Sam Alladyce - Not worried

[Part-Timer]

What about your "beautiful football" Humping long balls up to Carroll isn't the "West Ham way". Or is it all forgotten with the result

[bennythedip2]

Originally Posted by Part-Timer

What about your "beautiful football" Humping long balls up to Carroll isn't the "West Ham way". Or is it all forgotten with the result

Don't you worry now PT ... We're up at your place next week ..

Sunderland 0 - 3 West Ham

[bennythedip2]

Big Sam on: Sunderland

The manager talks to the press ahead of Saturday's game at Sunderland

11.12.2014
Sam Allardyce held his pre-match press conference on Thursday ahead of Saturday's trip to Sunderland.

The manager faced questions on team news, his side's league position, the test awaiting the Hammers at the Stadium of Light and more.

A lot of West Ham fans are getting nose bleeds at the moment, at the start of the season did you think this was achievable?

SA: "I wouldn't have thought it was achievable before we started playing because we had so many new players. But like I've said many times the new players have done a particularly fantastic job. The other players have done a job to welcome them in and make them feel comfortable. Our team spirit and family feel has played a part and everyone is on top of their game.

"I think the Swansea performance typified that, we're a very good team character wise as we came back from a goal down again. Our determination shone through as did our ability and quality. We don't just play one way, we're flexible and can adapt to the style we need to at that particular time. I think the lads have picked up on that really well and opposition defences don't know what's coming next. That causes unrest and I think our performance on Sunday was the best of the season."

Fifteen games into the season, have you adjusted your expectations or targets?

SA: "If we're still here towards the end of January then we'll reassess our aims. By that point we'll have played 20 games, we'll have played everybody once so we should have a good indicator of where we are. So we'll see what everybody has got in their locker, everybody would've seen what we have in ours so it'll be a question of whether we can carry it on.

"We might have a little worrying spell during the Africa Cup of Nations in January, that's why I'm not prepared to do any more predictions until they come back.

It would nice to say goodbye to the Boleyn Ground with some Champions League football?

SA: "I'm not sure about that, we don't want to get carried away. We just want to keep on playing the football we're playing at the moment. Everyone is enjoying themselves, there's a good buzz around the training ground which is always a good sign. I think competition for places keeps everyone hungry, there's quite a few disappointed players because they haven't played as much as they wanted and that is very healthy from my point of view. It keeps them on their toes and gets the best performances out of them."

Is Andy Carroll playing his best football in a West Ham shirt? Arguably his career?

SA: "I think he's still getting back to full fitness and he can get better once he's 100% ready. He's had a long layoff and only a handful of games played. His confidence will get better the more he plays, his goals will help that too. Certainly in the games he's played so far have been good and I think there's more to come.

"We're the third highest scorers in the League, with nine different scorers before the Swansea game. So we're getting goals from all over the team. With our options up front with Valencia and Sakho back as well as Carlton Cole and Mauro Zarate it is a very strong frontline that we can change if and when we need to."

Any injury news ahead of Sunderland?

SA: "Mark Noble is still injured with a problem with his Achilles tendon. Other than that we don't seem to have many problems."

With an almost full squad, is it unlikely Diego Poyet will feature?

SA: "He's in the squad so he has a chance. He's had some first team football up in Huddersfield, now's he back here, and we're happy he's back. At any point we could pick up injuries, we played Aston Villa and picked up five injuries that couldn't play against Everton. So having Diego back is important."

Has he been knocking on your door asking to play this weekend against his Dad's side?

SA: "No we haven't talked about that, he's in the squad so he's got a chance but we haven't discussed it."

In terms of scoring more goals and playing more attacking football was that a conscious decision?

SA: "Not really, you play the best way you can with the team you've got. We were never short of creating chances in my time here. I wouldn't say we're attacking more we're just scoring more goals then we did before and converting more chances.

"We're slightly down on our clean sheet ratio so that's the only bit of negativity. If we continue to score the goals then it won't matter as much."

A quick word on Sunderland, how do you rate them as opponents?

SA: "There hugely difficult at home, playing them away has been tough for us. They've been struggling for goals recently, I think Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher would've wanted a few more goals than they've got and if they had they would have converted their draws to wins. Hopefully we can keep those guys quiet on Saturday and deliver another good away performance."

[bennythedip2]

Andy Carroll in the Sunderland game was pants

[bennythedip2]

Third in the league now after the win over Leicester ... and next week we are going to kick @rse at Chelsea

[bennythedip2]

Hammers were 'hammered at Chelsea

[bennythedip2]

West Ham sign Canada star.. January 3 2015

West Ham have made their first signing of the January transfer window after snapping up Canada international defender Doneil Henry.

The 21-year-old centre-back arrives from Apollon Limassol on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.


Henry joined the Cypriot First Division side in October but returned to Toronto FC on loan and was recommended to Sam Allardyce by the MLS side’s coach Ryan Nelsen.


"Ryan was my captain at Blackburn for a couple of years and he rang us and told us about Doneil," Allardyce told West Ham’s website.


"He said this lad definitely has Premier League potential and he has everything he needs.


"With a little coaching from us and work in terms of how to defend in the Premier League, Ryan says he has all the attributes to be a good player.


"We have invested in him for the near future, so we do hope he can make some sort of appearance this season if he settles in and does as well as Ryan thinks he will. If not, we hope he is certainly one for the future."


Henry, who recently spent two spells training with the Hammers, is eager to get started.


"I started with the Toronto FC Academy when I was 16 and signed for the first team when I was 17 and now I just want to continue to develop and keep growing as a player. I'm 21 and I want to get a role with the team, keep my head down and take my opportunity when I can.


"I love a tackle and I just want to defend hard. I take pride in my clean sheets with the back line and with the 'keeper, so if we can just do that, it's job completed."

[Part-Timer]

So he wasn't good enough to play at the lofty heights of the Greek Cypriot League but is somehow deemed good enough to play in the English Premier League

How the f*** does he get a work permit? No wonder the English team is crap. Me thinks a few pockets have been lined with this deal.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doneil_Henry What a star he is. He wasn't good enough to play 1 game in Cyprus, someone's having a laugh.

[Tony2005]

So they spent that £27.50 they had saved up for Ronaldo......

[bennythedip2]

Well now the going gets tough for Sam and West Ham after the 3 - 0 win over Hull City ..
Their next 7 league games look easy ..

Liverpool v West Ham
West Ham v Man Utd
Southampton v West Ham
Tottenham v West Ham
West Ham v Crystal Palace
West Ham v Chelsea
Arsenal v West Ham