Allardyce: We mustn’t freeze in £90m final
WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce has warned his players not to let the importance of tomorrow’s £90m play-off final against Blackpool threaten their quest to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
The Hammers are hot favourites to record a third win of the season over the Tangerines, whom they have already smashed eight goals past in two Championship fixtures, when they meet at Wembley.
Weighty expectations have at times seemed to hinder Allardyce’s men this term but the former Blackburn, Newcastle and Bolton boss has called on his players to use it to their advantage.
“It’s a one-off game. It’s a fabulous game to be involved in, particularly for the players. We are the favourites with all the pressure on us, so we have to handle that as we have done all season,” he said.
“But it won’t be easy, we will treat them with the utmost respect and make sure we try to expose their weaknesses as early as we can. We’ve got to live with the pressure – it should bring the best out of us and not be one of those games where we freeze on the big stage.”
West Ham hope to join Reading and Southampton in promotion from the second tier, which is worth an estimated £90m in extra income.
The east Londoners have been boosted by the return to fitness of midfielder Jack Collison, who scored twice in the semi-final first leg against Cardiff but dislocated his shoulder in the second match.
“Everyone who has been playing recently is fit, the squad is strong and we just have one final day to select the side,” Allardyce added.
“It’s been a long wait since we played Cardiff but we are rested, eager and hopefully we can give our best performance of the season.”
Allardyce, meanwhile, confirmed he has taken legal steps over comments Blackburn manager Steve Kean, his former assistant, appeared to make about him on an amateur video published online this week.
He said: “It’s disappointing but it’s in the hands of my lawyers and they are taking action that is appropriate under the law of the land.”