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Glenn Rodent 2:47 Mon Feb 16
This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

I think everyone needs to calm down, take a step back and think about where we are as a club and where can we go from here.

In Sam Allardyce we have an experienced Premier League Manager, a man that has never been relegated from the top flight, a person that is highly respected in the game and that has his playing squad on side.
He is full of self-confidence that on occasions spills over into arrogance. Arrogance is not the end of the world if you can back it up and when you look at his managerial record in the Premier League, he can.

In terms of his West Ham managerial career, the issues are that from the word go he has never really aligned himself with the clubs fans. His football philosophy and style of play has been frustrating at times. He has dismissed the ethos and philosophy of the club which has alienated himself with the fans. He doesn’t seem interested in cup competitions or in the Academy or promoting youth and continues to keep loyal with his foot soldier Nolan when it is clear that he is past his best.

There have been many examples of why you can see he is disliked – “I could manage Real Madrid”, “a top job would suit me”, the cupping of the ear, ‘sophisticated’ & better than Wenger etc. The sheer ignorance and his dismissive manner of ‘the west ham way’ has never helped his cause. The refusal to admit when he is wrong in either blaming poor refereeing decisions or the fatigue of his players or injuries. The fact that he snubbed all the fans who travelled to the Midlands and sang their hearts out even at 0-3 by not even acknowledging them or providing an apology in his post-match interview on Saturday.

In all of the above, we can all see why there is anti-Sam brigade and why some people want his head on a stick.

But now let’s look on the flip side. A club with huge third party debt. A club that has always underachieved:-
Season 1 (Bring unity into the squad & club & promotion needed at all costs) – Result = Promotion & Unity
Season 2 (Safety required) – Result = Safety achieved but we overachieved with a 10th place finish.
Season 3 (Consolidation) – Result = 13th place finish and semi-final of a cup, although an extremely difficult season with injuries.

Seasons 1-3 were a success based on where we were to where we finished. But the style of play was questioned and whether it was the Chairmen, Allardyce or a combination of both, the negatives in terms of style pf play were answered when it came to the successful signings in summer 2014 and the way we have been set up with the diamond formation.

Season 4 (sitting comfortably in 8th position).

Now the current issue seems to be Allardyce’s continuous loyalty to Nolan or playing a combination of Nolan with Noble which doesn’t seem to work because of the lack of pace and speed in build-up play. There is negativity because he didn’t strengthen the central defence or the forward line when we now so weak in due to injuries and fatigue. The reality is that he tried to improve on all areas in January. Diarra and other targets slipped through the net. He tried to get Adeybayor & Mbodj but they didn’t come either. If a player you want doesn’t want to come or FIFA or a club blocks the transfer of other players you want then there isn’t much you can do. You can’t get what isn’t available and there is no point bringing in players who aren’t good enough. So what are the options other than to continue playing Nolan, Noble etc. Amalfitano is an impact player and you always need impact to come on. Nolan and Noble aren’t impact players which is why they start and until the summer comes then Allardyce is limited on his choices. He has Lee, Oxford and Burke on the bench sometimes only when he has nobody else. Lee isn’t good enough and Burke or Oxford aren’t ready. So what else is he to do? You don’t send them on to be humiliated if they aren’t good enough or ready. He made this error last year in the cup at Forest.

We are now in a position where we have a squad with fatigue, an injury list and a few players out of form. With financial fair play we were restricted with budget in January even if we had managed to get people in. In the summer we have a brand new budget, new TV deal and hopefully we can build on the signings of last season – another striker to complement Sakho, Valencia and Carroll. A new centre back to replace Reid. The emergence of Oxford and Burke to compete with an ageing Collins. Investment in the midfield area to bring new first choice players to play with Song, Kouyate & Downing.

Allardyce’s reign has been fraught with positives and negatives. I honestly believe he is the right man for the job and with some new additions in the summer we will improve again in Season 5 just as we have each and every season under his management. Change normally takes clubs backwards and I think we would be crazy to replace him now. We should keep buildings and move our way slowly into the new stadium and then review things again at that stage. Until then I think your dislike of Allardyce as an individual needs to be pushed aside and talk of Simeone, Klopp, Bilic, Howe etc is just laughable. These Managers are not proven in the Premier League or simply wouldn’t come. So I don’t see a better choice than the man already at the helm.

Whether you like him or not that isn’t important. The most important thing is OUR great club. You can’t deny that in the grand scheme of things he has done and is doing a good job. When the players are on form and fresh you see the performances are great. You can’t deny that Man Utd at home the other day was nothing short of terrific and this is what we should be looking to build on and I am convinced that if he is given the summer to add to the squad and make some adjustments then we will. Out with the fringe (Jarvis, Potts, C Cole) and push aside the older and less capable (Nolan & Noble).

So can’t we stop the negativity, retain a balanced view and be honest with ourselves in terms of where we once were and where we now are. Get behind the Manager and the players and stop whinging like little bitches.

IRONS.

:^) 7:01 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

I don't think net spend is all that important, it's value for money.

Curbishley's net spend didn't look so bad as he had Pardew's crop of players to cash in on, Allardyce had very little to cash in on.

As for value for money, we haven't seen value from Allardyce in sales but some in loans, frees etc, although that could change with Valencia, Sakho, Cresswell etc which could completely alter our net spend next season.

