Why it's success for Big Sam I fear, not failure

With next season’s fixtures released and £20m transfers going through, it seems like the short wait is coming to an end and football is nearly back.

One man who is most certainly back is Big Sam Allardyce, who returned from his big break from football management and started his big new job at West Ham today - presumably taking the time to light up a big celebratory cigar and put his big hands-free kit in place.

New Hammers boss Allardyce

Opinion is still divided on Allardyce: some think he is a long ball merchant who will wash away the traditions of West Ham; others don’t care that he is a long ball merchant that will wash away the traditions of West Ham, so long as he gets them promoted.

One thing for sure is that he has hit the ground running. If the signing of Abdoulaye Faye was strong and safe, the purchase of Kevin Nolan from Newcastle was simply astounding. Many West Ham fans, myself included, are still in disbelief that one of the best English midfielders in the country last season has dropped down a division to play for West Ham. If the police have any sense, they will investigate this as a violent abduction, rather than a football transfer. 

However Nolan ended up at Upton Park, he is a fantastic signing that could well be the difference between West Ham being promoted automatically, or being one of a tight chasing pack who have to settle for the play-offs or worse. His experience, leadership qualities and ability to score goals from midfield should have made him a target for the Premier League’s top six, but  instead he chose West Ham and I doubt you’ll find a single Hammers fan who isn’t delighted he did.

Big Sam of course played a, somewhat predictably, big part in the deal. He made Nolan a mainstay of his Bolton team and handed him the armband too. Nolan has even confirmed that Allardyce is a major reason why he has decided to head to East London. So surely Big Sam is proving that he has what it takes to make West Ham a success again, and in the process win over the sceptics amongst the Upton Park crowd?

Well even if many fans do subscribe to that theory, I am not one of them. The appointment of Allardyce still rankles with me to be honest. Yes he is a high profile manager who was once interviewed for the England job, and yes he has undoubted ability at being difficult to beat and getting his players to stick to a system. It has even brought him relative success in the past: getting Bolton into Europe was a monumental achievement that many wrongly overlook. But I have grave doubts that West Ham United and Sam Allardyce are a good combination.

Few will argue that Allardyce’s teams put great emphasis on the physical side of the game, and most people will again agree that free-flowing passing football is not Big Sam’s favoured approach to getting results. Unfortunately for Allardyce, West Ham is a club that traditionally has always aimed to play the ball on the floor and entertain the crowd.

I know what you’re thinking; in fact I can almost hear it now: West Ham haven’t played good football for years, and all that matters is getting out of the Championship - however you play. Well, it’s difficult to disagree with either statement to be honest. As much as it pains me to say, West Ham haven’t really played entertaining football since the days of Harry Redknapp - half a Gianfranco Zola season aside. And yes, getting out of the division is of paramount importance and has to be the number one priority.

But I happen to believe that there is nothing wrong with trying to adhere to the club’s traditions. Not playing good football in recent years represents an unsuccessful diversion from our ethos, not a blueprint for the future. It is right that we try to revert to what first brought fans to Upton Park, and why we used to have a reputation for entertaining fans.

And whilst getting out of the division has to be number one priority, there is no evidence to suggest that you have to do it the ugly way. Look at this season’s promoted clubs: QPR, Norwich and Swansea can all play good football, and the latter are a joy to watch at times. West Brom have also passed their way to promotion, and Blackpool won plaudits galore for their attacking approach to the game.

So whilst I wish Allardyce the best of luck, I do feel that taking his approach may have chipped a chunk out of the soul of the club. It’s a route the club didn’t have to take: Chris Hughton - a former West Ham player - would have been better placed to lead the club to promotion whilst at least attempting to pass the ball.

The appointment will of course not effect my support of the club: I’m a fan of the club, not individuals and regardless of who plays for the team or who is in charge of them, it’s not something you can switch off. So I’ll be hoping for success even under Big Sam; I just hope that success does not come at too big a price.