Allardyce to manage West Ham

Well, here we are with the first official West Ham thread being placed in the Championship section. Hey-ho.

It looks all but sealed that Sam Allardyce will take over at West Ham, with a simple remit to get us back up in one try.

He has previous Prem promotion experience with Bolton (via Play-offs), and no doubt what he did in keeping them up and improving them every season is something to truly admire.

It is a strange situation I think alot of Hammers fans find themselves in; instantly I can hear many fans lamenting the 'West Ham way' being sullied by Allardyce's tactics of bullying and pressuring the other side and somewhat direct passing.

My personal opinion is that we need someone to come in and lead us back to the Premiership as quickly as possible. If that man is Allardyce so be it. But lets not judge him just yet - lets wait and see what is served up football-wise, and go in with an open mind. One thing he definitely has on his side is transfer nous, and the odd flair player here and there won't go amiss!

Sodhat - I'm not a West Ham fan but I've always had a soft spot for your team going back to the days when Ron Greenwood was manager.

From a supporter like yourself of a club that has prided itself on cultured football - the 'West Ham way' as you say - I had half-expected an 'anti- Fat Sam' rant. To an outsider like myself, you seem surprisingly fair minded and charitable towards him.

Regardless of who is confirmed as manager, I hope you gain promotion quickly. The top league (whatever it calls itself this week) of English football is always better for the Hammers being in it. Good luck!

Thanks guilfordbat, I guess I wrote the thread aiming at giving him a chance before the inevitable criticism hits him!

His style doesn't mesh with us necessarily, but for the sake of the club we need promotion, and if he can deliver, I'll accept his methods.

We need some stability at the club now, and managerial changes aren't the way forward, so lets hope someone settles down to the task at hand.

think sometimes people are too quick jumping on sams style, bolton played good football at times. people like matt taylor, kevin nolan and jay jay okacha could all play abit. what sam does is makes you hard to break down and a threat on set pieces (something west ham were crying out for last season.) sometimes his style did over rely on direct football but when you got kevin davies up front you play to your strengths

at the end of the day west ham fans have a choice, try to play good football not achieve it like last season and get relegated or they can have the likes of big sam and do well in thier potenial while not being the next brazil side. would have thought most west ham fans would be happy at the moment to get promoted and stay in the prem, for that sams a good appointment

just have top make sure you dont do a newcastle with him and give him time to turn you around

Sam Allardyce has stated that West Ham will play the passing game. What? One long pass from back to front?

My instant reaction on hearing the news was

But it won't be easy to get out of the Championship - other than downwards - and we do need a bit of steel and organisation. This season just finished we often played well and took a lead - but it only needed the sight of someone warming up from the sub's bench to cause collapse of morale.

So, I will give big Sam a chance....

I don't like Allardyce as a person, but as a manager I think he is slightly underrated. He does get the best out of weaker squads, and with a mass exodus the most likely thing to happen to the Hammers, he won't have much to work with.

I'm not a fan of big Sam but I'm not totally against his direct style of Play, I love seeing teams get in crosses for a big target man and a nippy striker hovering about

Moore, Peters, Hurst, Devonshire, Brooking, Di Canio and the next great being lined up by Big Sam - I read today - is:

El Hadji Diouf!

I chuffing despise Diouf.

I had a suspicion that he may try and sneak him in but I wanted to wait and see. Hopefully paper talk and nothing more.

He is a rotten little oik.

Yeah you don't want that vile low life anywhere near your club, get rid of Cole though and bring in the Lad Graham from Watford for a 3rd of the price

Do you see wholesale changes at West Ham this summer?

Alot of the players will be going I guess, and that means Cole, Upson, Parker, possibly Noble, Rob Green, Hitzlesperger, Bridge (was on loan, but he'll be out of here - same for Obinna), Dyer and maybe even Demba Ba and Piquionne.

It actually doesn't look so bad to me. Alot of those players had bad seasons and seemed to be stale; it's probably a great chance to cut the wage bill and cut the deadwood too. Noble and Ba are ones I would love to see stay, and Parker too of course, but I imagine £8m later and he'll be off for the good of the cause.

Sam can stick Diouf up his todger. The guy has always been one of my least favourite people. I know people say 'you'll love him if he plays for you', but I don't want him near West Ham.

Sodhat - I think we are going to get on very well.

Cheers, Guildford

Fortunately I think there is some triffic strikers at Championship level at pretty decent prices and many will see West Ham as a great option

With Sam Allerdyce in charge, Im sure you will finish 2nd. Behind Leicester City of course

i was hoping we would have got chris Hughton as manager