Football News: Why change the West Ham style Sam?

Sam Allardyce is an odd fish, he has spent years telling anyone who would listen (and some who were too busy laughing to listen) that he would win everything given better players and that he only played the way he did because of the limitations of his players. So, this season, West Ham United's owners gave him the players to play a better style of football and he spent the early part of the season ramming the sniggers back down people's throats, as he lifted the Hammers into Champions League contention.

Then Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan returned from injury and Allardyce stopped being so swashbuckling and reverted to his old style of long balls and playing the percentages. The results and performances dipped and West Ham have been sliding down the table every since. So why change? Why not leave Carroll and Nolan on the bench as a plan B if the team are behind? Maybe a leopard just can't change its spots after all.

What is particularly odd about it is that Allardyce is very keen on the use of stats, when stats should surely tell him that bringing back Nolan and shifting Stewart Downing back on to the wing is not a good idea. After all, Downing was probably having the best season of his career in a free role behind the strikers, while Nolan has looked old, fat and slow for years now.

It is difficult to see what Allardyce sees in Nolan on the pitch, his lack of mobility is blindingly obvious, his passing is poor, his vision is average. All he does is pop up and score the odd goal, but nothing like as many as a Frank Lampard, for instance. It really is the odd goal these days. I know he is a very big presence off the pitch, but on it he offers so little that he is being carried, rather than being a part of the wins.

This is Sam's last chance, with the Hammers at least, to prove he is more than just a long ball merchant yelling hoof it from the sidelines. After initially looking like he was going to prove he can change, he is now beginning to show that he can't change and is just a long ball merchant. It is sad for the Irons' fans as they looked certain to be enjoying European football next season, now that dream looks dead.

Written by Tris Burke January 17 2015 08:49:38