Sam Allardyce accepts he is on thin ace in regards to his position as manager of West Ham United, and knows the decision is out of his hands.
In what has been a season of struggle for the Upton Park club, they hit a new low on Sunday afternoon when they were thrashed 5-0 at Championship club Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. Allardyce has received particular criticism for his team selection, which included nine changes from his previous league match.
The Hammers currently sit in the relegation zone in the Premier League and three points adrift of safety, and Allardyce’s priority is to lead them to safety. The experienced manager also has one eye on the League Cup, a competition in which his side have progressed to the last four and face Manchester City in the semi-final this week.
But defeat at Forest has increased the pressure on the 59-year-old, particularly as club legend Paolo di Canio and former defender Malky Mackay are available. Allardyce accepts his future is in the hands of club owners David Gold and David Sullivan, but at the same time, he claims he told them of his plans to field a weakened side at the City Ground.
Asked if he expected repercussions following the Cup mauling, he said: “There might be, who knows? It’s their decision, not mine. I have got to get results, I know that. But I made them aware of what would happen today because I’m not in the position to go and do these things without telling everybody internally what is planned for the next few games.
“You know what my priorities are: the priorities are the Premier League first and then Capital One Cup. It’s leg one on Wednesday and we need to get back to the second leg with an opportunity to get to Wembley. My hands are tied behind my back every time I see what’s available and the team is almost picking itself. It’s a disaster at the moment, a total disaster and in certain areas we’ve not been able to cope.”
