Sam Allardyce was able to celebrate his 60th birthday in some style on Saturday after West Ham United’s emphatic 3-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor; elsewhere in the east end, sales of handkerchiefs soared as fans clutched bloodied rags to their noses as they gazed down from the giddying heights of fourth place in the Premier League.

In a lacklustre first-half display it looked as if the Hammers would revert to type and struggle against an opponent that, on current form, you’d expect them to beat.

But Allardyce roused the team at half-time and the second-half display was pretty much a birthday gift to himself as Sam saw all his summer signings combine to finish Burnley off.

Being able to watch Diafra Sakho scoring from an Aaron Creswell cross before Enner Valencia powered in a superb header from Carl Jenkinson was probably enough to make Sam’s day anyway, but after bringing on Carlton Cole from the bench and seeing the stalwart striker kill the game with the third goal, Allardyce must have realised his stars were aligning for the day.

Short of popping off down to the newsagents for the winning lottery ticket, it was difficult to imagine how the manager’s day could have gone better.

Inevitably, some of the TV pundits chose to focus on the absence of the ‘Allardyce out’ brigade in their post-match analysis but, while I’ve always argued it made sense to stick with Sam regardless of the style - something it now seems we don’t have to worry about - even I’d have to admit that Dame Football can be the most pernicious of mistresses.

The luck with which Sam has struck gold this season only highlights how cruel the game can be at other times. I doubt there are many fans who’d have gambled on Sakho providing the thing that Modibo Maiga sadly lacked last season (goals). And was I the only one who wasn’t concerned at paying £12m for a Ecuadorian whose only real foreign experience was in Mexico?

The captures of Cresswell and Jenkinson may have looked like a sensible answer to a long-standing question, but was there really anyone who suspected Stewart Downing was going to be bothering Roy Hodgson’s scouts again?

As it is, Diafra’s glorious crossed-Hammers gesture and Enner’s penchant for a plate of Pie ‘n’ Eels while watching ‘Green Street’ may well come define Big Sam’s managerial capabilities if the Hammers can push on from here.

It would only be the meanest of supporter who wouldn’t wish the manager a congratulatory slap on the back this week.