Sam Allardyce faces up to the reality of his West Ham disaster story

Manager had few options but accepts collapse has raised pressure on him at start of crunch week
Ken Dyer6 January 2014

Sam Allardyce admits that the West Ham owners’ resolve to keep faith with him will be tested over the next five days.

David Sullivan and David Gold are not prone to sacking managers mid-season and Allardyce is adamant that the club’s co-chairmen understand why he was forced into making so many changes which led to this humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of a Championship side.

The West Ham manager knows he must, somehow, salvage something soon from a season which he admits is a “disaster”.

West Ham will still be without seven senior players, including all three of their central defenders, for Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Manchester City, with a crucial Premier League encounter away at Cardiff three days later.

Of the three away games, yesterday’s third-round tie was arguably the least important, which is why Allardyce fielded a team who by the end of this embarrassing defeat had five young players making their debuts.

The 3,000 fans that made the journey to Nottingham had little sympathy with Allardyce’s dilemma and a section were singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” before the final whistle put them out of their misery.

The West Ham manager believes his employers are more understanding and, in truth, there were very few options available to him.

Had he fielded his ‘strongest’ team which, by necessity would have included full-backs as central defenders, it would have meant playing the same personnel again three days later against City’s squad of international talent, who have already put six past Arsenal and Tottenham — and seven against Norwich this season. In truth, the tipping point at Nottingham Forest came just past the hour mark when the sides were only separated by one goal, a penalty from Diamal Abdoun after George Moncur had brought down Jamie Paterson.

By that time, the experience of Stewart Downing and Alou Diarra had been substituted and hat-trick man Paterson was about to run riot.

Captain Andy Reid added a fifth in added time to complete West Ham’s misery.

Asked if the 5-0 defeat would have serious repercussions from those above him, Allardyce said: “That’s their decision, not mine. I made them aware of what was going to happen against Forest. I’m not in a position where I go and do these things without telling everyone internally what is going to be planned for the next few games.

“I’m not saying it [the sack], won’t happen unless I get results. I’ve got to get results, I know that.

“The owners understand that, as a manager, I have to look at the process of what is happening over the next week or so and decide the best way forward for the club.”

Allardyce conceded that the next five days remain crucial for him and West Ham. “Yes, there is no doubt about that,” he said. “It’s the first leg of the Capital Cup semi-final on Wednesday and we have got to get back from that with the opportunity to get to Wembley. That’s the first one. Then we have to go to Cardiff and get some points.”

Allardyce admitted he had put too many of the youngsters in against Forest and added: “It’s a great learning curve for them but obviously no one ever wants to get beat 5-0.

“They’ve found out what level they have to get to as young professionals — how dedicated they must be, how strong not just in physical but mental terms — to play at this level.

“I could have left Stewart Downing and Alou Diarra on if I had wanted to and we probably wouldn’t have got beat 5-0 but then if I asked them to play on Wednesday night again when City played on Saturday and have a much bigger and much more talented squad, the last thing I want to do is have players going into that game fatigued before they start.

“It’s a disaster for me at the minute — a total disaster. My hands are tied behind my back because every time I come in, I see what’s available and the team is almost picking itself.

“In certain areas, mainly defensive, we’ve not been able to cope because all our central defenders are missing and our main investment, Andy Carroll, hasn’t played this season.”

Allardyce confirmed none of his central defenders would be fit for Wednesday but James Tomkins and James Collins have a chance of making the Cardiff match.

However, given the way 2014 has started for the Hammers, no one at Upton Park will be taking anything for granted.

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