Capital One Cup: Fans turn on Allardyce as West Ham are hit for six by slick City
MANCHESTER CITY 6 vs WEST HAM UNITED 0
BELEAGUERED West Ham boss Sam Allardyce believed there was no disgrace in seeing his makeshift team become the fourth side this season to ship at least six goals at the Etihad Stadium.
A hat-trick from £16m summer signing Alvaro Negredo, plus a brace from strike partner Edin Dzeko and a goal from Yaya Toure saw City stroll to victory in last night’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg.
But Allardyce took some comfort in not being the only team put to the sword by free-scoring City this term.
“It’s very disappointing, but if you look what they’ve done at home to Tottenham, Man United and Arsenal we knew they would have to have an off night and we would have to have a really good night,” said Allardyce. “It’s not as if they hadn’t done it to anybody else.
“Their finishing was just outstanding never mind the build up play. We haven’t got a strong defence because of injuries and a bit of a lack of confidence. We have a left-back we signed on a free transfer playing at centre-back against Alvaro Negredo and that’s not fair on him. That’s the problem, we haven’t got a fully fit squad at the moment.”
Allardyce was given a vote of confidence by co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan following Sunday’s 5-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, but last night’s travelling supporters vociferously expressed their disapproval with the manager.
“You can understand when fans have travelled all this way and you get beat, you’re going to get criticism,” said Allardyce. “That’s the way this job is. You take it on the chin and you get on with it. It’s life.”
Negredo spectacularly volleyed in Toure’s searching long pass forwards on 12 minutes and soon exchanged passes with Dzeko to double the advantage.
Toure strode through the middle of West Ham’s defence to slot in the third before half-time and Negredo completed his hat-trick with a first time finish from David Silva’s low pass five minutes into the second half.
Dzeko then turned in crosses from Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov late on to complete the rout.