• Premier League

Talk of sacking is just rumour, says Allardyce

Sam Allardyce has had his share of run-ins with the West Ham fans this season © Getty Images

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Sam Allardyce says "only time will tell" if speculation that he is to be sacked after West Ham's final game of the season is true.

According to the Daily Telegraph co-owner David Sullivan favours a change in manager while business partner David Gold is undecided. Vice-chairman Karren Brady is in support of keeping Allardyce at the helm.

But Allardyce said: "I heard rumours.

"The only thing I can say is I spoke to David Sullivan yesterday about arranging our usual end of the season meeting to go through the pre-season and budgets and what's going to happen and had no indication to my position being under threat.

"Speculation is part of the game. Whether it becomes a reality only time will tell."

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David Moyes was the Premier League's 10th managerial casualty of the season © PA Photos

• David Moyes managed to accrue a lengthy list of unwanted records before his brief, turbulent reign at Manchester United was mercifully brought to an end on Tuesday - so it is perhaps fitting that he goes out with one final bang.
• For Moyes' sacking ensures that this is the first season in which 10 Premier League managers have left their clubs in a single season.
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Despite keeping West Ham in the Premier League, a majority of the club's fans have turned against Allardyce and his brand of football, while the former Bolton and Newcastle manager has persistently defended his achievements this season.

However, the writing looked to be on the wall for Allardyce when Sullivan apologised to fans for West Ham's poor season at the end-of-season awards this week.

Allardyce's future is put into further doubt by The Sun, which claims Sullivan and Gold are unhappy with the 59-year-old's signings and are ready to take control of the club's dealings in the transfer market.

A source close to West Ham is quoted by the newspaper as saying: "There have been some real flops.

"Striker Modibo Maiga cost £5 million and can't get into the QPR team on loan. Alou Diarra was around £4m and has barely played while Matt Jarvis has been inconsistent as a club record signing at around £10m before Andy Carroll arrived at £16m.

"This is not a club that can afford to pay those sort of prices without getting real value and therefore the board will be taking more control."

Turning his attentions to Wilfried Bony, the Ivorian striker who almost put pen-to-paper at Upton Park before joining Swansea, where he has scored 24 goals this season, the source added: "The deal was done. He was ours for £8m but the manager was totally focused on [Carroll] who had a long injury and has managed two goals."

Meanwhile, Allardyce is concentrating on the final game of the season at Manchester City, who need just a point off his West Ham side to claim a second title in three years.

But Allardyce plans on spoiling the party at the Etihad.

"At this moment in time, from a neutral's point of view, I think everybody would like to see Liverpool win it.

"From a personal point of view, I'd like to see Steven Gerrard win it. It's the last thing he hasn't quite achieved for Liverpool and he's a one-club man.

"But obviously they've let it slip out of their hands."

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