Just three minutes after the final whistle, the club officially stated Sam Allardyce’s contract would not be renewed and the search for his replacement has begun.
It becomes of no surprise as Allardyce’s contract situation was relatively clear that he would not be staying at the club, with rumours such as Jurgen Klopp, Slaven Bilic and Rafael Benitez (now named manager of Real Madrid) linked with the job.
In his four years at West Ham, Allardyce has got us promoted from the Championship at the first attempt and earned us the status as a solid mid-table club. It’s fair to say the second part of this season has been awful, dropping down from fourth place to finish twelfth at the end.
But as one era ends, a new one begins. Players such as Kevin Nolan, Joey O’Brien and maybe even Andy Carroll who Sam has brought in at his time at the club also have their futures under scrutiny.
One player who almost certainly won’t be staying is right-back Guy Demel. Signed from Hamburg in 2011, Demel’s been good in his four year stint at the club but with his contract expiring in the summer, the veteran is likely to be let go.
With Arsene Wenger adamant that he is keeping Carl Jenkinson, and Joey O’Brien another who could potentially leave, it is unlikely but slightly possible that Demel may be offered an extension to keep him on for one final year.
Forty-year-old goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen will likely leave in the summer too, whilst midfielder Nene is given the option to extend his stay here for one more season. But following a lack of starts, let alone first team opportunities, he will likely pursue his career elsewhere.
Carlton Cole will also depart too, after nearly ten years at the club. The much-loved striker has been linked with moves to clubs such as West Bromwich Albion and Brentford in recent weeks, and after a move to the former failed in January, he could potentially head there.
Finally, Alex Song has confirmed that he won’t join the Hammers permanently next season, returning back to Barcelona. However he thanked the fans, players and staff of the club and expressed that he enjoyed his time here very much.
Midfielder Kevin Nolan and defender Joey O’Brien have their contracts running for a little while longer, but there is a chance they will go where Sam goes, if he does get another job. Otherwise, they could probably seek football elsewhere after both have found chances limited and haven’t exactly impressed.
Whoever the new manager may be, they will need to bring in reinforcements as we prepare for both the Europa League and next season.
