Redknapp and Rio regime would bring identity back to West Ham

A couple of years ago Harry Redknapp put Rio Ferdinand’s name forward as a potential West Ham manager.

As ever with Harry, it wasn’t just a selfless pitch - this is a man who’s Twitter account says he’s ‘proper excited about Mobile Cryptocurrency!’. Not one to let a potential pay cheque pass him by, he said he’d go with Ferdinand to the club as director of football.

I’ve toyed with the idea of this partnership at the club for some time now, although with Redknapp as manager and Ferdinand as his assistant, and I think it is the solution we are now looking for.

Embracing his character flaws as personality quirks, I’ve long been a fan of Redknapp. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of thinking of him as a ‘wheeler dealer’ - although don’t tell him that - and to frame his career as one punctuated by leaning out of car windows, a cheeky pay day managing Jordan and his most recent failing at Birmingham, but just five years ago he was the man for the England job.

The FA shied away back then and Sam Allardyce’s acrimonious exit is probably illustrative of how a Redknapp reign could’ve ended too, but he truly earned the right to be favourite for the position. Mauricio Pochettino has transformed Tottenham Hotspur but it was Redknapp who picked them up from a similar position to where we currently sit and built the base from which Poch has sprung.

Redknapp gets players going, he gets the fans going, he’s clever in the transfer market and he plays a solid brand of football but also an attacking one. A fan of direct wingers, a maverick or two, a target man and a poacher, I think Harry could really do something with the likes of Michail Antonio, Andy Carroll, Chicharito and he may even be able to save the likes of Marko Arnautovic from becoming a very expensive flop.

He’s no Pep Guardiola-style philosopher but he does have a recognisable brand of football which we could all get behind. I’m not sure we want a Pep anyway. The fan behind me at the Liverpool game yesterday is unfortunately broadly representative of a fair few vocal Hammers and screeched ‘why are you passing it around!? Go forward!’ every time we played a bit of possession football, but then shouted ‘hoof!’ when we played it forward, summing up the directionless confusion which has already riddled our ground like a cancer.

Those negative fans, chasing this ‘West Ham way’ myth, frustrate me, but I do agree Slaven Bilic has to go. Whilst an honest and decent man, he has never shown any sign of an ideology and consequently we never impose ourselves on games. Redknapp would grab a game by the scruff of the neck and take it to the opposition in the intense way we are crying out for.

But the most important reason why I think Harry Redknapp would be a good fit is the fact he has his roots in our club. We are going through a clear identity crisis at the moment and walking away from that stadium towards the bright lights of John Lewis after each thrashing is leaving us in a very difficult place. Who are we anymore?

Redknapp knows who we are and, if not this ‘West Ham way’, I think he could bring the ‘West Ham feel’ back to the place.

While there are a significant numbers of doomsdayers, there are an admirable group of fans scraping around to make this place home, with grass roots initiatives from the new fanzine, to the boat events on the river, to the Hammers Social Club moving into trendy studios. Rather than rejecting the change they are gripping this new space and injecting it with ‘West Ham’.

Redknapp is someone who could engage with that process and like it or not, he is one of us. It makes sense to have a man at the helm who represents us and the club as we know it as we go through this struggle.

And I think having Ferdinand on-board would go some way to satisfying those who would inevitably turn their nose up at Redknapp as a manager of the past and, at 70 years-old, an appointment with no longevity.

Ferdinand is a classy operator, a modern man and would be an obvious heir to the throne. He’s the kind of statesman-like figure any owner would want representing the club on the national and international stage and, as perhaps our famous academy’s most esteemed graduate who went on to reach the pinnacle of the game, he has the rare trait of embodying both our club and raw, powerful success.

Ferdinand speaks intelligently as a pundit, is doing his coaching qualifications and Redknapp emphasises how he would regularly consult him as the pair were reunited at QPR towards the end of Rio’s playing career. He commands respect and, Redknapp aside, an upbringing under Tony Carr and the majority of his career under Sir Alex Ferguson will surely help his prospects.

There’s a lot of talk of a David Moyes and Phil Neville combination this morning - it’s a similar idea, but it’s Everton’s version. When we’re desperately clinging to our identity in a storm of total change, we need to be looking closer to our old home as we look to build our new one.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93.

Redknapp is the man for West Ham

There’s a school of thought surrounding the current Sam Allardyce situation which preaches: ‘better the devil you know’. Well, there’s another devil we know, and his name is Harry Redknapp.

Firstly, on a personal level, I have never been anti-Sam and would have been more than happy to give him another season but it looks as though, with fan resentment at its highest since he took the job back in 2011, his position may have become untenable. Therefore, with the 78% who voted Allardyce out in the recent mass poll in mind, I’ve started to look at alternatives.

There have been countless cases of terrible managerial swaps in recent years. Too many of the more unfashionable managers doing solid jobs have been switched with suit and tie, foreign coaches promising Barcelona-esque football who have failed miserably.

Fulham, Cardiff and West Brom, for example, all went down this route and ended the season making up 3 of the Premiership’s bottom 4. West Ham are in a very similar situation. People will look to Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton as a success story but the Saints are in for a tough Summer in terms of transfer business and I think the Argentine could well come unstuck next season.

Even if Pochettino does continue his success, his appointment was a roll of the dice by a very financially stable club with a settled squad. With the much discussed Olympic Stadium move beckoning, West Ham are in no such position and must play it safer.

‘Premier League Manager of the Year’ Tony Pulis was undeniably the best managerial appointment in the previous campaign and unsurprisingly he is a tried and trusted man at this level who plays with practicality rather than lofty ideals. Obviously he would be a sideways step from Sam but West Ham still need to learn from this triumph.

This is also a time when the Hammers should look to someone who knows the club very well. An identity crisis is nigh with regards to the stadium move and the club need someone who they can relate to their history.

The perfect candidate is thus British, experienced in the Premier League, affiliated with West Ham and obviously a promoter of attacking football given the root problem with the current regime. In one word: Redknapp.

