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Since the 2011/2012 season when Sam Allardyce took over West Ham after their relegation to the Championship, the former Bolton manager has come under heavy scrutiny from the fans, despite guiding them to promotion and keeping them in England’s top flight for the third season in a row. Quite a feat with the managerial merry-go-round an unpredictable theme, year after year, not just in the Premier League, but in all four divisions in the country. But with calls for Big Sam’s head being made from all four corners of the Boleyn Ground and a vast amount of managers available, why are the owners ignoring the demands of the fans?

With the 2014/2015 Premier league season well and truly under way, a more attacking style and attractive brand of football was instructed by the club’s board in order to bring the famous traditions back and please the club’s fans. However, this is not Allardyce’s philosophy, and has never played passing football while he had spells at the Trotters, Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. Asking a manager to play attractive football on the deck which is not in his nature is an absolutely stupid ultimatum to make. With the season only just kicked off, sacking Allardyce wouldn’t be the worst decision to make.

With the dreaded international break in full swing, dismissing Big Sam would allow a new manager to put plans in place, and get to know the squad ahead of their away trip to Hull City in two weeks. One man that most would like to take to the helm at Upton Park is former Everton and Manchester United gaffer David Moyes. Despite his unsuccessful spell with the Red Devils last season, Moyes’ credentials and achievements at Goodison Park are good enough to convince most people associated with West Ham that he would be a vital asset. On a low budget, and playing quality football, Moyes took the Toffees to fourth place and into the Champions League qualifying round in 2005, were they lost to Villarreal. This is exactly what West Ham need ahead of their anticipated move into the Olympic Stadium in time for the 2016/2017 season. However, getting rid of Allardyce is harder than most people think.

Allardyce is in the final year of his contract at West Ham, but would be eager to sign an extension considering how much he is earning – a staggering £2.95m a year. In 2013, he was the 13th highest paid manger in the world, earning the same amount as current England gaffer Roy Hodgson, and earning more income than Napoli chief Rafa Benitez, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone and Germany national team coach Joachim Loew. On that sort of salary, Allardyce is not going walk out on his own free will, getting him sacked would mean paying off the rest of his contract, and with over £25m spent on bringing new players to club, it wouldn’t be sustainable or financial healthy. For a manager, whose only expectation is to keep his club in the top flight, Big Sam is driving the Hammers into the middle of nowhere.

For a club, that is based on bringing home grown players from the famous ‘Academy of Football’ whom are taught from a young age to play football on the floor, Allardyce has completely ignored what has been with the team for years, even failing to convince academy director, Tony Carr MBE to stay in his role. A man who has served the club with great distinction and produced players like Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard is no longer in a position to produce more players of the same calibre.  When was the last time the Hammers brought through a youngster from the academy into the first team?

David Moyes, who brought through Wayne Rooney and bought the likes of Mikel Arteta and Leighton Baines to the club, this is a man who can lead West Ham to success especially when the Hammers move into the Olympic stadium.

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West Brom continued their strong start to the season with victory over Wigan at the DW Stadium.

The Baggies have began well under new boss Steve Clarke and their first away success under of the season keeps them fifth in the table.

Peter Odemwingie was a surprise exclusion from the visitors starting lineup, despite scoring both goals in the win over Southampton on Monday, with Romelu Lukaku preferred up front.

It proved to be a shrewd move as they easily beat the Latics who continued their jekyll and hyde form, failing to build on last weeks excellent performance at Tottenham.

And Roberto Martinez will be unhappy with the manner in which they fell behind in the 31st minute against the run of play. Chris Brunt delivered a pinpoint cross into the penalty area and James Morrison ghosted in to plant a header past Ali Al-Habsi.

More sloppy defending followed two minutes before the break as the away side doubled their advantage, Billy Jones seeing his effort heavily deflecting of Gary Caldwell after he charged into the box.

