July 26 – England’s new manager Sam Allardyce insists his man-management skills will bring the best out the national team that lost its way so dismally at Euro 2016.
The appointment of the 61-year-old has split public opinion but Allardyce believes saving teams from relegation, which has been his forte, as just as tough a job as winning trophies. The only reason he has not done the latter, he says, is that he’s never been given the chance to manage at the top.
Allardyce is not making a decision on Wayne Rooney’s captaincy until he has met the players and staff but is convinced he is the right man for the job.
“I have managed some world class players,” said Allardyce at his first news conference since being handed the job of succeeding Roy Hodgson. “In terms of winning no trophies or cups, unfortunately, as an English manager I never got to go right to the top of the Premier League. I saved clubs and never got relegated, and they are not the same as winning the FA Cup or League Cup, but they are big achievements.”
Allardyce wants English football to adopt a mid-season winter break like most of its continental cousins. “I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous. The Premier League is the best league in world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it.”
In terms of style of play, the former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and Sunderland manager refutes the claim he is too unadventurous. “I think choosing styles of systems depends on the players available and who we are playing. My coaching technique is to try to give players the opportunity to win football matches, home or away, and make them aware of the opposition.
“I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important and trying to create that team spirit and have some fun. I have enjoyed my life in the game, this job is the pinnacle and I want to enjoy this the most.
“My style of play has always been a tag for me that I can’t shake off but I played with Jermain Defoe down the middle on his own last year so it cannot be really associated with me after that. Working on people’s strengths is the main factor.”
And England, he said, must no longer be labelled potentially a winning side.
“It is not potential anymore, it has to be reality and they have to stand up and be counted. The young players have a lot of experience now and some has been bitter. They don’t want to feel like that again. Potential is not a word I want to use, you want the quality player to produce his best performances immediately. This squad of players is very experienced and going forward hopefully will produce better.”
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