I know there are plenty of West Ham fans who won’t want Redknapp back for whatever reason, be it the long-ago backstabbing of Billy Bonds, the more recent link to Tottenham Hotspur or just the generally crooked perception of him, but there is no one else who ticks all the boxes.

Just a few years ago Redknapp was managing in the Champions League and favourite for the England job, making him unanimously considered the best English manager. The FA eventually opted for a less volatile option but most rightfully believe Redknapp to have been avoided for media reasons and the contemporary tax evasion case rather than managerial ability. I hope David Sullivan and David Gold aren’t so deterred by his potential for controversy.

Despite his ripe age of 67 years-old, after being replaced by Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham (another failed case of British manager swapped with a potential mini-Mourinho), Redknapp proved he still has the thirst for football as he dived straight back in, first with a brief role at Bournemouth until he rashly took the helm of the sparkling, sinking ship in the form of QPR.

QPR hasn’t gone well for Harry; his squad wasn’t hungry enough to avoid relegation and the reckless spending before he arrived has left him with a big clear-up job. I get the feeling his heart was never really in QPR, it was more an attempt to keep his foot in the door through fear of being left in the wilderness and considered an old ‘has-been’.

But surely, regardless of what becomes of QPR in the upcoming Play-Off final, his heart would be in taking his local club, where he grew up looking up to Bobby Moore, played 149 games and managed for 7 years, out of their home and into the future. It’s the perfect final project.

I appreciate Redknapp may not always have remained loyal to West Ham since his controversial firing just after the Millennium, but he is still an East End bloke from Poplar with those memories.

Crucially, Redknapp is also a combination of attacking football and pragmatism. He has always encouraged his sides to get forward and partake in exciting games, but he will also play with the cards he is dealt with rather than being too attached to a certain philosophy.

Like it or not, West Ham have invested a great amount in Andy Carroll in terms of transfer fee and his bumper contract; unlike how Liverpool did, we can not afford to get a manager like Brendan Rodgers who will sacrifice him at a massive loss because he doesn’t fit a certain system. And also, why would we want to? The majority of the West Ham faithful like Carroll, even if they don’t like Allardyce, he is at a good age and one of the best at what he does.

Redknapp will not shy away from using a target man with wingers, and may even put someone up top with the big Geordie which would satisfy the wishes of many supporters, even if it might seem a slightly outdated system.

I’m not usually a believer in ‘going back’, I’m not sure a return for Alan Pardew would work although I liked him the first time round, but Redknapp has been gone long enough and is a big enough character to deal with the potentially tricky situation.

Also, an apt bonus is that Redknapp has been working with Ravel Morrison since February and reuniting the pair at Upton Park would dramatically improve the chance of him becoming a success. Redknapp’s man-management skills have seen him get the best out of many a difficult character, most notably Paolo Di Canio, and I would suggest no one would do a better to do a job with Morrison.

So if Sam has to go, why not go all out for Redknapp? He’s a fair more suitable option than a confidence-stricken David Moyes, a still unproven Malky Mackay or a Premiership unknown Ronald Koeman.

To really get back to West Ham traditions, why not also appoint a number two to be Redknapp’s apprentice in a manner reminiscent of John Lyall under Ron Greenwood? I’m not sure who would be heir to the throne but it would be great for a younger coach to learn under Redknapp and then eventually have the opportunity to take main stage after a few years in the Olympic Stadium to give the club some real identity and stability.

A bitter Tony Fernandes would certainly drive a hard bargain but if Redknapp fancied it he’d get what he wanted by hook or by crook. He could throw it back in our face, and that would be it, the already ropey relationship between club and man would be fully severed. But if he took it I can not envisage Harry failing. The return of the devil we know is, ironically, one made in heaven.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

The 'Gegenpressing' Future for Sam Allardyce's West Ham

You can also read this article is on my FTBPro account: http://www.ftbpro.com/posts/rich.maher/769234/the-gegenpressing-future-for-sam-allardyce-s-west-ham

Still trapped in the image of his Bolton past, Sam Allardyce is often derided as a dinosaur of the modern game - an anti-football, 'lump it long' monster. The criticisms of Allardyce aren't entirely unfounded; undoubtedly he does focus on defensive organisation, physicality and direct play. 

However, 'big Sam' has always had a limited set of tools to play with and has seen any opportunities at a higher job snatched by less experienced, yet more glamorous, foreign coaches. At West Ham he has used his practicality to achieve promotion, solidify survival comfortably in the first season back, and, now, seemingly to have overcome the dreaded 'second-season-syndrome' despite an extremely rocky period. 

With owners David Sullivan and David Gold adamant that they will stick by their man, whilst also providing a decent transfer kitty, Allardyce now has the opportunity to build a project - and with the move to an iconic 60,000 seater stadium just a few years away, the finished article could be huge. 

Whilst it is easy to label Allardyce 'old-school', it is well known that he is actually at the forefront of using new technology and statistical information in English football. There is no doubt that with his curiosity of the evolvement of the game, Allardyce hasn't studied the work of coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone who have taken their clubs from relative underdogs to European success stories. 

With impressive scouting and a brand of football, now nicknamed 'gegenpressing', an answer to Barcelona's 'tiki-taka', Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have pioneered a style which is exciting, defensively astute and, most importantly, winning. Having acquired an impressive starting 11 over the last few years, Allardyce may only have to tweak a few things to rebrand himself as the English 'Gegenpresser', although it will certainly be an altered version.

Goalkeeper - Adrian

Adrian has quickly risen in popularity at Upton Park - at least 5% of supporters will belt out a Rocky-inspired 'ADRIAN' in response to the simplest of saves from the Spaniard. Obviously there is little that can be said for a goalkeeper in terms of a change of football-style, however, with an asset like Andy Carroll up top, it would make sense for the former-Real Betis shot-stopper to continue a kind of long, direct distribution from goal-kicks. The system is all about quick transitions so Adrian should still expect to play long in order to switch the opposition onto the back foot quickly. Not much change there.

