Chris Ramsey has leapt to the defence of Sam Allardyce as the West Ham boss battles for his future.
The Hammers are tipped to part company with their manager, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but the QPR head coach was full of praise for his opposite number on Saturday.
Allardyce once quipped that he was not given due credit for maintaining sides Premier League status because he wasn't called Allardici and it is a view Ramsey agrees with.
He said: “Sam made a comment that if he was called Allardici he'd get more plaudits I'd agree with him. I totally agree with him.
“If Sam had been anywhere else despite people complaining about his style.
“He is a capable coach, he could play tippy tappy if he wants. He could go outside now and put a coaching session on that would be the equal of foreign coaches.
“But you play to the resources you have. Sometimes that might not be attractive but his job is to keep them receiving that Premier League finance year in year out.
“He's a manager that can do that at most clubs. If he was at a club that had different ambitions and he'd work to the strength of their players. And his style of playing would suit the players he has.”
West Ham were up near the top four at Christmas but have slid down the table at an alarming rate leading to Allardyce's future being questioned.
And Ramsey believes that if results had been the other way round, he'd have received more praise and warned Hammers fans to be careful what they wish for.
He added: “If he'd been called Sam Allardici, he'd be called a fantastic tactician. And let’s make no bones about it, they were top half of the table for the first half of the season.
“If it was the other way round and they’d only moved into the top half of the table now, they'd say he'd been brilliant.
“So it’s only perception. At the end of the day, you have to be careful what you wish for. Look at Charlton (who went down after parting company with Alan Curbishley).”
