West Ham boss Sam Allardyce wary of Stoke City threat
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is preparing his side for a tough battle when they welcome Stoke to Upton Park on Monday night, despite the fact that the Hammers currently sit seven places above their visitors in the Premiership table. Allardyce believes that it is only a matter of time before Stoke starting picking up points and is not fooled by their lowly fourteenth placing.
Stoke are managed by Tony Pulis and many have drawn comparisons between the style of the two sides, something that Allardyce has been keen to refute. West Ham have often been admired for their free-flowing attacking style but “Big Sam” has adopted a far more defensive approach to the game. It may not always be pretty to watch, but the results speak for themselves with his newly promoted side doing much better than Southampton and Reading who accompanied them from the Championship this summer.
Allardyce is happy to acknowledge that both he and Pulis are working on a restricted budget compared to the big teams but insists that the quality of the players is comparable to any side in the Premiership. He also accepts that there is a similar philosophy in that both sides are based on a solid defence and are well organised. The fixture list can produce a misleading league table at this early stage of the season and it is true that Stoke have faced a difficult schedule. They have already faced both Manchester clubs as well as Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool and their 1-0 victory over struggling QPR last week was only their second of the season. A goal from Charlie Adam was enough to bring them three valuable points and they will now be looking to find some consistency.
West Ham have won five of their first eleven league games including their last away game at Newcastle United. That followed a 0-0 draw against the champions Manchester City so there is no doubt that they are holding their own in the Premiership. However, things can change very quickly over the winter period and the Hammers must maintain their momentum if they are to remain in the top half of the table. If Stoke have had the worst of the fixture list to date, West Ham’s turn is fast approaching with their next four games against Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Allardyce will be delighted if they are still in seventh position at Christmas.
The strong defence of both sides is underlined by the fact that they have only conceded 21 goals between them so far this season. This goes very much against the current trend, with goals being scored at an ever-increasing rate. Whilst this may result in great entertainment for the fans, it is not something that either manager particularly enjoys. West Ham will be forced to make a few changes from the side that won at Newcastle. Injuries to Yossi Benayoun and Matt Jarvis means that they are doubtful for Monday’s game and Ricardo Vaz Te remains on the sidelines until the new year.
If Stoke come away with a win, it will be their first on the road in 16 Premiership fixtures, although they have drawn nine of those games. They have also been involved in three 0-0 draws already this season. Michael Owen has scored 13 goals in 17 previous Premier League appearances against the Hammers and could pose a threat.
If you are having a bet on this fixture, it does not seem to have the makings of a high-scoring game. West Ham are even money to win with the draw at 9-4 and a Stoke victory at 3-1. Sports betting sites are offering 2-1 or better about there being two goals or less in this fixture. If you think that the game could result in a 0-0 draw, the best price on offer is 9-1. Michael Owen is priced at 7-2 to continue his fine goal scoring record against the Hammers.