Defence - Guy Demel, Winston Reid, James Tomkins, George McCartney

Guy Demel's form has gone somewhat unnoticed at West Ham, with some supporters actually calling for a replacement, but Demel has proved that he is useful going forward and can be a surprisingly powerful dribbler going down the right-hand side - thus he is likely relish the opportunity to be given more license to bomb forward. Demel also spent 10 years playing in Germany, 4 of which were with Dortmund, so he will be no stranger to 'Kloppism'. 

Winston Reid is an outstanding central defender who is good at both defending and with the ball, if the Irons are to move forward they need to hang on to the New Zealand international. There is no reason Reid can't operate a similar role to how Mats Hummels plays at Dortmund; that is marking tightly, being clean in the tackle but also bringing the ball forward and looking to give possession to an attacking player. 

Academy graduate James Tomkins is also a very good defender and is more than capable of supporting Reid, often stepping back to clear up anything Reid can not deal with - in an age where there is often just one centre-forward to mark, one half of the central defensive partnership can step up to take the dominant role. 

George McCartney, whilst good defensively, having served West Ham well, perhaps lacks the speed and stamina to get up and down the park if the Hammers are to become a more attacking unit. Allardyce recruited Napoli's Pablo Armero on loan in January, and whilst he is yet to feature he is said to have impressed in training with his speed and ability and a potential permanent deal is already being mooted. Perhaps Armero could be the answer to West Ham's Marcel Schmelzer.

Midfield - Mark Noble, Mo Diame, Stewart Downing, Matt Jarvis, Kevin Nolan

Mark Noble has had his best season to date for West Ham and has been immense in defending doggedly in the midfield but also passing the ball forward. It is clear he has learnt much in terms of retaining possession from Scott Parker's time at the club and he seems to have improved in fitness, stamina and speed over the Summer - he will be the root of the midfield intensity in the 'gegenpressing' system. 

Momo Diame is perhaps not the perfect partner in this position but his ability to pick the ball up and dribble it forward with power will certainly be useful. After an outstanding debut season in East London, Diame has been accused of lacking interest this term - to fit into the new system he will need to improve defensive intensity and also his vision. Diame has often been guilty of keeping his head down and running with the ball into trouble, this has led Allardyce to put him on the wing more often this season as it presents less risks in central areas. Perhaps, if he returns with a better attitude, Ravel Morrison would be a more suitable candidate for the role given his superior passing ability. However, Diame is a good player and shone on many occasions last season - he shouldn't be written off. 

Stewart Downing is clearly a favourite of Allardyce due to his excellent crossing ability but also his responsibility when it comes to defending; this attitude is vital to 'gegenpressing' as the wingers need to retain an element of cautiousness when the full-backs attack. 

Matt Jarvis has had a very disappointing season but his price-tag and an England call-up show how highly he was rated when West Ham signed him. Jarvis has the pace and the ability to enjoy the new system, he just needs to boost confidence over the Summer and, crucially, to add more goals to his game. 

Finally, Kevin Nolan is a problematic figure. He has been a figure of fan-frustration at times, however, he is likely to chip in with a goal, and finishing is something the Hammers' probably lack. If Allardyce was to push forward with 'gegenpressing', he would probably have to sacrifice Nolan, his captain and a player he has had a long association with. Nolan lacks the intense energy and play-making skills and could probably be relegated to a 'plan B' for West Ham. This is another role that, if disciplined enough, Morrison could fulfil. It seems a little harsh on Nolan, who is good at what he does, but he simply doesn't suit the system.

Attack - Andy Carroll

Who said the centre-forward is dead? Because of Barcelona's interchangeable 5 foot-somethings amongst the front three, there was a great hysteria that the number 9 was dead, a fossil of the shameful past of muddy pitches and two-footed slide tackles. Carroll himself became somewhat of an unjust symbol for this. But both Dortmund and Atletico have strikers over six-foot in the form of Robert Lewandowski and Diego Costa. Incredibly Lewandowski is set to move to Bayern Munich to play under 'tiki-taka' pioneer Pep Guardiola whilst Costa has forced away into the Spain side! The rebirth is here. 

There are few better than Andy Carroll in the air and he is a fantastic asset for West Ham from crosses and winning the long-ball. Carroll is also a hard-worker and quicker than many think, meaning that he will help to maintain intensity high up the field by chasing down defenders and forcing errors. Perhaps dribbling could be worked on to give Carroll another element of penetration, but if the big-man stays fit he should fit into the system well.

It's clear that West Ham have the squad available to reinvent themselves somewhat to a more intense, energetic unit. Some Summer shopping will be needed to upgrade certain areas and strengthen the depth of the squad but the foundations are there. Despite some protestations, Allardyce should be greatly praised for the stability he has brought to the turbulent club so far - but now is a time in his career and the evolution of West Ham United to kick on and prove the critics wrong. 

For the sake of English football we must hope Allardyce gets the chance and isn't replaced by yet another young, foreign 'director of football' in a fancy suit, as that is the way many owners seem to be going. Give him a chance and who knows? In just a few years West Ham could be playing exciting football, in Europe, in a 60,000 stadium. 

Ravel Morrison should NOT play for England

This is a plea in the national interest to the senior England team NOT to choose Ravel Morrison until after the World Cup.

After that breathtaking trip to White Hart Lane, which now seems like a foggy dream after a rare international break of actual importance, the name on everyone’s lips is Ravel Morrison.

Suddenly, after being ditched in the depths of football’s bad boys and labelled a thuggish outcast, Morrison has been linked with a new contract, a glorious return to Manchester United, and a seat on the plane to Brazil.

Many people have been credited with the early stages of Morrison’s rehabilitation - Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United set-up for having the foresight to let him go, Sam Allardyce for patiently working with him, Lee Clark for nurturing him during his loan spell at Birmingham City and, of course, Morrison himself.

One of the most positive elements of West Ham at the moment is what seems to be a strong and united dressing room. It is fair to say Kevin Nolan’s lack of mobility in midfield may earn him some criticism, but his leadership skills are evidently some of the best we’ve had for some time. The English domination of the dressing room must also create a greater sense of comradeship than other recent groups we’ve had.