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But there was hope for the hosts as Arouna Kone converted Jean Beausejour’s superb low cross from six-yards to halve the deficit on the stroke of half time.

However there wasn’t to be an equaliser for Wigan as Boaz Myhill, making his first start of the season, was rarely troubled in the West Brom goal, and it was infact Al Habsi at the opposite end was busier of the two keepers making an outstanding save to thwart Lukaku from 12-yards.

Unai Emery would have known that his Arsenal career would not be easy, but he would have hoped to have an easier start to the season.

The Spaniard will kick off the 2018-19 Premier League campaign with arguably the toughest match-up of the opening weekend.

Emery will host his first top-flight game at the Emirates against the reigning champions Manchester City on August 11.

It will not get any easier after that as they travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea, so theoretically, Arsenal could be six points behind their rivals after the opening two weeks.

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Of course, there is no reason why they will not earn maximum points, but it is not the ideal way for Emery to ease into English football.

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Pressure will be heavy on the manager’s shoulders as he tries to eradicate two previous disappointing campaigns that ended in failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Once the fixtures were announced, the fans were automatically drawn to the opening two games.

Writing in his column for The Daily Record, Rangers legend Barry Ferguson has called on Graeme Murty’s side to put Celtic under serious pressure this weekend with a win against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

What’s the story?

The Gers host Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday ahead of Celtic’s massive trip to Pittodrie on Sunday and a win would see them move to within six points of the reigning champions.

Having suffered another heavy defeat in Europe and returning from a long, gruelling trip to Russia, the Hoops are arguably as vulnerable this Sunday as they have been all season.

A win for Graeme Murty’s men would only put more pressure on their Sunday match and a former title winner at Ibrox believes it’s their last chance to spark a title race.

As quoted by The Daily Record, Ferguson said:

Realistically, their game against Hearts tomorrow afternoon represents their last chance to lay down a marker to Celtic ahead of Brendan Rodgers taking his team to Aberdeen 24 hours later.

If  Rangers win and Celtic slip up against the Dons, they could be just six points behind the reigning champions heading into the business end of the season.

Nine points may sound an insurmountable gap, but you’re talking to a guy who won a title in 2005, our famous Helicopter Sunday, when we were five points behind our biggest rivals in April with just four games left to play.

Can the Light Blues really move to within sight of Brendan Rodgers’ side this weekend?

What are their chances against Hearts?

Craig Levein’s side have proven to be tough to beat this season and Rangers know that fine well having already drawn with the Jam Tarts 0-0 at Ibrox earlier in the season.

The Edinburgh side come into this weekend’s match on a six-game unbeaten streak and have conceded less goals in the league this season than every team in the top-flight apart from Celtic.

They’ll be a tough nut to crack and given Rangers’ inability to find consistency at home this season, it’s fair to say three points against Levein’s eleven are not guaranteed.

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With the promise of putting pressure on Celtic though, perhaps the Light Blues can find it within themselves to produce a stellar performance.

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Amid a summer window of prolific spending at Arsenal, the Gunners are also expected to say goodbye to club captain Thomas Vermaelen.

Indeed, the Belgium international still holds the armband at the Emirates, but a mixture of recurring injuries, poor form and the talismanic partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker saw him make just seven starts in the Premier League last season.

The 28 year-old has been known to be considering his options for some time, and recent speculation suggests both Liverpool and Manchester United are baying for his signature.

But should Vermaelen leave, Arsenal will undoubtedly need to source a replacement with only three centre-halves, including the want-away defender, currently on the Emirates roster.

With that in mind, here’s SIX replacements Arsene Wenger should consider this summer.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON VERMAELEN TO REVEAL ALL

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FABIAN SCHAR

Arsenal have been strongly linked with Fabian Schar before, and should Thomas Vermaelen leave the Emirates this summer it would be incredibly surprising if Arsene Wenger didn’t revive his interest in the Basel defender.

