THE West Ham season can be summed up as what might of beens. Fourth at Christmas, the club then entered into a faltering run that saw just three wins secured on the way to a final 12th place in the Premer League.

Manager Sam Allardyce paid the price, with virtually instant dismissal on the whistle of the final game against Newcastle. The rumours had been growing over the months that Allardyce was for the chop, so when it came the news was a bit of an anti-climax.

The manager had effectively been on probation since last August, when the club grudgingly gave him another one-year contract, the condition being that he would secure a top 10 finish playing attractive football.

Top players were provided: Aaron Cresswell from Ipswich, Cheikou Kouyate from Anderlecht, Enner Valencia from Mexican club Pachuca and Diafra Sakho from Metz.

Alex Song, Carl Jenkinson and Morgan Amalfitano were taken on loan for the season.

It all went well up until Christmas. Song was pulling the strings, Sakho scoring the goals in an exciting new partnership up front with Valencia. Stewart Downing (pictured) was rejuvenated in a new free-roaming role the head of the diamond formation. At the back Cresswell and Jenkinson were a revelation, attacking down the flanks whenever possible.

After Christmas though it all fell apart. There had been high hopes of an FA Cup run but this crashed to a halt at West Brom in the fifth round. League form was no better.

Allardyce became particularly frustrated at his side’s consistent ability to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. Post match, he repeatedly cited the games at home to Manchester United and Everton and away to Tottenham and Leicester,

when the team were undone by goals in the last couple of minutes. He put this down to the inexperience of some playing in their first season of the Premier League. That may be so, but the uncertainty around his own position can hardly have helped matters.

The constant speculation must have effected team morale and results. Without the speculation, could West Ham have finished two or three positions higher?

What does seem clear is that there were those who wanted Allardyce out regardless of where the club finished. Maybe securing Champions League football would have saved his job but 12th place certainly wouldn’t.

Now begins a new era. Former player Slavan Bilic has been installed as manager and the fans will be hoping for better results and more entertainment. They will hope for a change of style from the game of aerial bombardment that often typified Allardyce teams.

What they won’t want is a relegation struggle. It is a sobering thought that former Allardyce teams Newcastle, Blackburn and Bolton have all been in relegation trouble shortly after his departure — not something that West Ham or their owners will want on the eve of the move to the Olympic stadium.