THEGUARDIANUK
After the Euro 2016 spectacle of Harry Kane botching free-kicks, Joe
Hart’s confusion and Wayne Rooney’s doomed Wazziesta midfield stylings,
it was no a surprise that Sam Allardyce’s unveiling was a muted affair
The
fanfare was conspicuous only by its absence. There was no
grandstanding, no hubristic posturing, no overblown roars about football
coming home. With the shambolic defeat to Iceland still pungent in the memory, how could there be?
Almost a month since England illuminated Euro 2016 with the spectacle
of Harry Kane botching free-kicks, Joe Hart’s confusion and Wayne
Rooney’s doomed Wazziesta midfield stylings, it did not come as a
surprise that the unveiling of Sam Allardyce
as Roy Hodgson’s replacement was a muted affair, hardly an occasion to
inspire patriotic fervour and giddy optimism about the future of the
national game.
A cold dose of reality is what England require at their lowest ebb,
though. Losing to Iceland was a failure that rocked English football to
its core, leaving a mixture of self-loathing, bemusement and anger in
its wake. Delusions of grandeur have never looked more ridiculous.
Allardyce is the man teams call for in desperate times
and England could hardly regard themselves as too good for him in light
of their dismal flop in France, where they displayed all the composure
of a cat in a bath.
Expectations have rarely been this low, with accusations from unhappy
supporters about a lack of passion and desire in the squad underlining
the increasing lack of connection between the players and the public. No
wonder Martin Glenn, the Football Association’s chief executive, was
frowning so much to Allardyce’s right.
However
while misgivings over Allardyce’s appointment cannot be dismissed out
of hand, at least there was a sense of a manager with a plan as he
outlined his vision. Admittedly he also had his initials stitched into
his the cuffs of his shirt, but it is all part of the Allardycian charm.
A big job calls for a big man, which is why it is understood the FA
also considered the merits of Ivo Karlovic, and Big Sam was only too
willing to tell us why he fits the bill. He has waited a long time for
this moment, suffering the indignity of missing out to Steve McClaren 10
years ago, and he was already looking comfortable in his surroundings
as he joked about nicking his office from Dan Ashworth, the FA’s
technical director, before roaring with laughter.
That brash personality might be a turn-off for some but it has helped
Allardyce extract the best from his players at club level. He cited his
man-management skills as a major asset and dismissed suggestions that
he would not be able to handle the egos in the England
squad, pointing out that he had managed talents such as Nicolas Anelka,
Fernando Hierro, Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha, Michael Owen and Gary
Speed.
Allardyce rejected the idea that England have hit rock bottom and
expressed his annoyance at being pigeonholed as a firefighter when it
was put to him that the appointment of a manager who has never won a
major trophy or managed in the Champions League might be considered a
hindrance. “I consider myself much more than that personally,” he said,
exhibiting those astonishing levels of self-confidence. “As an English
manager, I never really got the chance to go to the top of the Premier
League.”
Supporters
of Newcastle United and West Ham United will probably react to that
statement by bellowing their dissatisfaction with Allardyce’s approach, a
debate that is sure to bubble to the surface at the first sign of
England betraying their storied tradition of producing the kind of
swashbuckling, romantic, carefree football that leaves you beaming from
ear to ear as you skip merrily away from Wembley after a 10-0 crushing
of Spain.
Although he stressed that he wants his players to be adaptable and
flexible, Allardyce was not afraid to say that he is a pragmatic manager
who will choose a system based on the opposition and place a focus on
results. Those remarks might chafe with Ashworth’s vision of an
aesthetically pleasing England team capable of keeping the ball for long
spells in tournament matches.
It could be an uneasy alliance, yet another marriage of convenience
for Allardyce, though he reacted to concerted inquiries over his
perceived stylistic shortcomings by pointing out that he saved Sunderland from relegation last season by playing Jermain Defoe on his own up front.
The effect was slightly ruined by Allardyce getting Defoe’s height
wrong – 5ft 7in, Sam, not 5ft 10in – but it was evidence of that
famously thick skin.
“Bring it on, eh lads?” Allardyce said, his tone a mixture of
mischief and defiance. That combative streak could be the perfect tonic
for a fragile England.
0 Comments