Statistically, the Switzerland international was the best defender in the Champions League last season, as detailed below…

And his World Cup performances weren’t too bad either, making eight interceptions during two outings at Brazil 2014.

The 22 year-old has an interesting knack for scoring goals, even taking up spot kick duties for Bebbi:

//www.youtube.com/embed/MIe6I323HPc

And also netted this incredible strike as a youngster at FC Wil:

//www.youtube.com/embed/dH1mLudmGgg?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist= dH1mLudmGgg

A proactive, forward-thinking centre-back with considerable quality on the ball, Schar would fit perfectly with Arsenal’s possession-based philosophy.

But there are a number of suitors allegedly baying for his signature this summer, including Barcelona, Manchester United and local rivals Tottenham:

WINSTON REID

In terms of Vermaelen replacements with proven Premier League pedigree, the stand-out option remains West Ham’s Winston Reid, whom the Gunners were closely monitoring ahead of the January transfer window:

A move failed to materialise due to the New Zealand skipper being sidelined with an ankle injury, and by no great coincidence, the Hammers’ league form tanked in his absence.

The season prior, the 26 year-old claimed the Hammer of the Year award at Upton Park, celebrating the enormous progress he’s made since first joining the Irons after impressive showings at the 2010 World Cup.

Despite his sideline bout, Reid was in good form last season, as detailed below:

And although the All Whites centre-half may be more rugged than your average Arsenal defender, that difference in style offers Arsene Wenger some much-needed variation at the heart of defence.

Furthermore and most importantly, Reid’s contract is set to expire in 2015 and he’s continually delayed on a new deal – meaning he can be picked up for cheap this summer.

But Hammers chairman David Sullivan is keen to tie the 6 foot 3 centre-back down to new terms:

MATIJA NASTASIC

According to the tabloids, Arsenal have already targeted a direct replacement to Thomas Vermaelen in Manchester City’s Matija Nastasic:

The 21 year-old is an impressive talent, having already plied his trade with Fiorentina in Italy and the Premier League champions. Here’s a short clip highlighting Nastasic’s strengths:

//www.youtube.com/embed/LxnfKoOWmWE?rel=0

But the Serbia international will be concerned that his progress is being stifled at the Etihad – injuries and the rise of Martin Demichelis saw him make just 14 Premier League appearances last season, and he now has to contend with all-but-confirmed £32million signing Eliaquim Mangala.

An Emirates switch would be an interesting move for Nastasic. He lacks physicality but is clearly a very intelligent defender, also offering significant Champions League experience . And as viewable below, his quality in possession is second to none:

But the Gunners face stiff competition for his signature, with several Serie A sides including Juventus, Inter Milan and Roma also strongly linked:

TOBY ALDERWEIRELD

The Gunners could swap one Belgium international for another if Arsene Wenger decides to reignite his interest in Toby Alderweireld from last summer.

The former Ajax star joined Atletico Madrid instead in a £6million deal, but the Mattress Makers’ sensational rise to La Liga title and Champions League final glory saw him make just ten league starts last season.

No doubt, the 25 year-old is a talented defender, capable of playing at centre-back or right-back (as he did for Belgium at the World Cup) and famed for his consistency, as visible below:

A product of the total football academy, Alderweireld comes with an impressive all-round game. Here’s a look at him in action for the Amsterdam outfit:

//www.youtube.com/embed/RFL2-xH2cis?rel=0

The 6 foot 2 defender has already made plenty of noise about leaving Vincente Calderon and was reportedly offered to Napoli in January.

But recent speculation suggests Liverpool are currently leading the race for his signature:

NEVEN SUBOTIC

Jurgen Klopp appears determined to hold onto World Cup-winning centre-back Mats Hummels this summer, but that in turn could spell a departure for fellow Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic.

The 25 year-old has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City in the past, earning a reputation as one of Europe’s most underrated defenders as the unassuming-yet-sturdy partner to Hummels.

