West Ham United great Tony Cottee reflects on Sam Allardyce's departure and reveals his pick for the manager to replace him at the helm
Tony Cottee scored 146 goals in 336 appearances over two spells with West Ham United and was part of the Hammers side which finished in a record-high third place in Division One in 1985/86...
I would like to start by wishing Sam Allardyce all the best for the future after four years in charge of my Club, West Ham United.
I know Sam and am good friends with his no2 Neil McDonald from our time playing together at Everton. He, as well as Sam’s other backroom staff, will also leave the Club and I wish them all the best too. Teddy Sheringham has already been appointed as Stevenage manager and I am sure Macca, Ian Hendon and Bobby Mimms will not be out of work for long.
Concentrating on the future, if the Board appoint the right man to succeed Sam and the new manager takes the Club to the next level, then it will prove to be the right decision not to renew his contract this summer.
Some supporters have complained about the style of football we have played under Sam and I have seen the Board’s statement indicating that the new manager must be aware of the Club’s traditions and the West Ham Way.
I think you have to get the balance right. We all want to play attractive, attacking football, but that is no good if we end up losing 5-4 every week and getting relegated. The key to it is getting the balance between style and substance.
I think Sam did a job up to a point and took the Club as far as he could in that regard. We knew what we were getting when Sam was appointed, so there have been no surprises.
There have been times when we have played some brilliant football and pulled off some outstanding wins, but there have also been times when we have not caught the eye and have gone through difficult spells of performances and results – take this season as an example!
Whoever is appointed to take over as manager needs to get that balance right as quickly as possible.
For me, Slaven Bilic is the number one choice to become West Ham United’s new manager. When you look at his credentials, he has enjoyed success at both domestic and international level, was a fantastic player, is a top guy and also has a strong connection with the Club.
I think it is important, if possible, for a manager to have a connection with a club, whether that be as a former player or coach, and Slaven was a very good player for West Ham. I would love to see Slaven Bilic get the job, as he has proved himself with Croatia and Besiktas and I believe he is available.
I have seen other names be mentioned, like Jurgen Klopp and Eddie Howe, and it is very important that the Club makes the right decision at this important time.
The Board have appointed managers before, both at West Ham and before that at Birmingham City, and have a lot of experience in this area, so I am confident they will do their homework and make the right decision.
I understand that we will likely start the season early because of the Europa League, so it is also important that any decision is made as quickly as possible so that the new manager can be fully prepared for that challenge.
All of us West Ham fans certainly have an interesting summer ahead!
Come on you Irons!
TC
I would like to start by wishing Sam Allardyce all the best for the future after four years in charge of my Club, West Ham United.
I know Sam and am good friends with his no2 Neil McDonald from our time playing together at Everton. He, as well as Sam’s other backroom staff, will also leave the Club and I wish them all the best too. Teddy Sheringham has already been appointed as Stevenage manager and I am sure Macca, Ian Hendon and Bobby Mimms will not be out of work for long.
Concentrating on the future, if the Board appoint the right man to succeed Sam and the new manager takes the Club to the next level, then it will prove to be the right decision not to renew his contract this summer.
Some supporters have complained about the style of football we have played under Sam and I have seen the Board’s statement indicating that the new manager must be aware of the Club’s traditions and the West Ham Way.
I think you have to get the balance right. We all want to play attractive, attacking football, but that is no good if we end up losing 5-4 every week and getting relegated. The key to it is getting the balance between style and substance.
I think Sam did a job up to a point and took the Club as far as he could in that regard. We knew what we were getting when Sam was appointed, so there have been no surprises.
There have been times when we have played some brilliant football and pulled off some outstanding wins, but there have also been times when we have not caught the eye and have gone through difficult spells of performances and results – take this season as an example!
Whoever is appointed to take over as manager needs to get that balance right as quickly as possible.
For me, Slaven Bilic is the number one choice to become West Ham United’s new manager. When you look at his credentials, he has enjoyed success at both domestic and international level, was a fantastic player, is a top guy and also has a strong connection with the Club.
I think it is important, if possible, for a manager to have a connection with a club, whether that be as a former player or coach, and Slaven was a very good player for West Ham. I would love to see Slaven Bilic get the job, as he has proved himself with Croatia and Besiktas and I believe he is available.
I have seen other names be mentioned, like Jurgen Klopp and Eddie Howe, and it is very important that the Club makes the right decision at this important time.
The Board have appointed managers before, both at West Ham and before that at Birmingham City, and have a lot of experience in this area, so I am confident they will do their homework and make the right decision.
I understand that we will likely start the season early because of the Europa League, so it is also important that any decision is made as quickly as possible so that the new manager can be fully prepared for that challenge.
All of us West Ham fans certainly have an interesting summer ahead!
Come on you Irons!
TC