This background atmosphere is highly likely to be a major reason why Morrison has begun to flourish. Suddenly he feels part of a team, whom he is equal with, who are relying on him to focus and work alongside them. It has been widely reported that Mark Noble in particular has built a protective bond with Morrison and made gestures such as inviting him into his home for dinner in an attempt to help him to integrate with the squad.

No longer is he the problem child, confined to a special support unit in what is a huge, unforgiving and assumedly overwhelming machine in the form of Manchester United. Morrison has been freed of that boarding school environment, which he so easily rebelled from, and is now affectionately ‘one of the lads’.

The faster Morrison’s reputation elevates, the faster this cosy set-up will disintegrate. The organic support system now surrounding Morrison will protect him from himself until his own ego transcends his perception of the club. Stars such as Rio Ferdinand tried and failed to tame Morrison’s wayward attitude, so Nolan and Noble deserve credit.

Both having had distinguished Premiership careers, these two players have yet to attain an England cap and it looks increasingly likely that neither will get the opportunity to represent their country. Particularly for Nolan, who has consistently scored a high volume of goals in the Premier League, an England cap has remained an illusive pinnacle of his career which, frustratingly for him, it seems he will never reach.

I would not like to suggest either Nolan or Noble would begrudge Morrison of a chance to play for England, but human nature would suggest an element of envy would certainly affect the relationship if Morrison was handed a call-up just a few good games into his career. In addition to this, Morrison’s past psychological problems suggest that he may then begin to see himself as superior to the pair who have taken him under their wing, and the relationship in its current form will thus be destroyed.

I have been personally surprised by Morrison. I don’t think it his quality which is surprising but his personality. I imagined him to be far more boisterous than he has been. It seems it may have been a little unfair, but the ‘gangster-wannabe’ stereotype has inevitably been associated with Morrison.

After a couple of goals, I’m sure I’m not the only one who expected him to bowl out of the changing room, snatch the bottle of champagne from Geoff Shreeves and declare himself on par with Lionel Messi in a rap-infected dialect. But whether it is due to good advice or his own judgement, Morrison has remained impressively quiet.

It is, finally, his football thrusting him in the limelight. He is undoubtedly a player of immense quality and his penetration in the attack is very special; his ability to glide past players and complete the move with a finish was shown against Spurs and repeated for the under-21s on Tuesday night.

But the FA are already drawing intense attention to Morrison. In his few days with the under-21 squad they released a video of his skills in slow motion, set against a dramatic, operatic soundtrack, and also leaked footage of him scoring an ‘outrageous chip’ in training. West Ham have also used Morrison’s image to promote today’s game.

2 goals for the under-21s will not help us quieten the Morrison hysteria - but a heated exchange with Manchester United’s Wilfried Zaha was a reminder that his maturing transition from hot-headed prospect to world-class is not yet complete.

I don’t wish to put a downer on the Morrison revelation. He is a player of immense quality and has been a breath of fresh air and much-needed creativity in our team. It would be great to keep him as part of our progress as a club into the Olympic Stadium, but if not, dependent on contract clauses, we could make a huge profit on him enabling us to propel the club upwards, much like how Tottenham have profited from Gareth Bale.

But Morrison is a complex issue. It may seem selfish from a West Ham perspective, but, at 20 years of age, I think at least a season focussing on domestic football, off of the international stage, would be beneficial for everyone. Undoubtedly Roy Hodgson and Allardyce will speak about Morrison, time will tell if they feel the same way.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

West Ham to sign Romanian striker

In addition to the possible return of Carlton Cole, West Ham could yet make another signing in the attacking department.

The club are considering offering a trial, or even an immediate deal, for Romanian forward Ciprian Marica.

Marica had been linked to various other clubs throughout the Summer, including Arsenal, however the former Schalke man is still in the hunt for a professional contract.

Standing at 6’1”, Marica fits the physical mould of Sam Allardyce’s preferred forward. He is also more than comfortable playing on the wing or behind the striker, meaning that his versatility would be very attractive to the Hammers.

As well as being his fellow countryman, Răzvan Raț, who was recruited by West Ham on a free transfer this Summer, also played with Marica at Shakhtar Donetsk and thus it is thought Raț’s influence will be integral to any deal going through.

Having plied much of his recent career in Germany with VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04, Marica has been tested at a good domestic level. He has also amassed 62 caps for the Romanian national side, scoring 21 goals.

Whilst for his club sides he has mainly offered his services on the wing or as a second-striker, Romania have often needed to use Marica as a centre-forward and he has impressed in the role. West Ham would obviously utilise this versatility by using him as an under-study to Andy Carroll as well as an option elsewhere in the front three.

With David Sullivan and David Gold now confined to searching for targets in the free-agent market, it is thought Marica could be one of the only viable options available if the Cole deal falls through completely or even in addition to this.

Jack Sullivan, the chairman's son, has recently tweeted that Cole is not fit enough for Premiership football at this current time and that the club are looking at other non-contract players; Marica is the most serious of these targets.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93 for more West Ham news and articles.

Learn to appreciate the new direction

My overriding memory of the last Premiership fixture at Upton Park is the crowd bellowing out: ‘Andy Carroll, we want you to stay!’ Jeremy Nicholas (rather embarrassingly) asked the fans to get behind the cause to keep Andy but in truth it was not needed. It seemed every supporter was desperate for the big man to put pen to paper on a permanent deal.

There is great irony in the fact that the chant desperately aiming to persuade Carroll to remain at West Ham was in the same tune as the dreaded ‘we play on the floor’ drone which was so commonly sung by those disgruntled with Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce must be left scratching his head when fickle supporters express displeasure with his style of football, yet sing the praises of the forward who epitomises his tactics. The fact is; if you’re a fan of Andy Carroll then you are inevitably a fan of Sam Allardyce.

If Allardyce and Kevin Nolan were not at the club, a pairing who a section of supporters take issue with, then the England international forward would not be at West Ham United. It is as simple as that.