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The Serbia international was in customarily strong form last season until his campaign was cut short through injury:

Here’s some highlights from last term, with Subotic’s pace, tackling ability and composure in possession particularly standing out:

//www.youtube.com/embed/YV1uB16MEgQ?rel=0

But that eight-month sideline spell saw Greece defender Sokratis thoroughly excel as understudy, and it remains to be seen who will be given the first team berth on a regular basis next season.

With three high-quality centre-backs to choose from and just two years left on Subotic’s contract, a bid around the £15million-£20million mark could convince the Black-Yellows to sell.

FEDERICO FAZIO

Another, slightly more outlandish, option said to be on the Arsenal radar is Sevilla’s towering centre-back Federico Fazio:

Measuring in at 6 foot 5 whilst also capable of playing in defensive midfield, the La Liga man-mountain has drawn many comparisons with Per Mertesacker.

The Argentina international was in strong form last season too as Los Palanganos claimed the Europa League title, as viewable below:

Oh, and don’t mess with him, or he’ll punch you in the stomach:

The 27 year-old is a well-experienced, composed defender that could certainly do a job for the Gunners.

Furthermore, according to TalkSport, Fazio’s release clause stands at an incredibly cheap €10million.

Chelsea will look to bounce back from their first Premier League defeat of the season when they travel to the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea on Saturday.

Both teams enjoyed Capital One Cup victories in midweek, with Chelsea running out 5-4 winners over Mancheseter United, and Swansea recording a superb 3-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

Swansea will be in confident mood, and will look to last seasons fixture for inspiration. The Swans were seconds away from recording a famous victory over the men from Stamford Bridge, until a last minute Neil Taylor own goal meant the game finished 1-1.

Michael Laudrup is sweating over the fitness of Chico Flores who picked up a dead leg in the win at Anfield.

Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Juan Mata are all set to be assessed having played the whole 120 minutes against Manchester United on Wednesday.

Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanovic are available having both served a one match ban for the red cards they picked up in that controversial defeat last Sunday.

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Prediction: Swansea City 1-2 Chelsea 

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According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United could be priced out a move for West Bromwich Albion centre-forward Salomon Rondon in this summer’s transfer window.

Rondon will leave West Brom this summer following their relegation to the Championship, and a number of clubs have been credited with an interest.

West Ham United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all believed to be sniffing around the experienced striker, with the view to launching a bid.

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle are also interested, but the Magpies might well be priced out a move.

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Rondon is believed to have a release clause in the region of £16.5m, but that does not include a sign-on fee or wages, which reportedly could make it difficult for Newcastle to pull off the deal.

The Newcastle fans have been reacting to the reports, and it would be fair to say that the bulk are frustrated with the situation.

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Indeed, they are finding it hard to believe that their club will find it difficult to sign a striker from a team that has been relegated to the second tier of English football.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s supporters can be seen below:

Having arrived in north London just a few days before last weekend’s clash with Liverpool, and obviously too late to be registered in Tottenham’s FA Cup clash with Newport County the weekend prior, also ruling him out of Wednesday’s replay, Lucas Moura is still awaiting his Spurs debut following a Deadline Day move from PSG.

But there’s little doubt the 36-cap international is an impressive signing for the Lilywhites, having netted 32 times during his final two full campaigns with the French giants and only lost his regular starting berth to Neymar and Kylian Mbappe – two of the most expensive signings in the history of football.

So with Spurs now preparing to face bitter rivals Arsenal on Saturday, is the coming North London Derby the ideal occasion to finally bring Moura into the first-team fold? He’d certainly give the Gunners a new kind of problem to think about, and his blistering pace could have a massive impact on the vast Wembley pitch.

Would you start the 25-year-old winger this weekend, Tottenham fans? Let us know by voting below…

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It’s a natural human reaction to be averse to change. Change is difficult. Change takes effort. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, why would you want to change?

