Big Sam sacked within 5 minutes of season ending

[Jackinky]

I'm happy to see Sam go due to the fact that there is no variety in how we play and it's been the same for 4 seasons. We haven't won away all year and haven't looked like scoring, to be honest I think that even if we played the same way as we were playing at the beginning of the season he'd have gone. It looks like we will get Bilic, however if Rodgers leaves Liverpool then he could be a possibility. first choice would obviously be Benitez but that's unlikely to happen.

 

[G.B]

Don't see why they couldn't get someone like Bilic or Laudrup in if they're going to be chucking money round, as rumoured. There's talk of them spending tens of millions on single players, so you can understand why they've let someone like Allardyce go. He hasn't got the profile or style of play to grow the club beyond what it is now.

 

[Gashead]

So West Ham are in the Europa League next season, Big Sam's virtual sacking looks a bit silly now doesn't it?

Pre-season starts in five weeks, I think they're going to struggle next season. A lot of adapting to do for the new manager and the squad in that short period of time.

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

Although his departure was inevitable, I think West Ham are taking a bit gamble with this decision. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, and Big Sam would have ensured that they move to the new stadium as a Premier League side.

 

[Super_horns]

New manager will have an early start in Europe it seems.

They don't want to be in it but then will the West Ham fans might expect a good run?

 

[Anon]

Everyone knew Allardyce was gone as soon as the season ended, wasn't 1% surprise to anyone, Allardyce included. I'm not a big fan of G&S, but why delay the inevitable by a day or so? One day's lip-service grace doesn't make a difference. Anyone could tell that since the end of January the players had given up, so they all knew too.

He showed contempt for fans from the off, even in his first few interviews before a ball was kicked, long before the nadir of the Hull win in March last year. His enduring favouritism to Nolan really grates as well.

People banging on about West Ham fans having unrealistic expectations have always been mis-lead. We don't expect CL challenges in the slightest, mid-table is our level and most are fine with that. The expectation is for something that while paying some of the biggest prices for tickets around (an eye-watering 4th highest iirc), you wish for something vaguely pleasing on the eye, regardless of results. Not Arsenal level or Barca tiki-taka, just some half-decent entertainment. In my lifetime, Bonds, Redknapp, Pardew, and even Curbishley, Zola and Roeder's first seasons all did that. And yet Allardyce constantly fed across this notion of it's either playing his way and getting midtable results or playing well and getting relegated, when a straight choice is clearly not the option, and suddenly West Ham fans are terribly unrealistic? Not buying it in the slightest.

To further illustrate, it ain't rocket science that after a good summer of transfers, we start the season without Nolan and Carroll, Allardyce has to play a different style of football in the first half of the season and we end up playing good football AND getting good results... and the anti-Allardyce sentiment rightly regresses and even I wouldn't have begrudged him getting a new contract. But then of course, the passenger Nolan gets squeezed in, Carroll too (his individual form was decent, but the team went back to Allardyce's old style), and we go back to last season's style and get last season's results as well.

No doubt he's done what he's been asked to do, but by fuck am I glad he's has gone, am tired of his contempt for us and black and white "me or relegation" mentality. That said, it's obviously a gamble and to be honest, I'm not even sure Bilic is the right guy.

 

[Anon]

New manager will have an early start in Europe it seems.

They don't want to be in it but then will the West Ham fans might expect a good run?

It's a joke we're in it, but if we're in it I hope we give it full effort and reshape the squad to fit. I really, really don't want us to be a club that takes European places for granted or see them as a bother, and have a manager who gives half a shit about them.

 

[kopite]

I've heard people ask what is the West Ham way...Souness and Merson on Sky were quite vocal.

I get what West Ham fans are after. I really liked watching the Harry Redknapp and Pardew sides. They were never going to threaten the big boys and it wasn't Barcelona....But lot more entertaining than it has been in past few years.

In fairness I've not seen West Ham much in past few months but didn't they have some form of entertaining football when Sakho and Valencia started the season on fire? I hope they don't go on to regret this as I'm looking forward to an away trip to Olympic Stadium

 

[Anon]

I've heard people ask what is the West Ham way...Souness and Merson on Sky were quite vocal.

