Sam Allardyce did 'all that was asked of him' at West Ham, says David Sullivan

Former stomping ground: Allardyce will return to Upton Park this weekend
Paul Gilham/Getty Images
Sam Long24 February 2016

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan believes former manager Sam Allardyce did 'all that was asked of him' during a four-year reign at Upton Park.

The Hammers were relegated to the Championship in 2011 and Allardyce replaced Avram Grant with the task of achieving an immediate return to the Premier League.

The 61-year-old led West Ham back into the top-flight courtesy of victory in the play-offs and recorded a 10th place finish in the 2012/13 season.

But West Ham's fanbase grew increasingly frustrated with Allardyce's style of play and he left the club last summer when his contract expired.

Allardyce, who is now in charge of Sunderland, is set to return to Upton Park this weekend and Sullivan is adamant the manager did a "good job" for West Ham.

"A lot of attention will surround the return of Sam Allardyce to the Boleyn Ground.

"I felt he did a perfectly good job during his four-year spell. He did all we asked of him and I am a fan of Sam.

"He left the club in a considerably better state then when he arrived and, for that, the Board were truly grateful," Sullivan told the club's official website.

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West Ham have thrived under new manager Slaven Bilic and currently occupy seventh place in the table ahead of their clash with the Black Cats on Saturday.

While Sullivan remains reluctant to criticise Allardyce's regime he is certain the club has gone from strength to strength during Bilic's short tenure.

"I can’t criticise Sam because he did a good job and I like him. But I think from both sides it was time for a change.

"We made the decision to appoint Slaven Bilic during the summer and the club have now grown even stronger this season," he added.

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