Sam Allardyce And Rafa Benitez
Sam Allardyce sincerely hopes that he is still in charge at West Brom at the beginning of next season having guided the club to Premier League safety.
Sam Allardyce said: “Hopefully, I’m sat here planning for next season in the Premier League! That’s going to be a real difficult challenge, but it’s still my hope and desire to be sat here and saying ‘wow, how did we do that?’, he replied, when asked about his future. It’d be great if we could do that, I’ve done a few of those where I’ve got up the next morning and wondered just how did we get out of trouble. It’s easy when you say it – but a lot more difficult in this position, but before, we didn’t just beat the teams in the bottom eight, we also beat the teams in the top six. That’s why I’m so disappointed we didn’t beat Manchester United.”
With or without Allardyce, and irrespective of the division that the club find themselves in next term, Albion are already planning for all eventualities. Another summer of significant player turnover already appears likely, when you consider the number of loanees the club currently possesses and the list of first-team individuals whose contracts are up at the end of this season.
Sam Allardyce added: “The planning has started, but not with me yet player wise, that’s at the top end of the club, they need to start budgeting for the Premier League and not for it and what does it look like,” Allardyce explained. That’s very important at this stage. So when the final game is played, they know exactly what budgets are going to forwards, either or, depending on what position they’re in. Only then can that plan, in terms of players, be implemented.”
Allardyce agreed on an 18-month deal with the club when he succeeded Slaven Bilic in the Albion hot-seat before Christmas, but at this moment the club’s situation continues to be a desperate one and they remain well adrift of 17th placed Newcastle United.
