Pressure is different at West Ham and Chelsea, says Big Sam

Friday, March 15, 2013
2:08 PM

Sam Allardyce says he’s no stranger to pressure ahead of the London derby between West Ham and Chelsea after Avram Grant claimed earlier this week that being Hammers boss was harder than being at the helm at Stamford Bridge.

The Israeli, who has managed both clubs in the past, said that coaching the Blues was “easy” because of “a very big budget and top players to choose from.”

Current Irons chief Allardyce takes his side to face the west Londoners on Sunday, looking to complete the double over the European Champions after a 3-1 victory at Upton Park earlier in the season.

He thinks that every job comes with pressures.

“Every club is difficult in its own situation,” the 58-year-old said.

“If you have got the millions and millions that Chelsea have got then you aren’t allowed to lose a game of football and if you haven’t quite got those millions then you are allowed to lose against the big-boys when those games come around.

“Expectation is great in this game and the greater the expectation the bigger the disappointment.

“I think what has happened today is the level of improvement in a team is much smaller than the need to spend.

“If you spend £30million you only get two per cent better and that is what people don’t realise, they want you to get 20 per cent better.”

Sunday’s trip across London to face Chelsea will be one of only three fixtures for the Hammers throughout the month of March due to FA Cup elimination and the upcoming international week.

“We knew the situation, we have managed situations like this at international times,” he said.

“All we can do is do what we did last time we played and try to win because then it makes the two weeks pretty pleasurable to handle it and get through it.

“We have got exactly the same situation on Sunday when we have two weeks again before we play West Brom and we have got to try and handle it the best we can.

“I would rather have played last weekend but I’m not sure about playing Thursday night and Sunday because that is the hardest thing to overcome.

“Whether you have a good result or a bad result in Europe it is always very difficult to get the players to a top level of performance but Chelsea have been doing that for years now.”

West Ham will still be without skipper Kevin Nolan, midfielder Mark Noble and former Chelsea man Joe Cole.