I think it was obvious that Carroll was left unfulfilled by his time at Liverpool and would’ve liked to have proved doubters wrong. But in a World Cup year, he made the correct decision to join a club with whom he is already settled, who will base their team around him and, vitally, who will play a style of football to suit him perfectly.

Personally I have no problem with Allardyce’s style. It is, of course, direct at times, but with an asset like Carroll it would be foolish to not to utilise his aerial presence.

We should be proud to be one of few clubs preserving the dying breed of the old-fashioned English centre forward rather than internationalising ourselves like everyone else in an effort to become yet another cheap imitation of Barcelona.

With the signing of another England international in Stewart Downing secured, we can now look forward to the prospect of two top established wingers supplying the delivery to our number nine. Surely we don’t have to be ashamed of having an appreciation of that?

I am quite surprised at the amount of supporters who aren’t happy with the Downing signing. The wide-man has been to a World Cup with England and undoubtedly we would’ve all loved to have snapped him up during his time at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. Two average years does not mean he will not return to great form.

Unsurprisingly there was no such disapproval at the signing of Joe Cole. Cole was arguably a much poorer signing than Downing – he does not really fit into our current tactics, is older and was extremely injury-prone and out-of-form when we signed him.

Understandably the affection and nostalgia surrounding Cole provoked a reaction of sheer delight but, regardless of personal attachments and feelings, Downing will be a far more useful player to us than Cole this season.

Another fresh player in the squad is Ravel Morrison. Although he joined some time ago, his lack of action in a West Ham shirt and high appraisal gives him the intrigue and excitement of a big new signing.

Six goals in pre-season could show that Morrison is finally ready to fulfil the potential which was suggested when Sir Alex Ferguson said he was one of the best players he had ever seen. I am dubious to trust Morrison with his track-record and attitude problem, but he could be very useful if given the chance.

Apparently Allardyce has rejected several loan offers, including one from Birmingham who he was on loan with last year, and so it seems Morrison is finally ready to step into the first-team and prove whether he can make it at the highest level.

Morrison looks to be a fantastic player, and his skill was undeniable at the Pacos de Ferreira home friendly, but we can’t place too much responsibility on the shoulders of a young man who has proved he is liable to get a rush of blood to the head at any moment.

It is interesting that all the players mentioned in this article thus far are English. The English core at West Ham United is undeniably one of the strongest in the league now and something I’m sure all fans will welcome.

Of course it is great to have the exotic foreigner, we have certainly fallen for a few of them over recent years with the likes of Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez, but as an English fan I think it definitely gives you a greater intimacy with the squad when they are of the same nationality.

The sense that they understand the club and its culture is invaluable and something I think will help drive us forward this season to an improved Premiership position and hopefully an impressive cup run.

And, as mentioned, it is a World Cup year. Who’s to say we won’t have another three Lions in Brazil in the Summer? Exciting times are ahead, I hope the persistent moaners can recognise that and embrace the direction we are moving in.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Mourinho; Moyes; Allardyce

I have an embarrassing image in my mind of Jeremy Nicholas innocently cueing a rapturous round of applause for Sam Allardyce’s new contract this afternoon and instead being met with a disgruntled mixture of jeers, boos and of course, a number of justified cheers.

As Allardyce’s second term in charge reaches a climax, it is fair to say he still hasn’t won the support of everyone. That is despite an immediate return to the Premier League, a trip to Wembley and a mid-table finish in the top flight.

Much like you are probably bewilderedly wondering why Manchester City have dismissed Roberto Mancini just one season after he snatched the league title from the red half of Manchester, plenty of football fans will be scratching their heads for as to why any Hammer could legitimately oppose Allardyce’s reign.

Whilst I am not arguing Allardyce is an inflated, northern reincarnation of Pep Guardiola, I do think that to suggest his style of football is far different from plenty of other successful coaches is a myth.

Last Saturday we were beaten comprehensively. Allardyce himself admitted that the players looked distracted and has also stressed the need to improve away from home next year. Thus we should hold back on whining about away form and give Sam a chance to rectify it over the Summer. After all it was our home form which was criticised last year and our away form celebrated. Some people have short memories.

Apparently Saturday’s game was one of Everton’s best performances of the season, undoubtedly sparked by the emotional exit of David Moyes who will succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

Moyes’ eleven years at Everton are considered successful because they were stable. He has managed to operate on a tight budget and still wedge the club firmly in amongst the top seven. If Allardyce has already broke into the top ten in one year (assuming we hold on to that place today) then what makes you think he cannot replicate Moyes’ success?

It is also important to remember that Moyes has been criticised in the past for similar to reasons to why Allardyce has been. Brendan Rodgers, Steven Gerrard and even Ferguson himself, the man who recommended Moyes as his heir, have labelled Everton long-ball merchants.

With reference to Marouane Fellaini in Manchester United’s game against Everton this very season, Ferguson argued “it was just difficult to handle him when they were knocking these balls up to him. He is a handful, a big, tall, gangly lad, and they just lumped the ball forward to him, that's all they did”. Sound familiar?

Fortunately for Moyes, these jibes have been brushed off whereas for Allardyce, the label has stuck like fluff to Velcro. This is probably because Moyes has become somewhat of a media darling for the longevity of his time at Everton whereas Allardyce will always be 

Moyes' new 'image' at Man U

associated with an unfashionable Bolton Wanderers team.

When questioned about these criticisms back in November, Moyes was unfazed. He argued that “we are beginning to compete better against most of the top clubs now so that’s perhaps why these things are being said. I’d sooner get that, them having a dig, than people being nice about us because we’ve lost”.

Moyes makes a valid point. West Ham went through a stage of being continually praised under Gianfranco Zola, and whilst it was flattering, we were a far weaker and unstable outfit back then. You must first become hard to beat in the Premiership to earn the right to attack with fluidity.

Anyone who saw Everton against us last Saturday, or at their best during the season, must admit that they play an attractive style of football, and most importantly a successful brand of football. However they set up for games very similarly to us.

They have a solid back four, two deep-lying central midfielders, two wingers, one striker and a goal scorer sitting just behind him in the form of Fellaini (our Kevin Nolan). The only difference between us and Everton is that Moyes has had the time to acquire quality players and to have them play with each other regularly.

