Jose Mourinho: Sam Allardyce should be manager of the season if West Ham finish fourth

Jose Mourinho and Sam Allardyce’s teams will take on each other on Boxing Day

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce should be awarded the manager of the season award if he helps them finish at fourth position at the end of the season. The Hammers are just one point behind third-placed Manchester United and take on current leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.

The 51-year-old Portuguese had blamed West Ham of playing “19th century football” after the January fixture that had ended on a 0-0 stalemate.But he now seems to regret those words and praised Allardyce for the work he has done with the club.

"If they finish in the top four, manager of the season is Big Sam and team of the season is West Ham because it would be an amazing achievement compared with the investment other teams did. But why not, why not?" Mourinho asked.

"Chelsea is top of the league and deserves [the praise] and after us, West Ham because to be fourth, and for a team that everyone was expecting them to fight for survival, is a fantastic achievement,” he said.

Sam has my respect: Mourinho

Mourinho said that the 60-year-old Englishman has showed to everyone he isn’t a defensive manager and that he now respects him as a manager.

"Big Sam is showing now he is not a defensive coach, who only knows how to play defensive and direct and long balls. He is now giving a different image of himself. He has a big history in the Premier League. Now this season he is giving not just the image of a very competitive coach that plays in a certain way. He is playing in a different way and that is what he deserves. He has a fantastic career in the Premier League.”

"He has my respect. Last season I had a couple of words about the fact they start wasting time after two minutes of the game, which I don't like, but I respect him as a coach and am happy he is doing well. We exchange lots of messages. I like him very, very much,” the former Real Madrid boss said.

The situation last season was different, said Mourinho

That draw last season in the end proved to be decisive for the Blues as they eventually lost the title to Manchester City.but Mourinho feels that the situation at that point was different and West Ham played the way they did because they couldn’t afford to lose at that point in time.

"Last season they were in big trouble. When you are fighting for relegation, every point is a point and you have to do everything to get points," he added. Prior to Chelsea’s away fixture at Manchester United earlier this season, Mourinho had sent a congratulatory message to Allardyce for beating defending champions Manchester City 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground.