West Ham United: 10 Managers Who Could Replace Sam Allardyce
Big Sam's out, but who'll pick up the Hammers?
On May 24th 2015 West Ham United announced that they would not be renewing the contract of their manager, Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce himself has stated he felt it was probably the right time for him to go - for both him and the club.
He had four fairly successful seasons at Upton Park, guiding them to promotion from the Championship in his first season and securing strong mid-table finishes in the next three, finishing 10th, 13th and 12th respectively. However, his time at the club has been plagued by criticism over his style of football, with suggestions that the owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, wanted the team to play in a more entertaining, attacking style.
West Ham are also due to move into the Olympic Stadium in August 2016, and it is thought that the owners want a new manager to oversee the club as they move to a new stage in their history. Maybe even to push them to the next level of consistent top-ten finishes and European football.
Whatever the reasons behind Allardyce's departure, he's left big shoes to fill. Whoever takes over is going to be under some serious pressure to get results and build on the finishes Big Sam managed. Here are ten contenders. why they would be good for the job, and why they might not be.
10. Nigel Pearson
Why He Should: Pearson masterminded Leicester's miraculous escape from the drop having been bottom for months, guiding the newly promoted side to a respectable fourteenth-placed finish. Seven wins out of their last nine games helped them to climb their way up the table, putting them second in the form guides, with only champions Chelsea ahead of them.
Pearson also comes across as quite a strong-willed character, sticking to his opinion and not bowing to anyone in the press. He'd be able to instill a fighting spirit in the West Ham team - a quality that's always useful when pushing to secure top flight status or sneak into Europe.
Why He Shouldn't: Pearson might have managed to save Leicester from the drop, but he was also manager for the long months that they were rock bottom before that. Given they've consolidated their Premier League status and become a solid mid-table team, that won't be a position West Ham want to risk being in. With that in mind, Pearson may not be the man to push the Hammers higher in the table.
He's had a number of PR problems over the course of the season, appearing to strangle James McArthur and calling a reporter an ostrich being just two of them. Gold and Sullivan will have to wonder whether they want a manager with that reputation for outbursts.