WEST HAM owners David Gold and David Sullivan ‘bully’ their managers into buying players they want, according to former boss Sam Allardyce.
The Hammers have endured a tough summer in which they have only managed to make Soucek’s loan move permanent.
Allardyce has claimed West Ham owners Gold and Sullivan ‘bully’ bosses into signing players they likeCredit: Action Images – Reuters
On top of that, they’ve lost Grady Diangana – much to West Ham fans’ frustration.
It led to Sullivan admitting on talkSPORT the club may not sign any more players this summer – and that they’ve bought a “pile” of players who’ve flopped down the years.
And now Allardyce has piled on, by saying Gold and Sullivan often try to coerce managers into signing players they want.
Allardyce told talkSPORT: “[Sullivan’s] a strong man when it comes to signing the players he wants, I know that for a fact.
“Sometimes [the owners] will try to bully you into a player they fancy.
“But you have to stay strong and try to get on with it.
“Sometimes I think his love for football is so great, David Sullivan, he spends the vast majority of his time researching footballers across the world through other sources.
“Sometimes those sources are good, sometimes they’re not so good.
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“But at the end of the day it can be a conflict between you and the owner because he wants to make sure when he spends his money he’s getting value for money.”
Allardyce continued by saying he once arrived at training to find out a new player had been signed on his behalf.
But Big Sam forgave them that, because of their “love” for the club.
Allardyce added: “I think their passion for West Ham, Gold and Sullivan… they get a lot of stick, but they love West Ham.”
The Hammers have been linked with a move for Burnley and England star James Tarkowski.
But thus far the club have been unwilling to part with the £40million it’s expected they’d need to spend to land the Clarets defender.
West Ham fans protested against their owners at Arsenal last weekendCredit: AP:Associated Press
Allardyce revealed the club are being more cautious after “going big” in the transfer market under Manuel Pellegrini – with that plan failing.
But Big Sam admitted the owners have always spent money – even if not at the level of the Premier League’s big boys.
Allardyce continued: “The pressure comes on the owners at West Ham to spend money all the time.
“They’ve always spent money, don’t get me wrong – but not in terms of the top six, they’ve never really gone there.
“They’ve tried to find the right player they can fit in to the club and hopefully develop, get better.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