It’s for this reason that those who appear to like change are treated with suspicion. Those that change things when they’re going well. Those that seek unnecessary change. Those who seek change for change itself.

Brendan Rodgers would fall into this latter category. The manager is seemingly never entirely satisfied with his Liverpool team, even when they win. Characters of this ilk tend to be labelled as ‘tinkerers’.

They are the permanently dissatisfied, and the helpless. They are panned and patronised by all quarters. ‘Why can’t they just leave things be?’, we ask.

But the difference with Rodgers right now, is that when he makes changes, he tends to get them right.

Against Southampton last month, Rodgers opted to play a 4-4-2 diamond for the first time this season. The largely extinct formation meant that Liverpool could play with two strikers and allowed Philippe Coutinho to be deployed in his preferred No.10 position.

And it worked. Liverpool took the lead in the opening quarter courtesy of Luis Suarez.

However, Southampton gradually came back into the game and appeared the more likely to get the second goal. So Rodgers responded. He brought on Raheem Sterling for Countinho, and switched back to their more familiar 4-3-3.

A minute later, Sterling scored. And Liverpool would eventual end the game comfortable 3-0 winners.

However, not every change that Rodgers has made has been as successful. The Liverpool manager’s early attempts to incorporate Suarez and Sturridge in the same team by playing three at the back were largely unsuccessful. And Rodgers admitted tactical folly was at fault following Liverpool’s 2-2 home draw with Aston Villa, when the team’s flat four in midfield were overrun.

But the important thing to note about both cases is that Rodgers changed things; and changed them for the better. Liverpool have found better ways of incorporating their two danger men by employing 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2 diamond. And in the game with Aston Villa, Rodgers removed Coutinho at half time and introduced Lucas Leiva to positive effect.

But Rodgers doesn’t just make changes for the sake of change. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The Liverpool manager’s total of 71 substitutions this season is fewer than any of his contemporaries in the Premier League.

This suggests that more often than not, Rodgers gets things right from the start. But it is also suggestive of a confidence. Brendan Rodgers apparently doesn’t feel the need to make the kind of redundant substitutions that other managers do in order to feel like they’re doing something:

‘A striker for a lesser striker’ – ‘A winger for another winger’.

When the Liverpool manager picks a team, it’s because it’s the one he believes to be the best for the job. And he retains this confidence in his convictions even if his team are losing.

When Brendan Rodgers makes changes, it’s because he actually thinks they’re going to make a difference. And more often than not, they do.

But if they don’t, the Northern Irishman doesn’t immediately disregarded them either. Rodger’s experiments with playing Steven Gerrard in defensive midfield were widely ridiculed following the team’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.

And while Rodgers recognised he’d erred tactically, he didn’t see things in quite the same way. Rather than ditch his captain, he merely tweaked the team around him.

And it’s worked.

While defensive midfield may not be Gerrard’s best position, his eagerness to pass the ball forward – and pass it long – means that the team can get their forward players onto the ball quickly.

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This allows Liverpool to put Suarez and co. into one-on-one situations with the opposition defence – exactly what other don’t want.

Gerrard is undeniably defensively weaker than Lucas and Joe Allen, but his greater passing range allows Liverpool to play to their strengths.

This kind of holistic approach is surprisingly rare in football management. Players are often picked on reputation and quality, rather than overall effectiveness in the team.

There are two conclusions that can be drawn from Brendan Rodgers management of Liverpool this season. The first is that he appears to think about football differently from most managers. The second, and more important deduction, is that a lot of what he thinks turns out to be right.

Rodgers may not have the Midas touch. But right now, he’s about as close as you get.

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Whether it’s because of the array of outspoken managers, the passion and loyalty of the fans or simply the quality of football on display, the Premier League is quite simply the best in the world. However, while the elite clubs attract the very best players from every corner of the globe, the national team continues to suffer. With this mind, does the Premier League have to sacrifice its quest for global superiority in order for things to improve on the international stage?

England’s journey at the recent European Championships ended in the alarmingly familiar cliché of ‘so close, yet so far’. In the aftermath of yet another failure in a penalty shootout, triumphant Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon delivered a painfully truthful assessment of English football.

“Having a competitive league doesn’t necessarily mean having competitive players,’ he said. For a number of years now, the English league has had the best football and is the best league in terms of quality.

“The money that’s in the game means they can go and buy anyone from all over Europe or the world. This can happen in Spain and Italy as well as England but the league in England is no longer very faithful to what the national side needs.

“With this footballing globalisation, it’s very difficult. You struggle to have players from your own country playing in the top league.” (Daily Mail)

In a survey that was conducted during the first weekend of football after the transfer window had closed, it was revealed that the Premier League had just 31% of home-grown talent in starting line-ups. This startling figure was a far cry from the 64% that graced La Liga, which highlights one of the many reasons why there is a widening chasm in class between the two countries. How can we expect our national team to shine when we don’t cater our domestic league for their own benefit?

Two years ago FIFA president Sepp Blatter flirted with the concept of the ‘6+5 rule’, which proposed that clubs should have a minimum of six home-grown players in their starting line-ups. The idea was eventually dismissed as it contravened EU labour laws and instead gave way to the ruling that each 25-man squad within the Premier League, had to include a minimum of eight home-grown individuals.

[post_link url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/manchester-city/citys-new-academy-will-not-favour-english-talent,https://www.footballfancast.com/international-teams/england/hodgson-england-lucky-to-have-st-georges-park,https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/could-interest-from-abroad-diminish-the-premier-leagues-english-contingent” target=”_blank” type=”tower”]

The same problem solved by a different solution right? Wrong, the new changes have arguably further hampered development. Take Manchester City for example, a team that boasts a wealth of international stars, they have merely tweaked their transfer policy to ensure they meet the requirements. Does anyone truly believe Jack Rodwell or Scott Sinclair’s career will be enhanced thanks to their arrival at Eastlands, especially considering the recent frustrations highlighted by the outgoing Adam Johnson? Mancini decision to sign Richard Wright surprised everyone, but he was merely filling his quota without further jeopardising his indispensible foreign stars.

Speaking of the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City recently announced plans for the imposing ‘Etihad Campus’, which will be the most advanced and expensive academy in England when it opens in 2014. However, while this should have been another milestone in ensuring the improvement of domestic talent, Sporting Director Brian Marwood indicated otherwise:

“Our priority is to produce players who will get into City’s first team. From a selfish point of view, that may mean to the detriment of the England team,’ said Marwood.

“And while it would be great (to help England) because I came through the system and it helped me, we also have to be realistic.

“If we are trying to produce real top quality to play for City, if they happen to come from another country and we’ve developed them, we shouldn’t be ashamed to embrace it.” (Daily Mail)

Is this a selfish and somewhat arrogant mentality of a club that is in an optimum position to develop future generations or merely the honest opinion that players from Europe possess a greater natural ability?

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The FA have just unveiled their own multi-million pound campus for the development of English football so perhaps City are fully justified in focusing on their own success. And yet we seem blinded by the misconception that if we possess the best facilities, we will naturally produce the best players. Wayne Rooney, perhaps the countries most gifted player to have emerged within the last decade, harnessed his skills on the streets of Merseyside and not on “330 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland”.

Perhaps it’s time for English football to be slightly more narcissistic as it looks towards the future. It would be crude for me to suggest that we cap the number of transfers from outside the British Isles but maybe there could be a significant financial reward for teams who develop and play home-grown players. This would cause a drastic change in the direction and philosophy of many teams while it could even help create a more healthy and competitive league.

English football is well aware of its previous mistakes, there’s an entire population and critical media that won’t let it forget. However, rather than simply trying to emulate the finished article of the likes of Spain, we should learn from their methods at grassroots level and work our way up.

Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub