Daily WHUFC News - 28th November 2014

Big Sam on: Newcastle United
WHUFC.com
The manager faced the press ahead of Saturday's game against Newcastle
United
27.11.2014

Sam Allardyce is determined to get back on the winning trail when West Ham
United host Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. The Hammers saw their
five-game unbeaten run come to an end at Everton last weekend and are now
three games without a win - but the manager has his eyes on three points
against his old club.

What is the injury news for the weekend?

SA: "Stewart Downing and Cheik Kouyate are both training today. The rest of
the injured players have got a chance but it's a slimmer chance than we
expected. I think the only other possibility might be Mark Noble who came
off injured against Everton. We've also lost Winston Reid to a suspension.
It's not an ideal scenario but I still think we can get the result that we
should have done last Saturday.

What is your reaction to the FA's charge of not keeping your players in an
orderly fashion?

SA: "I can't argue with it. We got so frustrated by some of the decisions
that we lost control a little bit. I don't condone what we did but I can
understand the players' frustrations. We need control ourselves better
because we could have lost a player to a red card. Both sets of players were
involved. To be fair to my players they very rarely do that. I'll remind
them of their responsibilities but I don't think it's a particular problem
for us."

Are you worried about the dip in results recently?

SA: "Obviously the results haven't quite been what we would have wanted in
the last three game. But I think our performances have been good enough. I
think this is the best form we've been in since I joined the club. Only two
performances have been below what we expect, the Southampton game at home
and the Stoke City away."

Andy Carroll played his first full game of the season last week, you must be
happy to see him back?

SA: "We're happy to see every player who comes back from injury. It's a big
boost to have a player like Andy back after such a long time. It's important
at this time of the season to get players back because if you're out for a
week you could miss three games. Injuries derailed our season last year and
we don't want that to happen again. "We have a very tough game this weekend
against Newcastle. With the form and momentum they have I think they're the
hardest to team to face right now, aside from Chelsea."

It's been a frustrating time for Andy, how do you feel he did?

SA: "He did well considering he wasn't expected to play the 90 minutes. He's
in the process of completing a pre-season before we see the best of him.
It'll take a way until he's back to full fitness and when he is that's when
we'll see the best of him."

Your next fixtures are Newcastle, West Brom, Swansea, Sunderland and
Leicester which are all winnable games. How important is this part of the
season?

SA: "It's a hugely important time for us. Historically we've struggled at
this point. The last international break was in many ways the worst I've
suffered because three players came back injured. Dealing with the amount of
games in such a short period of time is a massive test for us all, it'll
define how our season goes I think. We haven't achieved the results that our
performances have merited which is really disappointing."

How confident are you that the team can maintain this position throughout
the season?

SA: "We have to turn this slight blip around quickly. Winning games gives
you the confidence you need and we haven't had that recently. We know if
we're going to have to convert our performances into wins. The main thing we
need to is to find out clinical finishing again. That was what was so good
in the early part of the season."

Both you and Alan Pardew know how important it is to have patient owners.
How helpful have they been recently?

SA: "Owners have been good in general across the Premier League this season,
no one's been sacked yet which is good to see. Managers refer to November as
Black November when the sackings start and they sometimes trigger each other
off. Both me and Alan are fortunate that the owners have been understanding
that these things take time. I can't speak too much for Alan but I
communicate with the owners on a regular basis and we talk things through
whatever the situation may be. Some things are within your control, some
things aren't.
"Alan brought in a number of players, like we did. He went to New Zealand
and picked up a lot of injuries, just like we did. But he's turned the
corner and now they've won six games in a row."

How do you counter their threat?

SA: "We need to play to our best, just like we did against Manchester City
and Liverpool. We need to rediscover our clinical finishing and then we'll
take it from there."

What lessons have you taken from the Everton game?

SA: "Make sure we're more clinical in front of goal. We also need to be
careful that when we're in the ascendency not to leave the back door open.
It was that lapse of concentration that cost us which led to them scoring
the second goal which they didn't deserve at the time."

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Six of the best - Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
As Mark Noble prepares to beat the Hammers' PL appearance record we look
into the archives
26.11.2014

If Mark Noble is selected in West Ham United's midfield for Saturday's game
against Newcastle United, he will surpass Steve Potts' record of Premier
League appearances for the Club. Having made it to 204 run-outs in last
weekend's defeat at Everton, one more game will give him the record outright
and here we look back at six of the most memorable top flight matches in
claret and blue for the two-time Hammer of the Year.

