Despite an unspectacular end to a Premier League campaign in which West Ham United finished 13th, the London club have announced Sam Allardyce will stay on as manager.
Sam Allardyce to stay on at West Ham
West Ham have confirmed that Sam Allardyce will lead them into the forthcoming Premier League season.
Bryn Lennon
Allardyce had come under pressure from supporters for a season of unspectacular performances, and a statement on the Hammers’ official website has revealed structural changes have been made to try and turn things around:
”After listening to feedback from supporters, the Board have insisted on improvements to the set-up of the playing and backroom staff to ensure the team provides more entertainment next season.
“The manager has agreed to recruit a new attacking coach to complement the existing coaching set-up as well as an overhaul of the Club’s scouting and recruitment operation that will see the Board have a greater involvement in the players who are signed, as the Board will once again be investing considerable funds into the Club this summer. The Club have made clear that they want to see progression on the pitch and at least a top-ten finish as a result.”
In truth, keeping Allardyce on is probably a wise move. On paper, West Ham are one of the weakest teams in the league, and though it wasn’t pretty, the manager performed well to drag them out of trouble after a difficult start to the campaign.
Certainly a top-10 finish next season won’t be easy without some significant investment to the playing staff, and it now remains to be seen whether chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold deliver on their promise by bringing in some fresh faces. If they don’t, they’re asking Allardyce to do the impossible.
See More:
