Sam Allardyce

[Barnfred 55]

Indeed.

In horse racing terms we have “stayed on past beaten horses”.

Our improvement is largely illusionary due to the utter dross below us being incapable of getting back above us when we were stinking the place out in January and into February.

We were already ninth and fear of relegation was well in the rear view mirror the day we got an Allardycesque draw home to Chelsea.

7th place was the minimum target at that point.

Heck, the way the wheels came off at Arsenal a 6th place finish would not be out of the question over these closing games.

Then we went to Baggies.

And that is where the trouble with Sam started.

So no, I do not think finishing 8th or 9th indicates that Sam has done a “stellar job” as @Nyhus suggests......to me that just shows he lacked the nous to kick on from Boxing Day.

Or maybe he was still fighting the relegation battle that we werent actually in.

Conspiracists will argue he was doing his best to keep us in a relegation battle, but I dont buy that as it was just a natural bi product of his over negative incompetence.

 

[Barnfred 55]

I genuinely don’t understand the point in keeping him on for another 12 months if they don’t (and they shouldn’t) see him as a long term option.

You simply don’t let a man spend millions in the transfer market on players he wants, for just 12 months before getting someone else in who may not fancy them.

He’s already publicly stated he’d listen to offers for Lookman and recommend to the board doing a deal if the money is right. Surely they wouldn’t listen to him!?

There’s no way you can sell a talented 20 year old kid with huge potential and at least a decade of football in him, on the say so of a manager who is only going to be there at most, another 12 months.

That just makes zero sense. They have to make a choice, either commit to him longer term and offer a longer contract and back him (not my choice BTW!!), or sack him in the summer.

Absolutely baffling to just let him see out the remaining year. That’s just a year wasted and as I said makes no sense whatsoever.

Especially if Brands does come in.

 

[Khalekan]

Or maybe he was still fighting the relegation battle that we werent actually in.

Conspiracists will argue he was doing his best to keep us in a relegation battle, but I dont buy that as it was just a natural bi product of his over negative incompetence.

@ToffeeTim did suggest that around the turn of the year.....saying he was expecting a dip after the initial bounce then a resurgence in the Spring to give the appearance of an escape act and nowt that happened in January and February shoots that theory down

The only thing Sam could not legislate for was the complete lack of upward movement by any of the teams below us when we sat in the top half of the table despite the lamentable run we had in the first couple months of 2018.

Otherwise his escapologist reputation re Everton would be an easier sell.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

As highlighted in Mondays game a lot of that has to do with quality of the league you need to be really really poor to get relegated this season.
The divide seems to be growing because the teams outside the top 6 seem to be getting worse.
Burnley finishing seventh emphasise this.
Seventh or seventeenth not much in it quality wise.

I mentioned after the match how our game wouldn't have looked out of place halfway down the championship quality wise.
I think there's an argument that the real 2nd tier starts at 7th in the PL and finishes around 12th in the Championship.
A situation made worse as there isn't automatic relegation for finishing 6th in the PL.
It's ironic that so many clubs including ourselves live in fear of dropping into the 2nd tier when in reality we're already in it.

 

[Joey66]

I hope your the man to officially break the news of him going Joey. That's the End off we all want!

It was a female family member who a month ago heard he was going at the end of the season this was before the crapstorm - She and her husband have known his family distantly but had the odd meal with him in company , but that was ages ago, but they have contacts still within his circle a month ago the Mosh was not happy with him - that's what I got told , fingers crossed

 

[CJR]

Maybe Moshiri is seeing a bigger picture? That a new CEO and Director of Football will be appointed in the summer and they will obviously come with their own ideas keeping FS for a year gives them time to put plans in place restructuring the club behind the seems while also hopefully starting work on a new stadium.
FS is given the remit to get 7th and have a go at the cups while the long term blue print for the club is put together.
Not popular but rather that risk appointing a new manager and then the new DOF wants his own man in 12 months time?
Let’s hope there is a long term strategy

 

[dannyboy]

I mentioned after the match how our game wouldn't have looked out of place halfway down the championship quality wise.
I think there's an argument that the real 2nd tier starts at 7th in the PL and finishes around 12th in the Championship.
A situation made worse as there isn't automatic relegation for finishing 6th in the PL.
It's ironic that so many clubs including ourselves live in fear of dropping into the 2nd tier when in reality we're already in it.

