FORMER midfielder Don Hutchison says Alan Pardew was difficult to work for during his time at West Ham.
Hutchinson told talkSPORT on Wednesday morning that many of the senior players at the Hammers didn't get on with Pardew.
However, he admitted Pardew is an excellent coach as he looks set to take the Crystal Palace job.
"Alan Pardew comes out and says he hasn't got an ego and he's not big time – he is, absolutely," Hutchison told the radio show.
"That's the sort of make-up that makes him a decent manager. I played under him at West Ham and he rubbed three or four of the senior pro's up the wrong way.
"Some of us didn't really get on with Alan but we got on with it, he threw us out into the reserves - and after three or four months when he's realised his young signings weren't cutting the grade in the Premier League, he had to come back to us.
"He was lucky he had good pro's, because we played for him - but he wasn't my cup of tea.
"My thing with Alan is purely personal, and I won't go into it on the radio, but what I will say about him is that when he puts a tracksuit on and he coaches, he is actually a very, very good coach.
"Some of his sessions were absolutely outstanding. He's just not a good man-manager and I think for me, especially in the Premier League and in the modern day, you have got to have that in your locker."
