Hammers line-up O'Neill

Grant set for axe following poor start to season

By Graeme Bailey - Follow me on Twitter @graemebailey   Last updated: 15th January 2011   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hammers line-up O'Neill

O'Neill: Hammers link

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West Ham United are ready to sack Avram Grant and replace him with Martin O'Neill this weekend, sources have told Sky Sports.

Grant's position has been under scrutiny for weeks following West Ham's poor start to the season.

However, he looked to have seen off the threat after guiding them to just one defeat in the last seven games.

But now sources have told Sky Sports News that Grant will be sacked after Saturday's match with Arsenal - no matter what the result is.

Skysports.com has also been told that the Hammers have already met with former Aston Villa chief O'Neill - who looks ready to step back into management at Upton Park.

O'Neill left Villa at the start of the season, but now looks set to accept the challenge of keeping West Ham in the Premier League.

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Comments (116)

Beer Mat (West Ham United fan) says...

Same ol' same ol' West Ham will get the effect that Curbs brought in when he joined. Maybe it will be enough in the short term but long term I'm not sure. Got to feel sorry for Grant but football today is a strange "Business" and the cash is in the Premiership!

Posted 18:27 15th January 2011

Deano Hep (Hull City fan) says...

All this talk of O'neill getting the team motivated. Should they not be motivated enough anyway?? But even if he is a good motivator, you can't make a car go faster just by putting a new battery on it......it'll still only be a Nissan Micra!! West Ham, Wolves and West Brom will disappear into the Championship as they are the poorest teams in the Premiership with no depth of squad or quality.

Posted 18:26 15th January 2011

Martin Lyons (Aston Villa fan) says...

@Alfred Conniston. What u on about villa not having proper support?? We'll see how many fans keep going down white hart lane after harry jacks to take the england job. The villa fans are some of the best in the league u muppet. We'll see where u are in two years, as soon as Harry goes all the big names will be gone son.

Posted 18:23 15th January 2011

Paul Craythorne (Aston Villa fan) says...

O'Neil ruined Villa with his style of management and football and then walked out on us 5 days before the start of the season without a hope of buying new players before the deadline. He buys overrated players on inflated wages and then leaves them to rot. He grows a massive wage bill that is unsustainable and then quits when asked to do something about it. He is only interested in looking after himself. Good luck Wet Spam you are welcome to him.

Posted 18:14 15th January 2011

Chris Perrin (Wycombe Wanderers fan) says...

I am a Wycombe Wanderers fan,so I have first hand experience of Martin oneill, all be it a long time ago,he was great for us,one thing he will do is get your team motivated, tacticklly he is not as good as some other managers in the premiership, but motivation is I believe his main strength,and if wayne bridge joins you he will have one of his ex players with him, its a huge task for any manager to get you out of trouble though,but if anybody can pull it off martin can

Posted 17:52 15th January 2011

Alfred Conniston (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I would much rather see West Ham in the premier over the likes of Villa, or Birmingham, proper team with proper support. O'Neil brought one of the most boring teams to White hart Lane I have ever seen. hope Villa go down and West Ham see sense and not take the Myth that is O'Neil

Posted 17:47 15th January 2011

Ross Mccarthy (Aston Villa fan) says...

In fairness alot of what is said by villa fans about Mon and how he will leave you in turmoil is true however the man fixed what was a fading club and took us right back to where we belong slugging it with the big guns and doing well in the cups. West ham fans should consider themselves lucky that a manager of that quality is interested to help them as he does the job that matters and thats get results!

Posted 17:45 15th January 2011

Kevin Verguson (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

it does not matter who west ham replace avram grant with they will still go down,just haven't got a good enough team. the bubbles will not be blowing down upton park come may when they realise they will be playing championship football (again!!) COYS!!!

Posted 17:22 15th January 2011

Ian May (Middlesbrough fan) says...

Excellent appointment for the hammers, im a middlesbrough fan and i'd love him as our manager

Posted 17:13 15th January 2011

Craig Wood (Aston Villa fan) says...

As a Villa fan i cant say Oneil is a bad manager , the way he left us did live a sour taste but either way anyone who goes to west ham are gonna have their work cut out. Oneil might seem like the messiah in waiting a lot like he did at Villa but the glow soon rubs of to leave a very tarnished feeling. Im willing to bet money he only signs a 6 month contract thats if he signs one at all.

Posted 17:03 15th January 2011

Ian Townsend (Aston Villa fan) says...

the dream team - Sullivan, Gold, Brady and now O'Neil. They all deserve each other. Hammers will stay up, MON will get the credit.

Posted 17:00 15th January 2011

Steve Po (Aston Villa fan) says...

WHU are welcome to MON. He may keep them from relegation but they are lurching into another mess. WHU don't have enough money to support MON's management style (buy 3 use 1). MON clearly has aspirations to take over at MU not WHU, and frankly I hope he does, that will nulify them as well.

Posted 16:32 15th January 2011

D Lo (West Ham United fan) says...

I never thought Grant was the the right man for the job but backed him as thats what real fans should do! The boo boy culture in modern football is getting so boring and lame. If MON does succeed Grant, I think the manner in which this happened is embarrassing for West Ham and those in charge. MON doesn't exactly fill me with optimism as I can see the guy walking out eventually like he does with most clubs he manages (with the exception of family illness ofcourse). I hope stability can be brought and along with that patience from West Ham, officials and fans alike!!!!

Posted 16:31 15th January 2011

Grantona 7 (Manchester United fan) says...

I dont like to see managers getting the sack all the time, but this is a good move for West Ham.

Posted 16:12 15th January 2011

Ahmed Hafez (Liverpool fan) says...

In hindsight i realized that MON was quite a force in the premier league, and really good to see him back managing a premier league side. This caliber of managers will levitate the level of the prem.

Posted 16:04 15th January 2011

Jack Holloway (West Ham United fan) says...

I see a lot of comments from bitter Aston Villa fans. The fact is if we replace Grant with O'Neill the chances are we'll avoid the drop. Whether he leaves in the future because of no money is irrelevant. The priority this season is avoiding relegation. Plus we'll stand a much better chance of winning the Carling Cup if O' Neill' s in charge!

Posted 15:59 15th January 2011

Joe Simpson (West Ham United fan) says...

Avram Grant should've been sacked months ago. There is no doubt about that. West Ham are finally starting to win more games, they're progressing in the Carling Cup going into the 2nd leg with a 2-1 win, and they're through to the 4th round of the FA cup. Avram Grant shouldn't change their manager right now; the season is looking up, with only 1 loss in 7 games. Lets see how West Ham do this month before bringing in a new manager just when the season is looking good.

Posted 15:50 15th January 2011

Anthony Follett (West Ham United fan) says...

Chris Houghton manager and Ray Wilkins coach thats what you need then West Ham would start moving in the right direction, these guys are positive and would put a good team together with great motivation. Okay nice dream for our fans.

Posted 13:34 15th January 2011

Stephen Moore says...

The injustice of the management of west ham had an impact in west ham failure , Zola would had done better if he has not been sacked, He managed to secured west ham from relegation afterall but what the west ham could pay him was to get him sacked, Martin what a hard job for you when you comes IN

Posted 13:21 15th January 2011

Garry Nicholson (Barnsley fan) says...

Billy Boy, sorry to burst your (West Ham) bubble, but Martin ONeal ain't English !

Posted 11:51 15th January 2011

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