Reading striker Jason Roberts has said that Sam Allardyce is the right man for the job at West Ham. The future of the former Blackburn and Newcastle United manager has come under intense speculation after his West Ham team have been going through a very bad spell.

The team has conceded numerous goals in recent matches against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. The numerous injury problems faced by West Ham have certainly not helped the case. As a result, the club has slipped into the relegation zone just into the New Year.

Roberts is someone who knows Allardyce well after having played with him at Blackburn from 2008 to 2010. He says that Allardyce has enough experience to turn the situation around. The club have a difficult trip to Cardiff city, who are also in a relegation fight. After being patient with Allardyce from the start of the season, fans recently turned against him by chanting for him to go during the 6-0 thrashing at the hands of City. Allardyce will have the chance to field Andy Carroll, who was the club’s major signing in the summer for £15 million, very shortly, as he has returned from a long-term injury.

The club has won the three matches since the start of this season.

“If the board and the fans stay supportive, I think he will turn it around. If West Ham had another manager and found themselves in this situation, people would say you need an Allardyce-type manager to come in. Some people might say that he has got them into this position but I would point them to the injuries he has had defensively and with Andy Carroll. One of the main things he does when things are tough is to try and simplify things,” said Roberts, who has been at Reading since 2012.