Allardyce Gamble Could Pay Off
Nobody was particularly surprised to see Sam Allardyce unveiled as Roy Hodgson's successor this week and I don't think any Englishman wouldn't have cracked a smile when they saw how happy and proud Big Sam clearly was on getting the job he had most desired.
Desire is a big talking point surrounding the England team at the moment, coming off the back of the pathetic performance in the defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016. The team looked shell shocked, lacking in organisation and bereft of motivation. Three characteristics you would never see in a Sam Allardyce side.
Allardyce is the master at figuring out how to win football matches with the tools available to him. People sometimes see him as a long ball specialist, which is unfair. He just found a way to beat more technical sides with a much lower quality squad. They might not have played the most attractive football, but he found a way to win.
The Italians and Germans are very good at winning ugly and gain plaudits for their battling qualities when grinding out a result. However, this is an attribute the English national team have never really had. Have you ever seen England play poorly and win a big game? Not in recent history, anyway. You can't play well every game, but you still need to have a game plan which will get you the result you need.
Sam's record in domestic knockout competitions isn't great, but given the situations he has found himself in, cup success has never been a priority. At West Ham, he was tasked with getting the club back in the Premier League and giving them top flight stability. Which he did. His promotion with Bolton was a bit more of a surprise, but he still transformed them into a Premier League team who consistently finished comfortably clear of the relegation zone and even lead them into Europe for the first time in their history. Last year at Sunderland, he was handed his most difficult job yet, but once again, he passed it with flying colours, saving the club from relegation with two games to spare.
That's what Allardyce does. He takes on difficult jobs and meets all expectations. Now, for the first time, he has a group of world class players at his disposal, who are young and full of potential. It will be his job to instill some mental strength within the squad, get them organised and structured whilst allowing them to play their natural game, playing with the passion the public expect and most importantly, to win football matches.
Some see Allardyce's appointment as a gamble. But given the situation and given the faults that need fixing in the team, Big Sam is the perfect man for the job.