West Ham Aiming High

Moments after yesterday's final whistle West Ham United will not be offering Sam Allardyce a new contract.

Not the most surprising news to hear and as Big Sam was never a fans favourite it will have made the call easier for the owners.  He was though, a manager who almost certainly confirmed the Hammers place in the Premier League as long as he would remain in charge.  A marriage of convenience would be a fair description of his appointment.

With the club moving into a new stadium next season there will be the expectancy of maintaining their EPL place as a minimum.  The owners though have talked of taking the club into the move on the back of playing a different way, playing the West Ham way.

Slaven Bilic is the heavy favourite to take over.  He will leave Besiktas at the end of the season with the club's president confirming he leaves on good terms.  Second name on the short list appears to be David Moyes.  The ex Everton and Manchester United manager has had a good first season at Real Sociedad.  It may be too soon for him and I'm not sure his teams play in a much different style to Big Sam.   Roberto Di Matteo, Michael Laudrup and Unai Emery are also spoken of.

The job is not to be underestimated.  Keeping West Ham in the league is a tougher job than it may appear and improving them from the mid table position ever harder.  Trying to do both and playing a better to the eye brand of football as big a challenge as there may be.

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