Commentary
What makes Sam the man for England job?
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Jul 13, 2016
Big Sam has earned the reputation for his work with clubs of modest means, helping Bolton Wanderers ward off relegation from the Premier League in 2002 and 2003 and Blackburn Rovers in 2009.
When Allardyce joined Sunderland in October 2015, the Black Cats were winless, in last place with three points after eight games. The Black Cats miraculously escaped relegation even though their start under Allardyce wasn't the best: eight losses in their first 11 EPL games that left them with just 12 points after 18 games at the end of the year.
Sunderland was saved because of its pickups on the January transfer market: Jan Kirchhoff, Lamine Kone and Wahbi Khazri.
"We turned into a team from January onwards,"
Allardyce said.
Allardyce has emerged as the favorite for the England national team job left vacant by Roy Hodgson's immediate resignation after the loss to Iceland at Euro 2016,
but he won't have anything like the January transfer window as a tool to turn around what ails England.
This isn't the first time Allardyce has been a candidate for the England job. He
was at Bolton in 2006 when he interviewed to replace Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson. Eriksson's assistant, Steve McClaren, got the job.
In his biography published in 2015,
Allardyce says he should have gotten the job
in 2006. He put together a PowerPoint presentation but there were no PowerPoint facilities available when the FA interviewed him, and he had to print out hard copies for the interview committee. "So
much for the progressive FA," he said.
"I should have got it and," he added, "as I'm a better manager now than I was then, I believe I should be in the running whenever it comes round
again. That's not vanity or being full of my own importance. My track record entitles me to be considered."
Track record? Allardyce, who left Sunderland's training camp in Austria to
return to England, is the favorite even though his only championship in 25 years of managing in England was a 1998 Third Division championship with Bolton Wanderers.
Big Sam has emerged
as the favorite to succeed because there are no other English candidates. Since the EPL began in 1992-93, there have been 24 champions and none was coached by an Englishman.
Sam has never had to manage prima donnas, so that will not be in his favor. And he doesn't have the most sophisticated approach, though "They also like the fact Allardyce has a strong tactical vision." The long stretches between games also does not favor his man management style. However, his motivation skills will win out, as I think he knows how to get his troops through battle. Thankfully, England doesn't currently have the equivalent of Emile Heskey or Peter Crouch to facilitate Sam's baser instincts to play directly every time, all the time. I can see JK getting a shot after 2018, unless Sam gets to a semi then secures an extension.
International competitions are short tournaments. It is different than year long league competitions. Like a sprint vs. a marathon. So how successful has he been in the cup competition?
Go for it! England clearly needs a totally new, from the ground up re-start. As Iceland, Wales, even Portugal proved, assembling a team of Prima Donnas doesn't work. You need hungry, unselfish, team first, ass busting support players and a couple of leaders. You also need a take-no-prisoners manager willing to find the above types and form a REAL TEAM. That's Sam. All character and toughness, Sam is an ideal choice, a complete 180 from RH's glory-boy crowd. Go for it England, the sooner the better.
I'm still hoping the FA reconsiders. Not because I care about the England team - I'm just hoping they take JK off our hands.
I knew a Big Sam if your Sam was any thing like mine the players would never lose. They will be too afraid to lose. Does he have a fire axe in his club. Do something wrong or oue Big Sam money then off goes your head. He would make a real mess in his club sometimes. True