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Posh preview: Hammers high on entertainment value
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce. Photo: PA Wire.
SAM Allardyce insists his West Ham team do play entertaining football.
The Hammers boss gets quite prickly when he hears moans, mostly from opponents, about his team’s direct style of play. As part of his defence he just points to the Championship table which shows West Ham four points clear of the rest of the division.
West Ham have won 17 of their 29 fixtures and Allardyce is adamant his players have performed with style.
Allardyce said: “Any criticism of the way we play doesn’t make any sense to me. All this team did before was lose.
“I’ve been a manager for 18 years and not for the life of me would I expect a football fan to accept playing well and losing, rather than playing well and winning. If you’re unable to play well then just win.
“We have entertained really well at home this year, but when we have lost people have said we were poor. In fact I don’t remember many games when we haven’t put on a good show.
“We’ve struggled in certain games, but every team has those. In most games we have created more chances than the opposition, but it’s a fact that some teams sit so far back they let you entertain.
“We could probably do with being a bit more clinical, but we have scored four against Forest, Blackpool and Watford so we have shown we can do it.”
It looks odds on that West Ham will return to the Premier League at the first attempt, especially if they negotiate tomorrow’s match and Tuesday’s home clash with second-placed Southampton.
But how well will they fare back among the big boys? One Hammers legend reckons they will need to recruit and invest heavily in the squad.
Former goalkeeper Phil Parkes said: “West Ham only have three or four players in their squad capable of doing the business in the Premier League.
“Robert Green and James Tomkins have been excellent, while I have been impressed by Matt Taylor because he gives the team something different.
“But apart from those only Mark Noble for me is good enough. They will be promoted, but I haven’t seen them play particularly well all season.
“The team is set up well away from home where they sit back and hit teams on the counter-attack, but at home they need someone with a bit of imagination and flair who can unlock defences and, apart from Taylor, they haven’t got it.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
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mrblackbird
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 01:43 PM"We are the most entertaining team in the world", insisted big Sam. "What sort of fan wants to see his team play well and lose?" "Most fans would rather see a team play direct successful football wouldn't they?" "OK so we keep the grass long on the wings, hoof the ball and run after it. That' still entertaining isn't it?" "I know more than most about the subtleties of top level football and because of this I'm a highly respected manager. ""Hello. Is that David Beckham?. David, I'm in the frame for the England manager's job and I wondered if you could let me know if you, Lamps, Stevie G and the rest of the lads thought I could be taken seriously."
Posh & Go
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:22 AMThe only entertainment West Ham are likely to provide under Allardyce is from watching their horrible negative team slide out of top two and lose in the playoffs to Blackpool or whoever finishes sixth. Much of the criticism is from within. Hammers fans more than any others hate that brand of football and if they get any more results like at Ipswich (hopefully at Posh) those dissenting voices will get louder.
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