Game 1 - 13 August 2005, West Ham United 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Noble's Premier League debut came from the bench in the opening day victory
over Blackburn Rovers in the 2005/06 campaign. Having taken his first steps
with the senior team in the previous campaign's promotion from the
Championship, the then 18-year-old then set about making his mark at the
higher level. Introduced as an 84th minute substitute, Noble helped see out
the game, which West Ham won 3-1 after falling behind early on to Andy
Todd's goal. Teddy Sheringham replied in the first minute of the second
half, before goals from Nigel Reo-Coker and Matt Etheringhton secured
victory.

Game 6 - 4 March 2007, West Ham United 3-4 Tottenham Hotspur

The result might have gone against the Hammers in this game, but the derby
duel with Tottenham in 2006/07 stands out for so many reasons.
Carlos Tevez's first goal for the Club, late drama and in many ways the
catalyst for the great escape, but for Noble, who had gone out on loan to
Hull and Ipswich in the previous year, this game provided his first Premier
League goal. His crisp finish gave West Ham the lead, and although Spurs
came roaring back in the second period, West Ham recovered from the blow to
climb away from the foot of the table with a stunning turnaround in form.

Game 16 - 13 May 2007, Manchester United 0-1 West Ham United
West Ham's Premier League future looked bleak with them languishing at the
foot of the table in the spring, but a run of six victories in eight games
following that Spurs epic meant they went to Old Trafford knowing a win
would be enough to keep them up. No easy task, but Noble's 16th Premier
League appearance for the Hammers would go down in folklore as one fans will
remember forever as the east Londoners secured their place at the top table
in style. Tevez was the man on target, with the only goal of the game
against the champions, giving West Ham the points they needed to secure
safety.

Game 135, 20 October 2012, West Ham United 4-1 Southampton
Noble has only netted two top flight braces for the Hammers - and just one
of them came in a winning cause. That was back in October 2012, as West Ham
continued to start life back in the Premier League in a positive manner,
with this win taking them to sixth in the table.
Noble has established himself as a fine penalty taker at the Boleyn Ground
and one of his two on this afternoon came from the spot, with Kevin Nolan
and Modibo Maiga also on target.

Game 176, 11 January 2014, Cardiff City 0-2 West Ham United
The Hammers looked to be in some trouble at the turn of the year, and heavy
cup defeats to Nottingham Forest and Manchester City did little to lift the
mood. Missing captain Kevin Nolan with suspension, Noble took the armband
for this fixture and led the Hammers to a much needed three points against a
rival at the wrong end of the table. Carlton Cole's first half opener got
West Ham on their way, before Noble sealed victory himself in injury time
with a finish across David Marshall. Improved form for the Hammers in 2014
saw them climb away from danger and this victory would go down as a major
turning point.

Game 201, 25 Ocrober 2014, West Ham United 2-1 Manchester City
West Ham's stunning start to the 2014/15 campaign was capped by an
unforgettable victory over the champions Manchester City. This victory
lifted the Hammers into the top four of the table and was reward for an
attacking performance. Morgan Amalfitano's first half opener was added to by
Diafra Sakho, and although David Silva pulled one back, the Hammers held on.
Noble, alongside Alex Song in midfield, was proving to be an
ever-influential figure for Sam Allardyce's men as they put a
largely-forgettable 2013/14 campaign behind them.

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Mediawatch - 27 November
WHUFC.com
A look at today's coverage of West Ham United in the media
27.11.2014

Today's coverage of West Ham United in the media combines debate over
incidents during last Saturday's fixture at Everton and previews of this
weekend's visit of Newcastle United.

A number of publications and websites make mention of the Club - and the
Toffees - being charged by the Football Association for 'failing to ensure
their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion' during Saturday's
game at Goodison Park.

The Sun says Sam Allardyce is said to have given James Tomkins a 'ticking
off' for his reaction to a clash with Kevin Mirallas at the weekend.

Meanwhile, The Times says Everton manager Roberto Martinez and midfielder
Leon Osman have jumped to the defence of Ross Barkley, after the young
England international was accused of diving in the same match.

As one might expect, the Newcastle Chronicle takes a close look at
Saturday's fixture at the Boleyn Ground. Inside, former Hammers and Magpies
midfielder Nolberto Solano recalls his time playing under Sam Allardyce at
St James' Park.

