Rafa Benitez is West Ham's No 1 choice to replace Sam Allardyce, says Martin Samuel on Sunday Supplement
Monday 18 May 2015 10:57, UK
Rafa Benitez is the man West Ham want to replace Sam Allardyce, journalist Martin Samuel told the Sunday Supplement.
Despite a fruitful season in the Premier League this term, Allardyce’s position has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months.
Benitez’s contract at Napoli expires at the end of this season and despite the fact the club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis wants him to stay on, the Spaniard is tipped to leave.
Spanish newspaper AS reported on Sunday morning that Benitez had three offers from the Premier League - including West Ham, whom Jason Burt of the Telegraph believes are “80 to 90 per cent” likely to let Allardyce go this summer.
“I think Rafa Benitez is No 1 - in a field of one,” Samuel said.
“At some stage a club has to start looking up rather than down. Once you’re moving into a 50,000-seater stadium, you are at that stage. You have got to start looking upwards. Sam has done a good job there but he’s still associated with keeping teams up. At this point in their development, West Ham have got to aim higher.
“That’s the problem with Newcastle, if all you’re ever interested in is staying up then eventually you will go down. A lack of ambition can crush a club. Rafa Benitez have won a Champions League, he’s won the Europa League and has been very successful at almost all the clubs he’s managed.
“He will be perceived by the West Ham fans as someone who can take them into this new era. Rafa Benitez is not a guy you get if you’re looking to finish mid-table. He’s a guy you get in if you’ve got your eyes on something bigger and that’s where West Ham have to be.”
