hammers changed course by appointing Slaven Bilic.
Allardyce can, however, be proud that West Ham were in a better position when he left than when he joined them.
He has lost all three of his previous returns to West Ham – with Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton – but needs to break that cycle to build on Saturday’s encouraging 3-2 win at Molineux.
He said: “We’ll have to apply ourselves as well as we did against Wolves and, hopefully, take our chances when they come. We need to show the same level of courage.
“We’ve given ourselves a threepoint platform.An undefeated run can build confidence.”
WEST HAM (probable): Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals; Antonio.
WEST BROM (probable): Button; O’Shea, Bartley, Ajayi, Gibbs; Livermore, Sawyers; Pereira, Snodgrass, Grosicki; Robinson.