Back in the first few months of 2012, Harry Redknapp’s situation at Spurs was akin to that of Sam Allardyce’s reign this season. An impressive start began to fade away towards the end of the year, with hopes of Tottenham finishing in the top two giving way to a top-four finish. That sense of defeat was compounded when Chelsea won the Champions League and Spurs were knocked out of the competition.
Similarly, Allardyce’s early promise has faded, with one win in 12 and a slump down the table. What connects the two men, bar their sense of frustration at never having led the Three Lions? Managerial gossip.
For it was Redknapp’s evident preoccupation with the England job (which eventually went to Roy Hodgson) that forced Tottenham’s form to waver, with Redknapp denying there was confusion in the ranks or from within his own head.
One can’t help but feel every time West Ham is mentioned now, be it on the Guardian podcast or on the back pages, the Hammers are referenced like a side where the story is in the future and not the present.
For far too long, myself and almost every other fan has been preoccupied with Allardyce, David Sullivan, David Gold, Tony Henry and Martin Glover. The season has been dominated, just like last, with such discussion. “Oh, we’re doing well! Allardyce to stay!” “Oh, we’re crap again! Allardyce out!” “Who shall we get in? Will Allardyce get a new contract?”
These questions have plagued the club for a long time, and one can’t help but feel such discussions start to play a factor in the mentality of both the manager and the players. What does it feel like for a manager to constantly be questioned about his decisions? And that when he does things right, the praise goes to others, who supposedly built the team? What does it mean for a player to feel that even if he doesn’t play well, he knows the manager will get the boot and not him?
We seem to forget the good times, ignore the injuries and become blind to the difficult run of fixtures.
At the beginning of the season, managers were not much of a story. No one lost their job until after Christmas.
Now, managerial questions and changes are everywhere.
Chelsea have dipped, so Jose Mourinho needed to emphasise last week that he is the best manager in the country because he’s won every competition, casting aside any doubts about his position after the Blues’ loss against PSG.
Louis van Gaal, a manager with a phenomenal CV, is constantly called into question. Brendan Rodgers is finally ridding himself of his doubters.
Manuel Pellegrini is now the new flavour of the sacking rumour month, with talk of Guardiola taking over next year, although the billionaire owners may grow impatient.
Every manager has been questioned this season, but why? Take Alan Pardew. If you combined his stints at Newcastle and Crystal Palace, his imaginary team would be sitting in eighth, an incredibly decent league placing.
Yes, gossip and what ifs are great for the papers but does it really help us better understand and know our clubs? We constantly live in a state of imagining that managers are the Gods and the players the pawns, with nothing on the pitch being able to change without the man upstairs alternating. What happens if David Moyes, Slaven Bilic or Rafa Benitez came in and nothing changed at the Boleyn? Will we question the owners? What about the players? Maybe their role and abilities will be called into question more; maybe we will start asking more from men who earn our yearly salaries in weeks.
At some point, if football is to find its voice and change for the better, we need to stop asking who’s next for the chop in terms of the managers, but who deserves to wear the Claret and Blue. Many will argue that Sam Allardyce defines our club, due to his style of football. I would argue, that like so many others, we have allowed him to define our club, through the narrative we impose and the aura we impinge on the players and in the stands.
Let’s case aside doubts and rumour and focus on the final matches ahead.