Skip to content

Premier League: West Ham's Andy Carroll hails 'great tactician' Sam Allardyce

Carroll celebrates his first goal since March as the game reaches the break all quare
Image: Andy Carroll: Big Sam has turned our fortunes around

Andy Carroll has praised the tactics of manager Sam Allardyce who he claims has almost single-handedly turned around the fortunes of West Ham this season.

The Hammers travel to Chelsea on Boxing Day standing fourth in the table, which is their highest position on Christmas Day in almost 30 years.

And the striker said of Allardyce: "We can do anything. He knows how to beat managers, their tactics.

"He knows what they are going to do against us. It's just a game of chess, really, looking a move ahead.

Live Football Special

"He's not the same every week. He wants a win but you've got to watch the teams, how they're playing, how we're going to break them down and win the game.

"He's got loads of different ways of attacking, we've got loads of dimensions to go forward. That's what our qualities are at the minute."

The Hammers have suffered just one defeat in 11 games and Carroll attributes the club’s transformation to changes in personnel.

More from Chelsea V West Ham

Carroll added: "He's brought in some great players. He's changed the team around a lot and the players he's brought in have settled in nicely.

"All the lads are buzzing and it comes from the manager's choice of players and how he wants to play now. We're playing great football, and I think any team that we play against is going to be worried about us.

"We've got more than one attacking option: play it on the floor, play it in the air, down the sides. There's a belief. Everyone's flying at the minute. Everyone's looking forward to every game.

"Every week we're thinking, there's another three points here, potentially."

Around Sky