Allardyce is in a fantastic position to do the same. In Andy Carroll we already have a superior target-man to Victor Anichebe; if we can hold on to him we can work on improving our squad to a similar standard.

As useful as Joey O’Brien has been this season, Leighton Baines is obviously a better attacking force. Similarly a goal-scoring winger in the form of Kevin Mirallas was the difference between the sides on Saturday, he is far better than Ricardo Vaz Te.

Allardyce has admitted “we need better players” despite the fact that the squad is already strong. If we support him and give him time to upgrade the team in a similar manner to how Moyes has, we could be rewarded with a team regularly competing in the top-half of the league.

Allardyce is perhaps in a better situation than Moyes was as he has greater funding, the prospect of a large new stadium and the attraction of London which is likely to appeal to some transfer targets.

Another coach likely to be plying his trade amongst the Premiership’s elite next year is managerial superstar Jose Mourinho. Unlike Allardyce, when you think of Mourinho, you do not think of the long-ball, you think of trophies, a fashionable foreigner and ‘the special one’.

When compared to English coaches, Mourinho’s career has been rather fortunate. It was Mourinho’s short success at União de Leiria, a side now in the Portuguese third division, along with his charisma, which convinced Porto to appoint him.



The English equivalent of Porto would have undoubtedly looked abroad for their manager whereas Portugese coaches have a greater chance of managing the major clubs in their home nation. With just one year’s managerial experience Mourinho got the Porto job; Allardyce had four smaller jobs before his eight-year spell at Bolton but he was still inevitably leapfrogged by foreign coaches for the top jobs.

In reality it is the image of Mourinho which makes him so attractive to employers. He is charismatic, lovingly arrogant and above all a winner. In just two years at Porto, Mourinho was fortunate enough to inherit a good group of players and dominate the Champions League in a particularly weak year. Porto eventually overcame a distinctly average Monaco in the final and the rest is history.

I am not trying to criticise Mourinho. I am just pointing out the opportunities he has had in his career are because of his image and his nationality. If he was a somewhat overweight, Worcestershire-born bloke named Sam I suspect his career would’ve panned out extremely differently.

Mourinho is actually extremely similar to Allardyce in terms of tactics. He is a pragmatist and his teams are predominantly reactive rather than proactive, even when they do include the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo as opposed to Kevin Nolan.

His favoured 4-2-3-1 is similar to the way Allardyce lines up as it can smoothly transform into a 4-4-1-1, a 4-5-1 or a 4-2-1-3. These rapid transitions are the reason that 4-4-2 is rarer in modern football; it is simply too rigid to adjust quickly when a team wish to change the emphasis and speed of the game.

If Allardyce hadn’t been alienated from so many other coaches via his reputation, perhaps he would be better appreciated like Moyes. The fact is that Allardyce has become an iconic image within the game, but he represents everything which has become unfashionable.

Allardyce represents the antithesis of the stylish manager, but in reality he may not be so different. We should appreciate finishing the season in tenth position in the capable hands of Allardyce and I hope next season is another one of many stable, successful campaigns under his guidance.

 

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Liverpool could break Hammers' hearts

‘Big Sam Allardyce’ has made a great start to the Premiership era of his reign at West Ham. But he is not the only man who has already made a ‘big’ impact at Upton Park this season. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake of falling in love with Andy Carroll.

If any of you had the misfortune of tuning in to Sky Sports ‘Goals on Sunday’ featuring Allardyce himself, you would’ve heard the regretful confirmation that it is a distinct possibility that Carroll can be recalled by Liverpool in January.

We must applaud David Sullivan and David Gold for their ambition and determination to bring Andy to the club, but it appears that the deal is not as ‘watertight’ as it was first described. Insiders had previously claimed that Carroll could be ours for a figure of around £18 million at any point during the year, and also suggested that the transfer of Carroll was an offer exclusively available to West Ham United; however it has become clear that we could lose the player far quicker than the time it took to bring him to the club.

This clarity on the issue is just one example of what will become a repetitive battle of our owners’ claret and blue tinted eyes and desperation to please the fans, versus Allardyce’s cynical, frank realism.

Whilst Gold and Sullivan would have you believe that Carroll was in awe of West Ham United as soon as he opened the door of his customised Range Rover and looked up at the castle-like exterior of the Boleyn Ground, Allardyce has admitted that Carroll was reluctant to leave Liverpool and is only really here in an effort to get some first-team football and capture Brendan Rodgers’ attention.

As supporters we must not judge Carroll too harshly for this attitude. We’re all huge fans of West Ham and believe all our players should love the club as much as we do, but what we must remember is that he moved from his boyhood team Newcastle to join Liverpool, in a deal which made him the most expensive British footballer in history.

Even the most biased amongst us can accept that Liverpool is a great football club with a massive fan base who are dedicated to their club in a similar way to we are. They may not be experiencing their most successful period at the moment, but Carroll would obviously love to become a part of Liverpool’s illustrious history and, understandably, does not wanted to be judged as a failure.

Liverpool are currently struggling just outside the relegation zone whilst we are enjoying life back in the Premier League in 8th position. Whilst this could be seen as a reason for Carroll to want to stay at West Ham, I think it is vital that Liverpool overtake us soon or the pressure will mount on Rodgers and he, or his replacement, will quickly give in to pressure to call for Carroll to return to Anfield in a blaze of glory.

Rodgers’ football ideology could not be more different from Allardyce’s practicality; his idealistic playing style evidently has no room for what is perceived to be a 6ft 3” powerhouse. And that’s exactly why we need Rodgers’ homage to Barcelona to work and convince everyone, including Liverpool’s owners, that the old-fashioned centre forward is becoming extinct in the modern game, paving the way for Carroll to join permanently.

The appointment of Rodgers suggests that Fenway Sports Group subscribe to his ‘project’ and will give him the time necessary to transform Liverpool into a vibrant, free-flowing, attacking side. However they have far less commitment to Rodgers than they did to Kenny Dalglish in terms of risking alienating the fans, and so the fact that they sacked Dalglish may worry Rodgers.

