Sunday 18 January 2015 14:37, UK
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce insists fans should be allowed to express their feelings but any booing should be directed at him and not the players.
Allardyce is preparing his team for the visit of Hull in the Super Sunday clash, live on Sky Sports 1, with last season's 2-1 win over 10-man Tigers fresh in the memory.
In an act of defiance to the boo-boys, who jeered his side despite the victory, Allardyce cupped his ear and ahead of Sunday's Upton Park clash he revealed that he resorted to the gesture to detract from fans directly criticising the players.
The fans will always stay with the team, even if the team is behind, if we are playing well
"I've never had a problem with the fans cheering or booing," said Allardyce, whose team are seventh in the Premier League, one point shy of the 34 they had amassed after the win over Hull last March.
"It is part of the game, part of what you have to accept - part of a life today that has become ever-more demanding.
"People that pay money are allowed to express their opinion whether you think it is right or wrong. My fear was how much it affected the players, not how much it affected me.
"I would take the stick, I would take the pressure off them by creating the cupping of the ear. I thought it was unfair at that particular time. They could vent their anger at me, no problem. But keep away from the players because if you affect them then they don't play here, then they are frightened to play here.
"When they get to that stage they can't perform to their best and it is a vicious circle then. At that particular time it was about winning, it didn't matter how we won as long as we won - and we did win."
Allardyce felt the frustration came from the terraces after a season which could have ended with relegation, but this campaign things are different and the 60-year-old believes his players are shining because of that.
"It was a hugely important victory but I wasn't surprised," he added. "I knew we weren't playing as well as we should have done and because 10 men sit back and say 'break us down' fans get really frustrated.
"Frustration can over-spill into an emotion and that happens in football. But it moves on and it is chip paper. It is not water under the bridge, it is in the Atlantic it is that far gone. It was a difficult period last year because we were where we were.
"We were all worried about getting relegated and the fans were going: 'here we go again, how are we going to get out of this?' But we did and this year there is a whole different vibe around the place because of how the players have thrilled the fans, especially at home.
"The fans will always stay with the team, even if the team is behind, if we are playing well."
Despite their improved points tally, the Hammers have not won in their last four league outings and will be hopeful of putting that right at the expense of Hull.
Allardyce has a near-fit squad to select from with only Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate missing, the latter having linked up with Senegal ahead of the African Nations Cup.
Sakho was also initially called into the same squad but pulled out after suffering a back injury, with Allardyce criticising the Senegal medical staff for mistreating a previous ailment.
Allardyce is unsure when he would be free to select Sakho again once he has overcome the back issue so Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia are likely to start, with Carlton Cole again on the bench despite scoring as a substitute in last week's FA Cup third-round penalty shoot-out win over Everton.
Watch West Ham v Hull on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1, kick-off 1.30pm
