Sam Allardyce forced to wait on future as West Ham

The uncertainty surrounding Sam Allardyce’s future at West Ham United will drag beyond the end of the Premier League season, with no progress made as yet on contract talks.

The manager, whose deal expires on 30 June, has re-established the London club in the top flight having gained promotion from the Championship via the play-offs during his first season in charge. The team remain on course for a second top-half finish in three years but despite having briefly been third in the table before Christmas, they have claimed only three wins from 19 league games since Boxing Day.

That form has rather detracted from the overall achievement and tested the relationship between manager and hierarchy.

No contract offer has been formally made to the 60-year-old as yet and it remains to be seen whether Allardyce, who has been linked with roles at Sunderland and Fulham, would be eager to extend his stay by a further two years despite the possibility of leading the club into the Olympic Stadium in 2016. The club do not expect any resolution until the side’s league programme is completed.

West Ham’s options for any successor appear to be dwindling with David Moyes apparently intent upon remaining at Real Sociedad next season and Eddie Howe eager to lead Bournemouth into their first top-flight campaign.

Steve McClaren is likely to remain at Derby County and the departing Borussia Dortmund manager, Jürgen Klopp, will weigh up his options once he leaves the Bundesliga club but will have no shortage of suitors. Rafael Benítez at Napoli, Michael Laudrup at Lekhwiya in Qatar and Slaven Bilic, a former West Ham player who is coaching Besiktas, may be alternative targets. West Ham could yet qualify for next season’s Europa League via the fair play league, in which they sit second behind Liverpool.


By Dominic Fifield / Guardian