Sam Allardyce And Rafa Benitez
Sam Allardyce will be holding discussions with West Brom this week over whether he will be the man to lead the club into the new season or not.
Sam Allardyce said “I am not going to answer a question on whether I am staying or going – it will just be a waste of time because I won’t be saying whether I am going or staying. It’s too early to consider or talk about. It’s about the disappointment. It’s about having a day or two off and getting ready for Liverpool. The most important thing for me and the players is to give everything we have got to try and finish the season with pride in your own performance and your own professionalism.”
Allardyce did confirm, however, that the financial aspect of Albion’s situation and the cost of relegation will play a part in the decision making.
Sam Allardyce said “It would depend on what is decided when figures are set. At this moment I have no idea what the figures are or aren’t,” he added. “At this moment to think about it after the disappointment, it is not a question I am prepared to answer.”
It was an understandably deflated Allardyce – “words can’t even describe it” – who addressed the assembled media at the Emirates Stadium, as he contemplated a first top flight relegation on his managerial CV. At Everton, Sunderland, Blackburn and Crystal Palace, Allardyce had successfully secured safety amid a back-drop of relegation danger. Sadly for Albion, he, his staff and his inherited players, the well ran dry at The Hawthorns. Not that it needs to be a failure; Allardyce could yet stay on at the club and tackle the Championship, a division he’s not hung around too long in previously. Most recently – albeit it was back in 2012 – he led West Ham out of the second tier at the first attempt. The big question now will be whether he wishes to stay on. Allardyce has indicated previously that he would be willing to remain in charge provide the club matches his ambitions. There’s a big job to be carried out this summer when it comes to playing personnel, both in terms of incoming business and moving players on.
Do they have what it takes to bounce back immediately?
Sam Allardyce said “I have no idea at this stage. I’m not even thinking about it at this stage, or even thinking that far ahead.”
Though there are three matches remaining of this existing season, the impending decision expected to be reached in the near future between Allardyce and Albion – one way or the other – is as crucial as any that the club will make this entire summer. In the meantime, he is demanding ultra professionalism and performances in the games on the horizon against Liverpool, West Ham – the latter of which will be in front of Albion supporters at The Hawthorns – and Leeds United on the final day.
Albion are facing a summer made up of big decisions after their relegation back to the Championship was confirmed at Arsenal on Sunday evening, but the managerial situation is at the front of the board’s minds as they begin to put plans in place before the current campaign concludes. Allardyce, 66, has a break clause in his contract which he and the club both have the power to activate in the event of relegation. He had agreed an 18-month deal when he replaced Slaven Bilic as the club’s head coach in December of last year. It’s understood that the man himself is open to the idea of staying; Allardyce has fond memories of previous Championship stints having guided both Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United back to the top flight, albeit the latter of those was nine years ago. There are certain requirements that will need to be met in order for Allardyce to agree to stay on, however; that will include the recruitment budget that he has to work with, something which will plainly spell out to him how serious the club are of achieving promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Having given his players and staff Monday and Tuesday off this week, Allardyce will return to the club’s training ground on Wednesday, conduct training with the first team and then sit down and talk with chief executive Ken and sporting director Luke Dowling about how they move forwards – if at all. There was very little the man himself was able to offer by way of an update on Sunday evening when the inevitable question was posed to him.