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Barkley didn't dive, he just lost his balance - Martinez
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 27th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Everton boss Roberto Martinez had an Iraqi Minister for Information* moment
earlier today when he insisted that midfielder Ross Barkley didn't actually
dive in an attempt to hoodwink referee Mark Clattenburg against West Ham
last Saturday. Despite the evidence of his own eyes, the Spanish manager
suggested - without a hint of irony - that the 20-year-old simply lost his
balance as Kevin Nolan moved to within three feet of the unstable youngster.
Speaking in the Echo about the incident, Martinez said: "I don't think it is
something he does often. The action on Saturday is an incident where he has
got the ball, he's a little bit off balance, he can see a player and he's
trying to get away from it. "His reaction is not to stay on the ground and
hoping the referee will blow the whistle. He got up quickly and it's not
even in the box, he's not trying to get a big decision. "You see him receive
a lot of kicks because he protects the ball so well and is so strong that
sometimes you try to get away from those contacts, but he is not trying to
get a decision from the referee that he could give us a penalty or a real
advantage."

The (Re)Definition of Diving: by Roberto Martinez

"I consider diving is when you've got a real intention to get a decision
from a referee in areas where he could give you a penalty or a clear
situation of getting someone in trouble. That was not the case at all and it
has been blown out of all proportion."

* Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf was Saddam Hussein's propaganda minister during
the 2003 Iraq War and continuously insisted that American troops were on the
verge of surrender - even when US shells could be heard exploding in the
background during live broadcasts.

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Allardyce: no complaint over FA charge
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 27th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce says he is unlikely to challenge the FA charge that followed
last weekend's clash with Everton. Winston Reid and Everton's Steven
Naismith were both yellow-carded during the incident in question by
blundering match official Mark Clattenburg - before the two clubs were
charged by the FA for "failing to ensure their players conducted themselves
in an orderly fashion". Speaking to the press this morning, Allardyce
revealed that he was unlikely to contest the charge. "I can't argue with
it," he told reporters. "We got so frustrated by some of the decisions that
we lost control a little bit. "I don't condone what we did but I can
understand the players' frustrations. We need to control ourselves better
because we could have lost a player to a red card. "Both sets of players
were involved. To be fair to my players they very rarely do that. I'll
remind them of their responsibilities, but I don't think it's a particular
problem for us."

Despite accepting that his players could have handled the situation better,
Allardyce did at least admit that Clattenburg wasn't entirely blameless.
"Because he didn't give a free-kick, that spilled over into frustration.
When you see your teammate is, what you feel, unfairly treated, then you
want to stick up for each other. "Obviously, you just don't want it to
extend to levels that we saw last Saturday."

One player who has been 'reminded of his responsibilities' by Allardyce is
James Tomkins, who fell to floor clutching his face after he was shoved in
the chest by Everton's Kevin Mirallas during the game. The centre half, who
embarrassed everyone involved with the club at his attempt to feign injury
is understood to have been warned by Allardyce over his future conduct.

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Downing and Kouyate back in training
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 27th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Stewart Downing and Cheik Kouyate are both hoping to play against Newcastle
this weekend, according to Sam Allardyce. However the news is slightly less
positive regarding fellow sufferers Alex Song, Enner Valencia, Mark Noble
and Diafra Sakho. Allardyce was without five of his first team last weekend
after all sustained injuries during the international break - and lost Noble
midway through the match. He is also preparing for life without Winston
Reid, after the central defender received his fifth booking of the campaign
at Everton last weekend and earned a one-match ban in the process. But there
was some good news on the injury front this morning, ahead of Saturday's
clash with the in-form Newcastle United. "We've lost Winston Reid to a
suspension and we've got to manage the situation by getting a result against
Newcastle," Allardyce told a pre-match press conference. "But Stewart
Downing is training today and Cheik Kouyate is too.
"The rest of the injured players have got a chance but it's a slimmer chance
than we expected. "I think the only other possibility might be Mark Noble.
It's not an ideal scenario but I still think we can get the result that we
should have done last Saturday."

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Sam Allardyce accepts West Ham FA charge for Everton incident
Last Updated: 27/11/14 9:25pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce accepts the Football Association was correct to charge West
Ham for their player misconduct at Goodison Park last Saturday.
Everton and West Ham were charged by the FA for an incident in the latter
stages of the first half when a James McCarthy tackle on Morgan Amalfitano
provoked an angry reaction from the visiting players and a melee broke out.
McCarthy and Winston Reid were booked by referee Mark Clattenburg and
Allardyce admits his players must maintain a greater level of control. The
clubs have until 6pm next Monday to respond to the charge. Sam Allardyce
says he can understand why the FA charged West Ham and Everton over their
players not conducting themselves in an orderly fashion I think we got so
frustrated by the decision of the referee at the time that we have lost our
control a little bit, so I don't condone what we did but I can understand
why the frustration crept in. "We have got to try and keep control of
ourselves better in these situations because we could have easily lost a
player to a red card. "Both sets of players were involved obviously but we
have to try and keep more control. To be fair to my players it's not very
often they do that, very rarely do they lose control."

