West Ham manager Sam Allardyce calm over lack of new contract

The Hammers have risen to fourth in the table after victory over Burnley

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce (GETTY IMAGES)

Sam Allardyce turned 60 on Sunday and appeared to be wearing it well as he reflected on a third win in four games, which took West Ham into the Premier League’s top four.

It was not long ago that his job appeared to be on the line as the club’s owners delayed offering him a new contract. However, at his age, Allardyce was able to take all the speculation in his stride.

“I don’t feel the pressure as much as I used to,” he admitted. “You learn to deal with it and manage it as time has gone on.

“When you’ve got 13 years in the Premier League and 20 years in the manager’s job, the anxiety of contracts and when they should be signed is not a great hardship for me. If we carry on the way we’re going we’ll have no problems sorting this one out in the end.”

West Ham’s latest success, a 3-1 win at Burnley, came thanks to a second-half performance which reflected the team’s more expansive style – helped by the availability of two fit and firing strikers in Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, who both scored fine headed goals to stop the home side in their tracks.

Sean Dyche’s side had been excellent in the first half but they were unable to score, a recurring problem that has seen them fail to win this season. However, George Boyd, who struck the bar early on, did get their first goal at Turf Moor since their opening game.