Hammers finishing with a flourish

West Ham 2 Tottenham 0

That will prompt a mixed reaction among West Ham supporters, some of whom have made no attempt to disguise their unhappiness with the current manager. Yet while it will take a major image makeover for Allardyce to repair a relationship with those dissenters, the manager offered promise of compromise following a third victory of the season over Spurs by declaring his intention to add creativity to the pragmatic style that has secured a third season in the Premier League.

Castigated as a long-ball merchant, Allardyce’s approach has won few friends in a corner of East London that still regards itself as ‘the academy’. History dictates the club remains associated with a considered style of play and the current default approach of directly targeting Andy Carroll has won little favour, particularly when results have dipped.