7. Sam Allardyce
Never before has a manager seemingly sat so much at odds with a clubs culture. When we think of West Ham, we think of England 66, the famed youth academy and a passion for beautiful football. We may think of many things when we consider Sam Allardyce, but the latter is not one of them. Allardyce has been a long-ball merchant since the dawn of time, and he will never apologise for it. Nor should he have to as the saying goes, theres more than one way to skin a cat and that applies to playing football too. We cant all be tiki-taka short-passing merchants whacking it up to the big man can be just as effective as 90 tippy-tappy passes. Yet it isnt easy on the eye, and can occasionally seem like heresy to the Hammers fans. But much like with most clubs, if it keeps them in the Premier Leagues Promised Land, fans will put up with pretty much anything, including Steve Kean. However, if it begins to go wrong at Upton Park, expects the irons to come out of the fire. These fans dont love Allardyce they put up with him as means to an end and if he fails to deliver the victories, expect Big Sam to receive his P45.
Edward Owen
Contributor
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
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