'SAM Allardyce is adamant his West Ham team will ease past'

Malky Mackay will take on Sam Allardyce

" SAM Allardyce is adamant his West Ham team will ease past Cardiff City and earn promotion at Wembley Stadium. "

But he has also warned his players: “Don’t you dare think about the final – we have to focus on beating Cardiff City and nothing else.”

Allardyce, who took over from Avram Grant at West Ham, said: “I stuck my neck out and we wanted promotion in my first season here.

“I have a two-year contract, but getting up in the first season is important. We still have three games to win and we will do it.

“Our ultimate goal of automatic promotion was not achieved, we left ourselves too much to do, but we have to lick our wounds, get over our disappointment and get ready for the vital games ahead of us.

“The hardest thing, and believe me I speak from experience, is to banish thoughts of the final at Wembley. If you start thinking about that game before the semi-finals, you won’t get there.

“The most difficult challenge is to come out on top after the two games coming up against Cardiff. The pressure a two-leg tie brings to players who have never experienced it should not be minimised in any way.

“Fortunately, some of our players have sampled that since they’ve played in Europe, but for others it will be a new challenge.

“The play-offs are a one-off event, unique in atmosphere, tension and pressure. You have got to deal with it properly.

“There’s no margin for error. You have to do it right on the day and then hope the other forces you can’t control don’t go against you.

“We lost in the last minute against Cardiff in our first game of the season and beat them at their ground in March.

“One win each and we go into the game on Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn Ground we are still in the tie, hopefully with a lead which we can build on and progress to Wembley.”

West Ham’s home form has proved costly this season, starting with a 1-0 defeat against City on the opening day of this season when Kenny Miller struck a winner.

The Hammers won a club record 13 away games, but let 28 points slip away at Upton Park.

Carlton Cole scored West Ham’s goals in their 2-1 win against Hull City in their final game of the season, a result which means they have won back-to-back home matches.

They have not lost in their last eight away matches and Allardyce says: “We finished the season on a high.

“We have earned outstanding away results this season and have done well at home, too, apart from the string of four draws.

“That was the only difference between automatic promotion and the play-offs. That run of four home draws has ultimately cost us.”





Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z1tVFYgJr6

He has to say that to keep the natives happy, as WHU fans see him as a failure due to not making the auto promotion spots and his style of footbal is in one word SHIT

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Wes Ley Don't know about that. Not getting one of the automatics would be a bit gutting, especially with 86 points. The play offs are a lottery, dodgy decisions, mistakes, anything can happen. Will be two great games though i'm sure..
5 minutes ago · Like


Annis Abraham Jnr Wes, in my opinion I agree its a total lottery and honestly I believe we can do it, were going in to the play offs on form and with no pressure.
3 minutes ago · Like



Wes Ley We're definitely beatable, but we are a well organised Unit and double dangerous away from home. At our place we get jittery. I think it'll only be the odd goal that wins it over 2 legs.
2 minutes ago · Like

They should do it with the squad they got lets be fair but its not played on paper so hopefully we can take a lead and go for it instead of sitting back against them like we done at are place for most of the game.

They should do it with the squad they got lets be fair but its not played on paper so hopefully we can take a lead and go for it instead of sitting back against them like we done at are place for most of the game.

Agree with that. Unsure how Malky will set us up at home; we've been quite passive in home games recently but that's largely due to the opposition tactics but West Ham will no doubt come to play offensively so there should be more space about.

The team we beat up there in august is a lot different to the team we'll be playing now.

ps.Personally I detest Allardyce.

We need to get a resuly at home, and then go there and frustrate them, the home support will then get on the backs of their players, easy peasy

i stuck my neck out and wanted promotion in my first season.....flaming ada the fellows had more cash chucked at him than northern rock ..pathetic really.hughton has had to sell not buy and they can finish one place higher.embarrassing.they could well be drowning their sorrows in light ale by next monday.cor blimey

he sounds like dave jones too me

for once its little old cardiff in the play offs!

The little old cardiff with less expectation on us will be a good thing!!!

Top Read; Sam Allardyce created one of the most boring and ambisionless clubs ever, Ask any Bolton fan.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... Hurst.html

The reality is that he has clearly bottled the automatics, as lets face it, with their squad, they should have been in the top two easily this season.

Now, if he fails at this hurdle (which I genuinely expect them to - either against us or at Wembley remains to be seen), he should be given his marching orders, and he knows that.

These words therefore strike me as desperate words, and as long as we can keep it close going into the closing stages at the Boleyn Ground, I think we can dump them out at this stage, as they'd be quite desperate and fearing the worst, and therefore vulnerable.

I hope he says more and more in the same vein in the build up to the games

The reality is that he has clearly bottled the automatics, as lets face it, with their squad, they should have been in the top two easily this season.

Now, if he fails at this hurdle (which I genuinely expect them to - either against us or at Wembley remains to be seen), he should be given his marching orders, and he knows that.

These words therefore strike me as desperate words, and as long as we can keep it close going into the closing stages at the Boleyn Ground, I think we can dump them out at this stage, as they'd be quite desperate and fearing the worst, and therefore vulnerable.

I hope he says more and more in the same vein in the build up to the games

deluded old dinosaur aint he lol. Cardiff City will give West Ham a footballing lesson

Same for both teams Sam

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... -City.html

It won't be a major surprise if West ham do win overall but if they don't then I hope that big head Allardyce is more gracious about losing than he was when we won in august when he moaned and whinged and gave no credit to City.

Sam Allardyce is doing a Dougie Freedman

This guy is so overrated.

What exactly has he done at the top level?

He was also sure they would ease through auto. Pmsl he has failed already as his brief was surely to go up auto with that budget.

Sam Allardyce is doing a Dougie Freedman

My sentiments entirely, I can almost see his words bearing their teeth to bite him on the arse.