Sam Allardyce's West Ham work praised after win over Sunderland

Sam Allardyce deserves more credit for the work he is doing at West Ham, says Jamie Redknapp.

The Hammers boss steered his team to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday Night Football – the east Londoners’ first win in nine.

Allardyce had been criticised by vice-chairwoman Karen Brady on Saturday morning, who said the club was underachieving.

However, Sky Sports pundit Redknapp says ninth-placed West Ham – who, with Saturday’s win, move on to 42 points and beyond last season’s total, with still eight games to play – are doing well, given the quality of their squad.

“We all talk about Swansea doing really well – and they have, Garry Monk has done a great job there,” said Redknapp. “They’re on 43 points. West Ham are on 42.

“But everyone at West Ham says ‘we’re not quite happy, should be doing better’. I think they’re doing really well.

“There are ideas of grandeur sometimes. You look at that squad and there’s no Andy Carroll at the moment, no James Tomkins, no Winston Reid, no Enner Valencia. They are short of a couple of big players.

“The job Allardyce has done there is what you’d expect from that group of players. You have to be realistic. The teams that are above them deserve to be, they’ve spent more money and they’re better teams with better players.”

The teams that are above West Ham deserve to be, they’ve spent more money and they’re better teams with better players.

Progress

Niall Quinn agreed with Redknapp and suggested that West Ham now have a solid platform to build on in the final eight games of the season.

The Sky Sports pundit was also keen to point out Allardyce took over at West Ham in 2011, when they were in the Championship, and says he deserves praise for the club’s development in that time.

“It’s been a great performance [from Allardyce],” said Quinn.

“He’s come under a lot of pressure and a lot of stick at times this season. I find that really hard to understand because the job he’s done to lift the club to where it is has been superb.

“They’ve done better than last year and they can look at the 50-point mark now. That’s real progress and I’m mystified why he’s head of the Sunderland betting market to be their next manager.”

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Pressure

Redknapp, meanwhile, believes the victory over Sunderland can spark a strong finish to the season for West Ham. 

The Sky Sports pundit conceded Nene fouled Sebastian Larsson in the build up to Diafra Sakho's late winner, but says the three points takes the pressure off the Hammers for the rest of the campaign.

"It was difficult viewing at times because it wasn’t pretty. But it was the sort of performance and result that can kick-start West Ham again," said Redknapp.

"They’ve been in need of that. The football hasn’t been great, the natives have been restless and that was a really big three points.

"But that goal can take the pressure off everybody and they can look forward to the rest of the season."