I get what West Ham fans are after. I really liked watching the Harry Redknapp and Pardew sides. They were never going to threaten the big boys and it wasn't Barcelona....But lot more entertaining than it has been in past few years.

In fairness I've not seen West Ham much in past few months but didn't they have some form of entertaining football when Sakho and Valencia started the season on fire? I hope they don't go on to regret this as I'm looking forward to an away trip to Olympic Stadium

Yep, the first half of the season was great, quietened the critics (including me) and had us playing pressuring, direct (but not hoofed balls), hustling football with Sakho and Valencia snapping at the heels of defenders, Downing in a new lease of life behind them and an England recall to boot, the defence looking the most solid it's been in years thanks to two new full backs, and the good feeling spread to fans.

Then Nolan returned from injury and undeservedly got his goal-hanging position back (mins scoring goals), pushed Downing out wide to accommodate, neither player then played well. Carroll was needed as Valencia had some injury trouble and Sakho went to the ACN... but the team play changed and we began lumping it up to him again. Then I'm sure the players knew the Allardyce time was at an end as our form from January onwards completely fell apart.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

They were bottom 3 from Boxing Day till February and Sam's position was severely questioned by the fanbase during that time (losing to Forest in the Cup putting out a C team didn't go down well). They were never in real danger of going down with a man like Sam in charge. It's some kind of security really and I don't really see who they could appoint who'll make them a long-term fixture in the top half of the league.
If they don't have anyone lined up then they've shot themselves in the foot. Maybe McClaren?

I always felt that forest game sealed his fate and was never much turning back after it.

Think it just shoved into the West Hams fans head that day he was happy to win nothing, do nothing achieve nothing but safety

and I think West Ham fans, abit like Newcastle expect a go at the cups, I know he realized it a year later, but think damage was already done.

the ironic aspect is his assistant, Mcdonald had us at Carlisle playing some of the best all passing football I've seen in my 20 odd years following a Lower League side, it'd been quite interesting to see him try it with better quality players in a league which gives you time and space to play that way.

 

[Super_horns]

Benitez has chosen Madrid and it seems the Sevilla manager is staying put so who are the Hammers after now?

 

[G.B]

Ancelotti

 

[Humongous Fungus]

Go for Lambert.

 

[claret50]

Has to be Bilic now.

 

[Anon]

Definitely get the sense that Bilic is the crowd-pleasing fall-back option. No idea if he's actually a good club manager or not though...

 

[JoshBCFC]

Stefan Billic has a great managerial record, would go for him if i were west ham.

 

[claret50]

Stefan Billic has a great managerial record, would go for him if i were west ham.

I assume you're referring to Slaven Bilic

 

[JoshBCFC]

I assume you're referring to Slaven Bilic

Yes i am. Not sure why i thought his name was Stefan lol.

 

[Murphy]

Announcement in 48 hours.

Excitement building here at 1FF....

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

Announcement within 48 hours apparently

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/08/west-ham-new-manager-48-hours

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

Announcement in 48 hours.

Excitement building here at 1FF....

Great minds think alike

 

[Anon]

Clearly it's Redknapp and Rio.

...

 

[claret50]

Could be Danny Dyer!

 

[infidel]

Westham think they are bigger than they are. Done bugger all over the years.

 

[Anon]

Westham think they are bigger than they are. Done bugger all over the years.

With the new stadium only a year away and G&S spending more on players, can hardly blame them for seemingly trying to get a bigger-profile manager in. Especially since it did look set that Benitez was going to be appointed until Real cam calling.

----

Bilic appointed. Hopefully he won't be a complete c*** to the fans like Allardyce was.

No idea if he's a good club manager or not though. Still, am so happy to see him on the sidelines rather than Allardyce.

 

[Humongous Fungus]

"In May he announced his intention to leave Turkish side Besiktas, after failing to win the league title in his two years at the Istanbul club and missing out on Champions League qualification for next season.

Bilic spent 2012-13 in charge of Lokomotiv, but was sacked after leading them to a ninth-place finish, their worst season since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991."

Was Big Sam really that bad?

 

[JimJams]

You can't really blame him for not winning the league with Besiktas, they're not one of the big guns in Turkey.

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

How long is his contract?

 

[Humongous Fungus]

I'm sure they are.

 

[claret50]

How long is his contract?

3 years.