Carroll could easily be brought back as a stop-gap plan to pick up some points before Rodgers’ next major transfer window. If Rodgers is fired then it is likely a more results-based manager will replace him, such as Harry Redknapp, and they would be certain to bring Carroll back in a heartbeat.

A brilliant forward is something that West Ham have not been particularly blessed with in recent years. Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez are the only two amazing players who spring to mind; for the rest of the time we have had to settle for decent strikers who are confined to rare moments of quality such as Bobby Zamora, Dean Ashton and, in the current day, Carlton Cole.

Although Cole is certainly a likeable figure, undoubtedly committed to West Ham United and is not as useless as some would have you believe, the gulf in class between him and Carroll was shocking against Fulham.

Carroll controlled absolutely everything in the advanced positions of the pitch; he won almost everything in the air with ease, against a strong competitor in the form of Brede Hangeland, and showed an awareness when placing the ball which suggested he had been nurtured in that team for years when, in fact, he had minimal training time and was thrown into his debut in a reckless attempt to reconcile an embarrassing defeat at Swansea.

Anyone who tries to suggest that Carroll is a one-dimensional lump is talking absolute nonsense. I honestly believe he is one of the best players we have had in our squad for many years. Allardyce’s determination to force a deal through must be commended and I’m sure we are all relishing the thought of Matt Jarvis’ much-talked about cross completion statistics coming to fruition with Carroll providing the target.

He may not emit the same exoticism as the likes of Tevez did, and his towering frame and scruffy image complete with greasy pony tail does him absolutely no favours in terms of fitting in with the popular sleek, fashionable footballer stereotype of the moment (Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres etc.) but Carroll is a special player.

He may be unavailable today but we are still extremely lucky to have him considering we are in our infancy during this spell as a Premiership club. He completes what is one of the most competitive squads we have had in recent years and we could be in store for a solid campaign back in the top flight, especially if we maintain our 100% home record today against Sunderland.

Let’s hope Liverpool can also kick-start a successful season against Manchester United on Sunday as it could help us to hold on to a 23 year-old who is integral to fulfilling our dreams, as opposed to, predictably, seeing them fade and die.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

West Ham fans must accept Allardyce and stop trying to run the club

After another frustrating game at Upton Park, the fans are yet again reaching for the throat of Sam Allardyce and calls for his head are relentless. David Gold and David Sullivan must maintain their support of Allardyce until the end of the season and beyond if we are ever to gain promotion; bowing to fan-power will achieve nothing for West Ham United.

Hammers fans continue to label our contract with Allardyce as a Faustian pact, suggesting we have sold our soul to Allardyce and the long-ball, deeming him incompatible with the mystical ‘West Ham way’ which is constantly referenced. As much as he denies it, there is no doubt that Allardyce’s style is unattractive, but if it gets us promotion, it’s success will speak for itself. If it doesn’t, West Ham are in a very precarious situation.

Paolo Di Canio’s romantic relationship with West Ham means he will be continually linked with the manager’s job until the day he dies. As a huge admirer of Di Canio, his image is still plastered across my bedroom wall, I would love to see him manage us successfully in the future. But he must prove himself in management first or his spell could end in disaster; and six months at Swindon is not sufficient.

A successful season for Di Canio and one that sees us remain in the Championship under Allardyce will see the board under more pressure than ever to appoint him as our manager. We must hope that they do not give in to this pressure in an effort to support their image as supporters of the club who are ‘in touch with the fans’.

This situation has arisen at many clubs before, Newcastle United are one in particular who are often compared to us in terms of the loyalty of their vocal fans. Newcastle fans took issue with Allardyce’s style of play and forced him out after ferociously protesting to chairman Mike Ashley. Ashley eventually submitted and, by popular demand, appointed club legend Kevin Keegan as Allardyce’s replacement.

Keegan’s return saw the club go without a win for his first eight games and he eventually survived three games less than Allardyce with an inferior record. Keegan’s rapport with the fans meant that his resignation created further tensions between the fans and Ashley in an already strained relationship.

Keegan’s departure sparked turmoil at the club and a lack of managerial stability saw them in the depths of a relegation battle. Ashley yet again looked to appease the fans by appointing Newcastle hero, but completely inexperienced manager, Alan Shearer to the club. The script was written for Shearer to drag the magpies to safety in a blaze of glory, however realism intervened and Newcastle were subsequently relegated with Shearer winning only one of his eight-game stint.

Of course the relationship between Newcastle and Shearer remains mostly intact, but his short managerial period is certainly an embarrassing tarnish on his story with the club. There is nothing to say something similar wouldn’t happen to Di Canio; it would certainly be a depressing picture to see the supporters who had previously worshipped him, reluctantly wishing for him to leave.

Since Shearer, Ashley has asserted his authority at Newcastle and they are now reaping the rewards. After backing Chris Hughton for the entirety of their campaign in the Championship, Newcastle were promoted as champions. Following promotion, Ashley ruthlessly disposed of Hughton and surprisingly replaced him with Alan Pardew, a familiar face at Upton Park.

Pardew’s appointment was met with howls of protest from whining supporters, but this time Ashley remained faithful to his decision and Pardew has remained in charge ever since. Newcastle currently sit fifth in the Premier League and are challenging for a Champions League spot with a minute budget compared to those around them.

Who’s to say that if Newcastle hadn’t decided to stick with Allardyce in the first place, they wouldn’t have met this stage much sooner? Admittedly, we can all agree that Pardew’s team was far more exciting to watch, but Allardyce’s record at the likes of Bolton Wanderers suggests that he could’ve been successful at Newcastle, and he can be successful at West Ham.

As much as we reflect on Pardew’s reign at West Ham with nostalgia, we must remember that in his first year with us he failed to gain promotion, and in his second we scraped into the play-offs with a win at Watford on the final day of the season. His team never really threatened automatic promotion, and so Allardyce has surpassed him in that department.

