The disbanding of Sam Allardyce’s backroom staff has begun with Teddy Sheringham unveiled as the new manager of Stevenage yesterday.
Stevenage officially confirmed that West Ham attacking coach Teddy Sheringham will take over as as Manager in the summer.
The 49 year old former Hammer was appointed West Ham’s attacking coach on a part-time basis back in May 2014.
Asked about the influence of Allardyce’s situation at a press conference, Sheringham said:
‘It has probably helped. ‘If Sam had been told four months ago that he was staying in the job he probably would have sorted his backroom staff to stay. The longer it has gone on, the uncertainty has left things very open. This chance has come about and it felt right.If Sam had asked me four months ago I probably would have stayed another year and seen where it had taken me.’
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Teddy later added about Sam:
“(Sam) is still hopeful that something will happen – it happened like that the last time he was out of contract at West Ham.I don’t think it’s any mystery or secret that they have been trying to look for other managers. Just because… the next contract isn’t straight at his feet doesn’t mean to say that it’s not going to happen.”
In a final twist it appears it was Sam who persuaded Teddy to take the Stevenage job
“I spoke to my family (about taking the Stevenage job) but professionally, it was just Sam. I told him I’d had an approach and as soon as I said it was from Stevenage he said ‘take it’. His endorsement was a big deciding factor.”
Chairman David Sullivan added on West Ham’s official website:
““We appointed Teddy as our new attacking coach last summer with a view to improving our forward play, and I must say he took to the part-time role with real enthusiasm and commitment, with the likes of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia joining us and working regularly with a man of Teddy’s calibre, we know he will have helped improve their game.While we are disappointed to be losing Teddy’s services, we are happy to have played a part in developing his coaching skills and will be watching closely as he embarks on his managerial career at Stevenage.”
West Ham Assistant Manager McDonald has been linked with the Blackpool manager job recently vacated by Lee Clark. The forty-nine year-old was linked to the Carlisle United recently but chose to remain loyal to the Sam Allardyce, however this time it could be different with Allardyce’s future uncertain.
McDonald has worked alongside Big Sam at Bolton and Blackburn as well as at West Ham. He had a successful spell as manager of Carlisle seven years ago before being sacked just one game into the new season for non-footballing reasons never fully explained.
Hammers first team coach Ian Hendon has also been linked to another vacant manager post at Leyton Orient. He has become the surprise 1/2 odds on favorite?
Orient sacked Italian boss Fabio Liverani last week, following their relegation from League One. Former Italy international Liverani became Orient’s fourth manager of the season in December when he replaced compatriot Mauro Milanese. Hendon played for Tottenham, Barnet and Leyton Orient and had spells managing Barnet and Dover Athletic as well assistant manager of Gillingham before he joined West Ham in 2011.
Of course we shouldn’t read too much into all of this or the fact that Sam Allardyce moved out of his Docklands flat on Wednesday this week.
This morning Sam cleared up speculation around his moving out of his flat saying: “It’s bound to bring up speculation but the apartment was sold around two months ago, In the contract there was a two-month notice period which meant that in actual fact I should have been out on the 15th, but they extended it for me until the end of the season. The apartment has been bought and I had to move out one way or the other. I can only say what the truth is, if you want to ring up (estate agents) Morgan Randall and ask if the apartment has been sold, give them a ring.”
I understand Allardyce flies out to Spain with his wife Lynn on Monday morning so will not be present at any board meeting held on Monday. His magnificent Spanish villa on the Costa Blanca is named “Casa St James” which he paid for with the £4m pay-off he received from Newcastle when they sacked him. I wonder whether he will be buying a second holiday home called ‘Casa Boleyn’ with the estimated £10m in wages and bonuses he is thought to have earned over the past four years at West Ham?
Sam in his own words