As Chelsea visit West Ham in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Saturday, could the experience of Sam Allardyce at Upton Park serve as an inspiration for Rafael Benitez to stick to his guns?
Friday 30 November 2012 11:54, UK
Can Rafa Benitez take heart from the manner in which Sam Allardyce has turned things around at West Ham? Adam Bate asks the question and offers his assessment.
It was another strange evening at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. A second goalless draw in four days did little to help the mood at Chelsea or indeed the prospects of Rafael Benitez hanging around beyond the summer. The Spaniard at least put on a brave face. Meanwhile, Roman Abramovich looked impassive when the crowd barked the name of Roberto Di Matteo in a spirit of defiance. One wonders if those same fans will be quietly hoping he remains similarly impassive rather than act on their subsequent chants of 'We want our Chelsea back'. Benitez could be forgiven for wanting to see a friendly face. And he may find an unlikely ally in the form of Saturday's opponent in the West Ham dugout. Sam Allardyce might afford himself a little chuckle when considering Benitez's predicament. "We're West Ham United, we play on the floor," sang the Hammers fans earlier this year as the club's promotion push looked to be faltering under Big Sam and his pragmatic approach. Redemption followed in the playoff final against Blackpool and Allardyce has succeeded in turning opinions around. Not loved by the West Ham faithful but acknowledged by the custodians at the Academy of Football as the best man for the job, victory over Chelsea at Upton Park at the weekend would take the newly-promoted outfit up to seventh in the Premier League table. Allardyce has always been bullish when questioned. Asked about the famed West Ham passing game, he responded in March, "When did they play like that? I don't remember it. Is outpassing teams and losing matches entertaining? We have created a winning environment at this club for the first time in donkey's years."