If we don’t finish in the top two spots, we fall back into the play-offs and have a better chance of winning it now than the last time we did. So as supporters of West Ham, surely we must stick with Allardyce until the end of the season at the very least.

This is not to say that Allardyce is completely innocent, if he is to ever be fully accepted at West Ham he must learn to treat the supporters with a little more respect and take responsibility for poor performances. At the end of a disappointing game we don’t want to be bombarded with statistics of how much possession we had in the opposition’s half and we certainly don’t want to be told that we’re “talking b***ocks”.

The relationship between Allardyce and the fans is certainly going to have to take some compromise from both parties but if we can do this there is no reason as to why a successful era is not in store for West Ham. I have no doubt that a run of form will silence many of the more fickle critics, but those resolute anti-Allardycians will have to accept that he is our manager and, to be honest, is doing a decent job.

Our dire home record in comparison to our fantastic away form is no coincidence; Upton Park can become very hostile as soon as a fruitless long-ball is cannoned towards Carlton Cole. Perhaps a little more acceptance of Allardyce could change this and transform the Boleyn Ground into the fortress it should be.

These tactics are not forever, Allardyce is not forever; Swansea are the exception to the style of play which gets teams promoted from the Championship, those who want to do it quickly generally play a direct style. Once we return to becoming a secure Premiership side we can consider attractive football.

You are probably laughing at the expense of Liverpool at the moment. An undeniably great club, who appointed club legend ‘King Kenny’ Dalglish, spent a great deal of money and are now sitting in eighth position, one space below their arch-rivals Everton who have stuck by their manager for ten years. Don’t laugh too loudly, as the more you try to run the club, the more likely it is that West Ham United will suffer a similar plight.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

10 things to ask Big Sam Allardyce

You’re at the pub one evening and as you stroll up to the bar, you notice the unmistakeable figure of Sam Allardyce himself sitting on a stool with his sixth pint in hand. Now’s your chance to ask him some real questions off the record, with which he can be completely open without the fear of it covering the back-page of The Sun the following day. Here are ten suggestions…

1. What do you really make of the West Ham fans?

There is still very much a strong group of vocal fans who reject Allardyce as our boss because of his ‘long-ball’, physical tactics and incompatibility with playing ‘the West Ham way’, so it would be interesting to hear if the fact that he has not been fully accepted affects Allardyce. Additionally, his team have performed better away from home and have been subject to boos at Upton Park on more than one occasion; so does Allardyce see the fans as a ‘claret and blue army’, or a thorn in his side who continually criticise him and create a hostile atmosphere for his team?

2. Was it a difficult decision to join West Ham?

There’s no doubt that the Hammers are a sizeable club and provided a great opportunity for Allardyce, but was he concerned about the pressure which would be placed on him to catapult them back into the Premier League at the first time of asking? Also, was he a little bitter about not being chosen to replace Avram Grant in January of last year, having been overlooked whilst Martin O’Neill was available?

3. How is it working with David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady?

We’re sure that Allardyce would’ve been a little sceptical about working with these three after their regular media outbursts prior to his arrival, however it seems that they have toned things down since he joined, suggesting that this was a request when he signed his contract. So how has it been ever since? Are they good to deal with in terms of transfers and have there been any disagreements?

4. Who’s our best player?

It would be interesting to hear from Allardyce, who has been a manager since 1991 and watches the players in training every day, who he genuinely believes is our best player. There is certainly a strong affinity between him and Kevin Nolan but it’s probable that he would go for someone else; perhaps Abdoulaye Faye, James Tomkins or Mark Noble? Or could it be a shock candidate?

5. Did you think Carlton Cole would be better than he is?

When Allardyce signed for West Ham, he was probably rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a 6’ 3”, 12st 3lb, England international striker at his disposal in the second tier of English football who would seemingly fit in perfectly with Allardyce’s system which regularly features a target-man. However, although he has scored a few goals, he has failed to set the world alight, so do you think Allardyce is a little disappointed by him?

6. What do you see in Jack Collison?

Collison started his West Ham career with a string of impressive performances which suggested he had great potential. However, since a long-term injury, he has had a tendency to appear rather ineffectual in games and often pulls out of challenges. Despite seemingly offering little to nothing, Allardyce consistently chooses him, so what do you see in him Sam and how far do you realistically think he can go?

7. Do you have concerns about Ravel Morrison’s personality?

It seems that Morrison is a highly-regarded young player with enormous potential, and that is certainly why Allardyce decided to sign him. But it would be interesting to hear if this was a difficult decision due to concerns about his previous convictions and whether Allardyce feared he could unsettle the camp. Also, how long until we see him in the first-team?

8. How far can Mark Noble go?

We have all been impressed with Noble this season and he definitely holds a place in our hearts with regards to his commitment to West Ham United, but it would be interesting to listen to someone who has been involved in the game for as long as Allardyce talk about how good he really thinks Noble is. The England national team is a long way off as it currently stands, but could it ever happen for Noble?

9. Have you had any disappointing transfer failings since your time at West Ham?

We’re all aware that West Ham made enquiries about Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres in January; however I think it’s fair to say that these were always cheeky, unrealistic ventures which were never expected to come off. But has there been anyone who Allardyce hasn’t managed to get who he expected to and wanted to improve our squad? El-Hadji Diouf may have been frustratingly blocked due to fan-power, but is there anyone else he has missed out on and who does he blame for the move not coming to fruition?

10. How far do you believe you can take West Ham?

Allardyce has always been confident in his own ability, previously declaring “I would be suited to Inter or Real Madrid”, so how far does he really think he can take West Ham and how long does he plan to stay? We know that he is ambitious and we saw him take Bolton into Europe, so does he see that as the aim at West Ham, and is he excited about our future under him? Could this be the job which makes him a managerial icon?

It would certainly make for an interesting chat, but it’s unlikely that we will ever know the answers to these questions whilst he remains at the helm of the club. But keep them in mind just in case you bump into the big man after a few too many one night. His answers could lead him to develop a much better connection with the West Ham faithful, or alternatively alienate him further in an already strained relationship.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93