Very true. The fact Huddersfield, Brighton and Newcastle are going to stay up tells you a lot about the standard of teams outside the top 6. As does the fact a side like Burnley are in 7th.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Maybe Moshiri is seeing a bigger picture? That a new CEO and Director of Football will be appointed in the summer and they will obviously come with their own ideas keeping FS for a year gives them time to put plans in place restructuring the club behind the seems while also hopefully starting work on a new stadium.
FS is given the remit to get 7th and have a go at the cups while the long term blue print for the club is put together.
Not popular but rather that risk appointing a new manager and then the new DOF wants his own man in 12 months time?
Let’s hope there is a long term strategy

i think thats a sensible strategy.

 

[Bungle]

It was a female family member who a month ago heard he was going at the end of the season this was before the crapstorm - She and her husband have known his family distantly but had the odd meal with him in company , but that was ages ago, but they have contacts still within his circle a month ago the Mosh was not happy with him - that's what I got told , fingers crossed

Thanks for the info Joe

 

[roydo]

I mentioned after the match how our game wouldn't have looked out of place halfway down the championship quality wise.
I think there's an argument that the real 2nd tier starts at 7th in the PL and finishes around 12th in the Championship.
A situation made worse as there isn't automatic relegation for finishing 6th in the PL.
It's ironic that so many clubs including ourselves live in fear of dropping into the 2nd tier when in reality we're already in it.

I have long held a theory about that. The sub Top 6-8 of the PL being on a par with top half of the Championship that is.

Same reason why I reckon an England side with 6 PL players, and 5 Championship ones wouldnt be much different from the normal England side in ability. Probably better come to think of it.

 

[chippy1722]

Very true. The fact Huddersfield, Brighton and Newcastle are going to stay up tells you a lot about the standard of teams outside the top 6. As does the fact a side like Burnley are in 7th.

Wolves are 9/4 for a top 10 finish next season, even with there finances, contacts etc that’s shorter than most years. They could end up the same price as us for the league or top 7 finish. That’s how close the teams outside top 6 are.

 

[Mozza1987]

Tbh, if we finish in 7th, 8th or 9th based on the first half of the season, BFS has done stellar work and deserves his payoff. I did not think he would have turned us around like he did, I was thinking someplace like 12th to be more likely.

I totally understand this but the rest of the prem has been awful this season.

 

[Joey66]

i think thats a sensible strategy.

A new DOF will want a decent manager!

 

[Simon Buttle]

It was a female family member who a month ago heard he was going at the end of the season this was before the crapstorm - She and her husband have known his family distantly but had the odd meal with him in company , but that was ages ago, but they have contacts still within his circle a month ago the Mosh was not happy with him - that's what I got told , fingers crossed

I reckon a lot of it is because he is too vocal with his comments most of the time, he is far too gobby for his own good and i think the famous Allardyce ego gets the better of him a lot of the time. He really does talk himself up like he is up there with the Pep's and the Jose's at times. If you look though at Chelsea, Conte's silly comments have pretty much cost him his job this year and he will probably be gone at the end of the season. Jose gets away with it because he gets results and Mourinho football is pretty boring to watch most of the time. Sam just comes out with such a lot of nonsense at times and unless you can back up, it will cost in the end, just look at Conte and his moaning about transfers.

 

[Walken]

It was a female family member who a month ago heard he was going at the end of the season this was before the crapstorm - She and her husband have known his family distantly but had the odd meal with him in company , but that was ages ago, but they have contacts still within his circle a month ago the Mosh was not happy with him - that's what I got told , fingers crossed

your reputation is dependent on this outcome joe