Sam Allardyce has lashed out at supporters of his most recent club, West Ham United, accusing many of them of being “deluded” and “brainwashed”.

Allardyce, who last week became the Sunderland manager after completing a four-year contract at Upton Park last summer, during which he took the Hammers back into the Premier League via the play-offs in 2012 and kept them there, made the remarks in his new book, Big Sam, My Autobiography, which is being serialised in the Sun newspaper.

“My long-ball label was started by Graeme Souness, who got upset whenever I beat him when he was at Blackburn or Newcastle, and was picked up by Arsène Wenger and Rafa Benítez,” he wrote. “As soon as I was appointed manager in 2011 the big debate was whether I would follow the ‘West Ham way’, which nobody could define, but, whatever it was, I apparently didn’t play it.

“I felt the West Ham way was about wearing your heart on your sleeve and showing passion for the club and winning.

“But the fans were being brainwashed into thinking that, historically, the club had a particular style of play which was akin to Barcelona, which was potty. I once called the supporters deluded and I stand by that. I don’t know who invented the West Ham way phrase, but it’s a millstone around the club’s neck.”

Allardyce, who steered West Ham to 12th in May after a promising start to the season ran out of steam after Christmas, added that he was not alone in feeling hamstrung by the supporters’ expectations and the club’s past, which saw them win the FA Cup on three occasions – 1964, 1975 and 1980 – and also lift the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965.

“I’ve talked to my predecessors Alan Curbishley, Alan Pardew and Harry Redknapp and they got it in the neck from the crowd as much as I did,” he added. “None of the players would admit it but they used to sit in the dressing room at half-time going: ‘Listen to them, never fucking happy, slaughtering us all the time.’

“It must be a big anxiety for the owners, who need to fill the 54,000-seater Olympic Stadium with entertaining and successful football next year. The fans won’t turn up if West Ham are playing fantasy football and losing 5-3 every week. Slaven Bilic is the new man in the hot seat and good luck to him. He will need it.”