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Carl Jenkinson believes West Ham must aim for Europe
Last Updated: 27/11/14 8:12pm
SSN

Carl Jenkinson believes West Ham can challenge for a European place this
season if they can carry on their recent form. The Hammers slipped to sixth
place in the table following last week's 2-1 defeat to Everton but the
former Arsenal full-back has praised his team-mates for the consistency they
have shown in recent weeks. "With the players we have got this season we
want to be aiming for a European spot," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "I think
that's something we can achieve, maybe at the start of the season I didn't
think we would be as high as we are but it's fantastic that we are and we
have surprised ourselves and a lot of people. Sam Allardyce says he can
understand why the FA charged West Ham and Everton over their players not
conducting themselves in an orderly fashion. "We deserved more out of the
game on the weekend, that was frustrating, but the performance levels
haven't really dipped to be honest. As long as we keep the performances high
the results will come." And Jenkinson is looking for his side to get back to
winning ways when the entertain in-form Newcastle at Upton Park on Saturday.
"We're missing a few of our big players, who have played a big part in our
start to the season, that doesn't help," he said. "The players that have
come in have done really well. Zarate springs to mind who came on at the
weekend and
made a difference for us. We want some of our other players back but that's
only natural."

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IFS AND BUTS
By Bianca Westwood 27 Nov 2014 at 09:00
West Ham till I Die

If Nobes had put that penalty away first game of the season. If Nolan's
fringe hadn't been a millimetre offside at Old Trafford. If the linesman had
spotted that 6 ft 3' lump in the blue who was 4 yards ahead of everyone else
at Goodison last Saturday…if all those situations had gone our way imagine
where we might be now! If, if, if!!! Yes I know "if ifs and buts were candy
and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas!" but I'm starting to feel a little
festive…despite the Everton defeat.

I think what I'm trying to say here is that, even though we haven't won in
three whole games now (aaaah horror of all horrors the dreaded slippery
slope is upon us!!!) there's no need to revert to typical West Ham fan
mentality. Well I'm not anyway. It's not all about to go horribly wrong.
We're still right on track. But for a few chance events that went against us
this season we could have even been right up Chelsea's….oh you know, that
place where we kindly invite their fans to stick the blue flag.
So doom & gloom-mongers be damned! Some of you are sensing another false
dawn. Keep the faith!

Overall I was happy with our performance at Goodison. As they're our bogey
team I wasn't expecting too much in the first place and a point would have
been an early Christmas pressie. When I saw the state of the injury list I
was even less confident of a result. Yet our 'B' team did ok. Apart from the
first 20 minutes when Everton dominated the possession we were never really
out of the game. In fact the full time stats suggest we were right in it. It
could have gone either way and but for a few ifs, we could have nicked
something.

A few minor gripes…perhaps starting with Zarate would have been preferable.
He certainly made a difference with his energy and enthusiasm running at
defenders and causing problems. Maybe, in hindsight, Carlton Cole wasn't the
man to go with. I'm not having a go at him here by the way, he has been an
important and treasured player for us in the past and indeed this season
he's popped up with a couple of goals. I just think he is too similar to
Carroll in his hold up play and we needed someone up top with AC with a bit
more pace who could feed off those second balls and get in behind. But hey
ho.

As for Tomkins, he's probably got enough stick about his play-acting from
his team mates by now so I'm not going to rattle that cage too much. I can
imagine the dressing room 'bantz' (sorry I hate that word but it's
regrettably appropriate here) was pretty relentless afterwards. They'll have
ripped him a new one…in the nicest possible way of course! In his defence,
as you know he's not usually that type of player, he's an honest guy who
perhaps got carried away in the heat of the moment, was aggravated by a few
decisions that didn't go our way, was probably annoyed with the fact that
Amalfitano was being kicked from pillar to post and, maybe, saw Ross
Barkley's ever-so-graceful swan dive and thought to himself "I'll have a
piece of that action!" No there's no excuse, but after the heat he got from
all media outlets over the weekend I'm sure that won't happen again in a
hurry. On the other hand, I do feel he could have been a bit stronger
against Naysmith and stayed on his feet instead of looking for a foul, which
subsequently allowed Lukaku in the back door to find Eto'o, then Osman for
the winner. But again, minor gripe, it was good play from them and that bit
of quality on the day left us empty-handed at Everton. Again!