Capitol Man 6:37 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Honestly I would love a more exciting manager who was really taking us forward and bringing in exciting young players. Experience with 35-odd years of West Ham managers just leaves me incredibly pessimistic, whoever we get in.

It rarely seems to work at other clubs either. For the most part it comes down to finances - and with the OS over the horizon do we take a big chance here, giving up a very good chance to virtually guarantee survival next season?

After that the whole game changes as we potentially become one of the big boys in terms of revenue/spend.

Trevor B 6:32 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

stewie that wasnt the point i was making. someone said below words to the effect of them that spend the most on buying players have the most success. its not the case according to recent studies. thats all.

stewie griffin 6:31 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Capitol Man 6:27 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)


See your point. But I'd argue that's exactly where our recruitment has fallen down until last summer. Jarvis being the most dramatic example.
Nolan on the length of contract he's on, another.

Said early this morning - and don't expect you to read back - we've corected that this summer just gone with the types of signings we made, but as usual we're reacting, and copying what everyone else is doing, rather than being at the front of things.

That's a club issue, rather than an Allardyce issue, for me.

Capitol Man 6:29 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Or as Trevor said - wages.

We're probably somewhere close to eighth I'd imagine.

stewie griffin 6:28 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Before FFP, I could see that argument, B son.

Since FFP has come in, its noticeable that only the Manchester clubs - and to a lesser extent Arsenal (but they've been frugal for 10 years) - are actually spending money on transfers. Everyone else, except us, is paying for incomings by outgoings.
The most obvious example being the one at the top of the League.

Capitol Man 6:27 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Well not really SG. I say it's BS then I explain why it's BS - because of the way the transfer market works you just need to sell one "super" player to make it look like you've been frugal.

It would be great if we could find the next Bale or Suarez, but is that a realistic expectation to put on Alardyce in terms of spending?

We've not sold many players and perhaps we can blame Sam for that, but most of the clearing out we've done has been upgrading from the Championship side to a premiership one.

Maybe total outgoings or the average paid for a player in the starting XI is a better guide?

Trevor B 6:26 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

its not always great idea to look at spending on buying players, or even net spend. there was an article awhile ago that show generally those teams who spend the most on wages have the most success.

stewie griffin 6:19 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Your first sentence says it's 'BS', and then you go on to explain how other clubs have used it to boost their own spending power.

Good work.

Capitol Man 6:16 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Again, that net spend thing is BS. Spurs selling Bale alone probably cancels it their entire spend last summer. Then the sold modric before that.

We can blame Allardyce for not buying in young talent and developing it - but it's mainly our failure to unearth the next superstar that seems to cost us on this front.

I'm fairly happy with our spend on historical terms, but we've not been buying players of the caliber of Spurs, for example.

With the exception of Southampton we are performing well in terms of the mid-layer of clubs.

See if it last out the season though.

It is football, but a lot of you lot of you seem more emotional than logical about the whole thing. Time of the month perhaps?

Willtell 6:05 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

So over the last 5 seasons WH have been the 6th biggest spenders with a net average spend of almost £16.5m. Perhaps we should expect to be in 6th place but there are other anomalies. Tottenham are the lowest in 20th place with an average net transfer income of £4.37m pa! Newcastle also sell more than they buy...

The clubs that have spent more are Citeh, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal.

The White Horse 5:41 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

Russ @ 9.44

Oh I get it Russ that's a nice "out". Now he's getting closer to the exit door you want all to believe that the pro sam brigade doesn't really exist and all this time anybody who wanted him gone are just people trying to create divisions. Do fuck off..

Glenn Rodent 4:50 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

goose 4:41 Wed Feb 18

It is probably going that way to be fair. I just hope they make the right call with the replacement.

goose 4:41 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

agreed it needs sorting but i think theres only one decision that will clear the negativity.

Glenn Rodent 4:39 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

goose 4:38 Wed Feb 18

I hope we do. I hope we get the Manager situation sorted out one way or another to get rid of all the negativity.

goose 4:38 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

no-one (aside from man utd) can spend £50m on players.
but we will spend £20-£30m net, more than probably every club outside the top 5 or 6.

maybe soton will splash the cash with the possible champions league revenue.

Glenn Rodent 4:36 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

goose 4:32 Wed Feb 18

I get that but we still aren't going to spend £50M in the summer. Not unless we sell Valencia etc first. Remember the owners have to pay down all debit before the stadium move.

stewie griffin 4:33 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

We shouldn't be throwing money at anyone. Other than the Manchester clubs, no one is throwing money around. They're paying for players with the proceeds of player sales.

Sorry, the two Manchester clubs and us.

goose 4:32 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

you do realise that FFP rules are based over the year?? come the summer we get prize money, ST money and more tv money so thje cheque book is open again.

i'd put my life on us at least matching last summers net spend, if not more.

Glenn Rodent 4:29 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

stewie griffin 4:24 Wed Feb 18

People are saying we should hire Koeman or throw money at a new manager. People are saying we are the 4th highest spenders etc.

All I am saying is we can't throw money at a new Manager because of FFP. That is all I mean.

goose 4:26 Wed Feb 18
Re: This is the most important thing you will read this year.... (or not. bfs love in)

i'm struggling to get your point Glen. we spent a bundle in the summer and looked to spend a bit more in january but couldnt.
Sam has been backed massively in the market every year.

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