Allardyce 4/5 to last the season as West Ham United manager
Published:The rebuilding process begins now for West Ham United after the appointment of Sam Allardyce as the club’s new manager.
Allardyce will take charge from today and there is already a renewed optimism around the club, although whether that optimism will convince the likes of Carlton Cole, Rob Green and Mark Noble to stick around for a year in the Championship seems unlikely.
West Ham have been installed as the 11/2 favourites to win the 2011/12 Championship title, but in a very open league – there are 12 clubs 16/1 or shorter to win the title – Allardyce has his work cut out.
First on the agenda for the former Newcastle boss will be establishing the squad that will take on the Championship next season and if players such as Scott Parker and Demba Ba are intent on playing in the Premier League, Allardyce needs to let them go and free up transfer funds.
Parker is 4/1 to be a West Ham player after the summer transfer window deadline but with plenty of Premier League attention, the England midfielder looks certain to be lured back to the Premier League.
The West Ham squad could potentially be decimated should they lose Green, Parker, Noble, Ba and Cole, and Allardyce will have to use all the contacts he has to fashion a squad ready to challenge for the Championship title.
Allardyce is 4/5 to last the season as West Ham manager and 1/4 to make it to the January transfer window, but a strong start will be needed at a club whose fans are demanding and Allardyce has the best part of two months to get the club ready.