Looking forward, I still feel we have lots to be happy about. Speaking to
Carl Jenkinson last week he made the point that the players are buzzing
right now. I know all players bang on about team spirit and togetherness in
interviews but I really feel that at West Ham it's not just a line that's
trotted out for the cameras. Whenever I'm over at Chadwell Heath I sense
that there's an incredibly positive atmosphere around the training ground.
And I've been there when that has definitely not been the case. I've said
before that they genuinely like each other and the manager and that shows on
and off the pitch. It also helps when you've got quality in the squad. New
faces, guys from other countries, different cultures and languages don't
always translate into team unity. But when those players have the talent,
hunger and the drive to succeed and transfer that into success on the pitch,
let's just say it helps in the bonding process.

Jenks is from Buckhurst Hill, has a few mates who are Hammers fans, and he
told me that they are always telling him how different it feels to be a West
Ham supporter this season. It's been a pleasant surprise for us all! We may
have dropped down to the lowly position of 6th in the table but the upcoming
fixtures suggest we might be able to haul ourselves back up to the Champions
League spots. The longer we stay up there the better. Finishing in a Europa
League place is something the players are genuinely targeting. Although
having said that, it can be somewhat of a poisoned chalice as Stoke City and
Swansea found out to their detriment. Both had difficult domestic seasons
because of their European football endeavours but, come on, wouldn't it be
amazing to go into our final season at the Boleyn with the chance of
entertaining some quality European opponents! Looking at the fixture list
you feel that, right up until Boxing Day, we've got every chance of taking
something from each of those games and cementing a top 6 position. You just
hope that the treatment room is a little less busy over the festive period.

And finally, I'm really looking forward to the Hammers hosting (and
hopefully battering) Newcastle. I know they're one of the in-form teams but
they have to lose sometime and if we get a few key players back then why
shouldn't we be the ones to beat them! Earlier this year they had the likes
of Cabaye and Remy to punish us, this time around it won't be so one-sided.

This fixture always calls to mind for me my best ever outing at Upton Park.
Monday 22nd April 1986. The infamous 8-1 game. I still have the newspapers
from the day after. What a game, a total demolition job. Alvin Martin
scoring a hat trick against three different feckless keepers (one being
Peter Beardsley!) Stewart, Orr, an OG from the hapless Roeder, super sub
Paul Goddard coming on to score with his first touch of the game and of
course Frank McAvennie. It was a night I'll never forget.


Now I'm not saying a win this Saturday would be quite as emphatic as that
one (our biggest league victory since the 8-0 pounding of Sunderland in
1968), but our team has definitely been playing with that same spirit and
flair as the boys of 86' so IF they continue like that I'm more than hopeful
of snatching all 3 points. IF, IF, IF…

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Irons will plead guilty to FA charge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham will plead guilty to the FA charge over the Battle of Everton and
"move on." The Irons and Everton are likely to be hit with n£20k fines
after what the FA has interpreted as failing to control their players . The
FA's action has been received with resignation inside Upton Park but a well
placed source said: "The the players have to learn that they have to
behave." Any sense of hardship is being kept well hidden by those whom
ClaretandHugh who instead have shown an inevitability over the likely
outcome. Indeed, there's far more concern over the current form slump and
injury crisis than anything the game's ruling body may be preparing to throw
at them
A highly placed source to us: "Let's be honest the reality is that the FA
probably see it \s a cash raising thing so we aren't going to get het up
over the morality. "Our players need to know they must behave. It was
expected. All clubs facing similar charges this season have pleaded guilty
as the fine is £20k, plus all costs. "So it's probable that's the route we
shall go down. To be honest Saturday's match against Newcastle is of far
more importance."

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Sam may have Irons backed into a corner
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 27, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Alastair Duncan is a national sports writer of many years experience having
worked for the Daily Star, The People and the Press Associaton among many
others. Based in the north of England he has been an Iron since his earliest
years watching his first game at the Boleyn in 1958.

Today ClaretandHugh is delighted to welcome him aboard as a regular blogger
and in his first piece, Duncan explains that Sam Allarcyce may have the
club backed into a corner when the time comes to renew his contract at the
end of the season.

