Allardyce should focus on his weak squad not Olympic Stadium

Expert Opinion

14Aug

Allardyce should focus on his weak squad, not Olympic Stadium

by Mike Calvin

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is an acquired taste, like sheep’s eyeballs in aspic. He’s similarly bitter and unappetising. For someone who produces functional football teams, he has an alarmingly high opinion of himself and his latest club.

Listen to Big Sam and it seems West Ham won the Championship by 20 points last season, instead of being promoted through the play-offs. He even had the temerity to suggest his side had only to play at 80 per-cent capacity to win on a regular basis in the lower league.

So far, so delusional for someone whose conviction he was born to manage Real Madrid is unsurprisingly not shared at the Bernabéu. But Allardyce surpassed himself yesterday, by implying that “a club with the history, fanbase and potential of West Ham” were fulfilling a public duty by taking the Olympic Stadium off our hands.

That touched a raw nerve. The nation is enduring a post-Olympic hangover and is not well disposed to the institutionalised arrogance of football. I found the Stratford stadium everything that Wembley is not: atmospheric, welcoming and accessible. The thought it will be dismantled and reconstituted for West Ham’s rent-a-quote opportunists is, frankly, objectionable.

Instead of pontificating on legacy issues, Allardyce should be more concerned about the unconvincing nature of his squad. The defence looks suspect, especially at full-back, and the gamble on Jussi Jaaskelainen’s longevity is reckless. Carlton Cole, a lightweight trapped in a heavyweight’s body, has never looked convincing as a Premier League striker.

West Ham’s strength lies in central midfield, where Mohamed Diamé is likely to prove the best signing of a summer of endless speculation. Mark Noble has been consistently under-estimated, and Kevin Nolan, at 30, probably has one more good season at the highest level in him.

The suspicion persists that it won’t take much to sour the mood. Despite his bluster, Allardyce has failed to win the trust of West Ham fans. Aston Villa, galvanised by the consistently impressive Paul Lambert, may just inspire thoughts of insurrection by winning at Upton Park on the opening day of the season.

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Follow Mike Calvin on Twitter @CalvinBook

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Comments

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Dagenham Dave

Wow Mike, did Sam knock you back for an interview, seems like he’s not the only one who’s bitter and unappetising
http://www.facebook.com/rodney.marston.9 Rodney Marston

thats got to be about the most undignified and morally repugnant views on a football club i have ever read. you are no more than a disalussioned millwall fan , bitter at us for our success and your failiure. give up your pathetic gripes. it just makes you look ridiculous. yes i agree with your arguement that bfs should not spout off about the stadium , but i dont agree with every article in which you attempt to systematically dismantle every aspect of west ham football club for your hearts desire. you sir are a fool!
bob

millwall scumbag !!
Barking Barry

Well said Dagenham Dave
Pepin

unprofessional, cheap and stupid
as stated – you sir are a fool!
LBH

Mike Calvin – I’d do a little bit of research into what Allardyce has achieved over his football career with very little money.

He, quite rightly, has a high opinion of himself.

Like him and his style or not, he’s nothing short of a miracle-worker.

There’s only one person who comes across as bitter and it’s the author of this piece.

I see you’re also on the Lambert-bandwagon, a manager who happily ditched the club who gave him the chance to mange at the level he now is, for a club with a poorer squad than West Ham.

At least Big Sam doesn’t show such disloyalty.
TR

You don’t think wembley is atmospheric? Haha u either weren’t there or are in denial
Paul

Mike Calvin you really write a load of rubbish. This is not the first time that you have written a damning artical on West Ham, their manager and their fans. Are you a Spurs or Millwall fan in disguise? Do you actually know anything about football? Start doing what you are paid for and write constructive articles and not this tasteless crap.
http://www.facebook.com/john.simpson.1293 John Simpson

yor a dick head
Arteeee27

Nolan is shit you fucking monkey.
John

For anyone with a brain, it is obvious West Ham F C are the only applicants so far, that are worth consideration for the O/s. Perhaps you would prefer that this mighty stadium was knocked down and reduced to a 25,000 seater athletic ground, and what a waste that would be.
Hunter

Expert opinion indeed – what a very poor article! Clearly the author has a problem with West Ham and cannot write an unbiased piece, but rather one full of vitreol. Do people really get paid for such rubbish?
Poalo Di God

This guy is a joke and shouldnt be taken seriously! This is taken from wikipedia: Biography
Calvin was given unprecedented access to every aspect of the activities of Millwall FC throughout their 2009/2010 playoff winning season. He reported for pre-season training, and was on the substitutes’ bench at Wembley 333 days later.
A bitter Millwall fan; need more be said!
Scalyback

I think all the previous comments say it all. You have distorted what he said and followed that with an outpouring only an hysterical Millwall or Tottenham fan could come out with.
Lloyd O

Another “balanced”, “unbiased” view expressed by that idiot Calvin.
Spnece

What a poor poor article. Find another job mate…and quick.
VB

WOW!! Sorry who are you?
RhimJim

What success?
dean

if i remember right 4 years ago you were slagging off London 2012 saying it would be 1) a waste of time 2) a waste of money 3) no one was interested! ‘expert opinion’ my arse, this article is also a waste of time, write something constructive for once if you can pencil it down.
Pt

Grow up.
custom house kid

you should seriously consider waiting for the transfer window to close before you go on your continuous slating of west ham, bfs has added to the squad with some good signings and now has a squad more than capable of holding its own in the premier league, and as for the olympic stadium mind your own buisness you mug and concentrate on your own waste of space team and their toy town stadium millwall mug
GBK16

We hardly have a week squad with the Transfer Window shut..Andy Carroll, Yossi Benayoun, Matt Jarvis..Players that would piss all over Millwall, our squad could easily get top 12, maybe even top 10 or 8..Big Sam is a brilliant manager, and if you heard him last season, he would blast us if we didnt play at 100%. Look at when we went 3 games with 10 men..No losses..Including a win against..umm..oh yeah, Millwall! Now piss off and go play with your little toys and leave the big boys teams to a Premier League season

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