West Ham: Big Sam deserves better than Twitter gossip

 

With West Ham stalling over Sam Allardyce's contract renewal and Irons legend Paolo Di Canio becoming freshly unemployed, Christian Crowther assesses all the goings  on...

 

Sam Allardyce's current deal at Upton Park is due to expire at the end of the season but, rather than getting a new contract in place now, West Ham's ownership  double-act have only increased speculation over his future by delaying talks.

 

The club's joint-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan claim their stance on holding off contract talks is to avoid distraction until after Premier League survival is  secured.

 

West Ham are currently positioned in 11th place, seven points clear of the danger zone, and, although they are not officially safe, their home form has always looked  like being enough to keep them safe this season.

 

The Hammers are justifiably still rated as outsiders to go down at 15.5, whereas the more optimistic backers can get them at 5.3 to finish in the top ten.

 

While it's understandable that the owners may wish to keep the club focused solely on securing their top-flight status as a priority ahead of giving Big Sam a fresh  deal, it's actually triggered the exact opposite effect.

 

If the situation with Allardyce's contract was clear then Paolo Di Canio's availability would not serve to distract from the club's Premier League survival mission.  Instead, with a West Ham legend now at large in the employment sphere, Gold has only served to add fire to the flames.

 

Gold retweeted the opinions of two West Ham fans calling for the Itailan to be brought in to replace Big Sam, before then going on to pledge his support to the current  manager.

 

These actions seem unfathomable. Now unwanted speculation is bound to follow the club around until Di Canio finds a new job.

 

Furthermore, Allardyce's record at West Ham and at Bolton previously clearly warrants a new contract.

 

Surely a solitary stab at management with Swindon, where he's now walked out, does not form the basis for a CV worthy of the West Ham job for the eccentric Di Canio.

 

West Ham may have stuttered recently, but they have never gone more than four league games without victory this season, and there are not many managers who can boast  such experience as Allardyce in the division.

 

Gold and Sullivan should get that offer on the table now and then the Irons can fully focus on climbing the table.

 

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