All talk of a new West Ham contract for Sam Allardyce has gone a bit quiet
over the past few weeks, it's amazing what two draws and a defeat does to
all the speculation. But the problem of our manager's future does not go
away. And it may seem unpalatable to many Irons fans but there are only two
real questions now, whether we like it or not. Does Sam want to stay, and
can we afford him?
Now the general feeling has been all season, that Sam survived by the skin
of his teeth back in the summer, and should be grateful that he has a job
and dutifully humble and forelock tugging about the situation.
Forget all that. Nothing is further from the truth, certainly when it comes
to the people around him, his agent Mark Curtis and the lawyers who look
after the tough negotiations when big-time managers renegotiate new deals.
And if West Ham stay up this term, and finish in a decent position, both of
which seems likely although not something we should all take as given, then
Sam is in an incredibly strong position, something like Winston Reid's, but
without the really big bucks.
When Sam arrived at the end of the disastrous 2010-11 season of Avram Grant,
the club was in freefall, financially shot and a pending basket case of
Leeds proportions. Since then West Ham have won promotion at the first time
of asking and, if we do stay up this season, will have had three fruitful
seasons re-establishing ourselves in the top flight.
That is more than any of us, probably, would have hoped for, and something
Sam's regime has achieved. Many will say with substance over style, but in a
'results business' like football, none of that has the slightest impact on
contract negotiations.
At conservative estimates, Sam's regime will have overseen something upwards
of £400m flooding into our coffers over four seasons, David Sullivan has
taken on our previous bank debts and our finances will have improved out of
all recognition as we head to the brave new world of a big stadium and the
Olympic Park.
Just look at how much Spurs are squirming and moaning about loss of revenue
as they try to build a bigger stadium. Spurs' income per home match is about
£1m on gates similar to ours in the mid-30,000s, while Arsenal are taking in
£3m a match. That could be us soon, or more relevant, we could be left
struggling like Spurs will be(oh what a shame).And it explains why they are
still so desperate to find a temporary home in London and not Milton Keynes.
So we will have a lot to thank Sam for, and he knows it. He will without
doubt want a healthy wage rise for a start, and his stock will have risen so
much it would be amazing if he left us and didn't find another highly
lucrative job elsewhere. And even England has raised it's head again.
Nobody will care about the style of his regimes, he is the most successful
and experienced current English manager, and the likes of Aston Villa, to
name just one, would jump at the chance to employ him.
So David Sullivan can say what he likes about everything depending on style
of play, final position and whether Sam starts to love our fans or not. It
has nothing to do with any of that.
Sam is on around £3m a year with bonus, and yes, we all know that makes him
one of the highest paid managers in the world. Live with it. Only what he
achieves makes any difference.
There is no chance that he would accept a one year rolling contract on the
same money. He expects to be rewarded handsomely for saving us from the
knackers yard. And Sullivan knows that.
And then there is the little issue of Sam's backroom team and entourage of
sports scientists, fitness staff and the vast array of lap-top geeks that
surround him. Plus Neil McDonald's new deal too, because our number two is
also soon out of contract and turned down Carlisle because of the wages on
offer. He made an educated guess to stick around and see how Sam gets on and
how the rest of the season pans out.
Sam, we all know, makes it pretty hard to get rid of himself. Just ask
Newcastle and Blackburn. He has a habit of surrounding himself with a club
infrastructure that , when you dismantle it, leaves the place stripped of
quality staff that take a long time to replace.
Newcastle moaned that something like 40 or so lap-top heroes had to be paid
off too. A new man comes in and starts building his own team, and that takes
time. Time that can cost you relegation like Bolton and Blackburn, or
financial upheaval, like Newcastle. Sullivan, with the Olympic Stadium just
around the corner, cannot afford anything like that to rock the boat. And
Sam knows that.
Whether, even, that we are able to afford Sam's contract demands remains to
be seen. Our Financial Fair Play budget includes all of Sam's men and the
man himself, and as we are seeing with Reid, there is only so much cash to
go around and there are limits to what we can afford next season. We are
constantly being told that any incoming transfers in January will depend on
departures.
There is no question that Sam, and football in general, will see our
manager's time at the Boleyn as anything other than his greatest achievement
in the game. Bolton took him a very long time, and they are nowhere near as
big a club as us.
He had vast financial help from their Isle of Man based owner, much of which
has now melted away. And he could probably see the writing on the wall
there. Blackburn have never recovered from his departure, so can we afford
to go down that road?
After the season that Sam believes he endured unfairly last time around, his
revenge may well be that us–not him–are backed into a corner now.

ClaretandHugh may not necessarily hold the views expressed in this article


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