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Allardyce relaxed over West Ham contract talks

11:02 04/12/2013

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says he will begin talks over a new contract once the Hammers are safe from relegation.

Having won promotion last year at the first time of asking, the East London club are well placed to secure another campaign of Premier League football with 12 games of the season remaining.

Strong at home, vulnerable on the road, West Ham are 11th with 30 points on the board, seven clear of the drop zone.

Allardyce, whose deal expires in the summer, insist he is both confident his team will survive and relaxed about his contractual situation, despite reports linking Paolo Di Canio with a return to the club. 

“There’s no problem with the contract,” he told Sport360°. “The contract lies between myself and the co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan and we said we’ll deal with the contract when we’re safe in the Premier League.

“A lot of journalists have speculated one way or the other whether they’re going to offer me a contract or whether I’m going to accept one, the truth is only me and the owners know.

“It is as much my choice as it is theirs. We’ve come together and we’re both comfortable with the decision.”

Indeed with West Ham still in the box seat to take over London’s Olympic Stadium, Allardyce says it is vital the club is stabilised in the top-flight as quickly as possible.

He said: “There’s this huge massive-looking Olympic stadium which is going to be converted and if that’s going to be converted into a football arena, it will be one of the biggest in the country, then West Ham needs the players to be established in the Premier League if they want to fill it.”

The 58-year-old was also eager to stress the progress the Hammers have made with him at the helm, adding: “They (the board) gave me a two-year period to (get promoted) and I did it in the first year and that was a massive achievement.

“That job was done in the first year and we’re 11th with 12 games to go and only need at the very, very maximum 10 points from the last 12 games to make sure we’re safe. The progress has been massive in a short period of time.”

 

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