Rafa Benitez being lined up to replace Big Sam at West Ham. FACT!

Ah, poor Sam.

After getting his troops to play an altogether less painful to watch brand of football, and guiding them to their most comfortable Premier League season in many a year, you'd sort of feel sorry for Allardici. However, the problem for Big Sam is recent form, with his side falling into the all too familiar slump of a side who are safe from relegation, and yet far from Europe. Just like last year, there's talk that he won't be getting a new contract in the summer, and that the owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, are lining up a few high-profile candidates to replace him. The Telegraph say that David Moyes is their number one target, but that they'll have real difficulty persuading him to walk out on the large contract he's landed himself at Real Sociedad, and they're saying that former Liverpool manager (and Chelsea, but people like to forget that) Rafa Benitez is the go-to guy, should Moyes turn down the job. Benitez is expected to leave Napoli after two years in Italy, and with his experience of managing in the Premier League, West Ham are hoping to woo him. Upton park may bring back some bad memories though... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIQzcZBoHNg Hat tip The Telegraph