Sam Allardyce has had a long and lucrative career as a club manager. Credit: PA/Leeds United
If José Mourinho is the 'special' and Jurgen Klopp the 'ordinary', what should we call Sam Allardyce after he took over as manager of Leeds United? He clearly doesn't claim to be «humble»!
Love him or hate him, you can't help but laugh when you see Allardyce appear in court as chairman and chief spokesman for his own fan club. .
Was Allardyce tongue in cheek when he said he considered himself equal to Pep Guardiola, Klopp and Mikel Arteta? I would like to think so. Otherwise, it is a matter of courage or madness to make such a statement when he faces Guardiola and one of the best teams to ever grace the Premier League in his first game.
Allardyce has built up enough goodwill so people can see that «Big Sam is Big Sam» when he makes such headline-grabbing remarks. This makes for an excellent, entertaining copy. You must admire bravado.
Few others would get away with it.
Can you imagine the reaction if a foreign manager with no special awards presented himself to a Premier League club in this way? How would Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi be received if he declared himself on par with the two most successful managers of modern times? Reckless at best, delusional at worst.
Of course Allardyce has the form to do it, it often sounds like he deserves more credit for his coaching accomplishments.
«I will never move to the top 4 clubs because my name is not Allardici, but simply Allardyce,» he said when West Ham manager.
Classic Big Sam, enough ambiguous to be funny but sounds suspicious, like he genuinely believes what he says, a bit like when he hosts a podcast called Tippy Tuppy Football with Sam Allardyce.
With all due respect, if Allardyce were in charge of the current Manchester City or Liverpool squad, there is no chance they would play the game of possession or «gegenpressing» that earned their respective managers all the credit.
< p >They will still have the traits of every Allardyce team. Fair enough too. I strongly believe that football improves through different styles. It would be boring if every coach wanted to play like Guardiola or Klopp.
Allardyce has managed many English clubs and, briefly, the England national team. Photo: Getty Images/Ian MacNicol
I object to the suggestion that these great managers are not really worthy of their place above their peers, as if their success is more a function of opportunity than talent. Guardiola and Klopp are really game changers. The level of coordination between all 11 players (including the goalkeeper) in Guardiola's Barcelona and Manchester City teams is on another level. Nobody played like this 20 years ago, let alone the seventies and eighties. Why pretend or claim otherwise?
Even Klopp is humble enough to admit that he couldn't coach a team to play exactly like Guardiola, just like Klopp's imitators admit that he developed Arrigo Sacchi's style as effectively as like every other in the last 10 years. years. We all wear our stuff on our sleeves.
Allardyce was farsighted in his use of data as he became the modern spokesman for eighties and nineties football after former FA director of football Charles Hughes. a model that aims to get the ball to the POMO position as quickly and accurately as possible.
That's how I was trained as a kid at the FA School of Excellence in the early nineties, so don't tell me that the game hasn't changed radically or become more complex now.
This more direct route can still be very effective for teams fighting for relegation or in the minor leagues. Thus, managers like Allardyce and Neil Warnock continue to be poached by «retirees.» Good luck to them. They have built a long and profitable career doing what they do. It doesn't change the fact that there are limits to how well you can play this way.
English coaches have been given great chances… but they haven't been very successful often
Allardyce managed huge clubs at Newcastle United and Everton. Fans at St. James Park and Goodison Park did not like his style. It had nothing to do with anti-British sentiment. You only have to see how well Eddie Howe was received in the Northeast playing in a modern progressive style to understand it.
In fact, the argument that British coaches are denied the best four chances is not out of date. The problem with Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, David Moyes at Manchester United, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard at Chelsea is that they have proven to be less effective than their foreign predecessors or successors.
Eddie Howe is on the verge of taking Newcastle United to the Champions League. Photo: Getty Images/Lindsey Parnaby
Until a British manager comes along and wins the Premier League or the Champions League, the shortlisted chairs will always be on the hunt for those who excel in the Bundesliga, Serie A or La Liga.
So, if you're an up-and-coming British coach studying the style and strategy of the world's top coaches, which one is most likely to help you reach the top? Guardiola, Klopp or Allardyce? The most diligent British coaches recognize that many of the most desired improvements in our sport have to do with continental influence. Howe, who is likely to be manager of the year if Newcastle United finish in the top four, could be an inspiration for young English managers.
History shows that we still have a lot to catch up. It would be wiser for us to be humble and respectful of the excellent foreign coaches who have improved our game, rather than mistakenly regard them as our equals.
Allardyce often gives the impression that his reputation limits his opportunities. The reverse is also true. He was given the chance to lead Leeds because he was thought to always keep clubs from falling.
Eddie Howe: Any comparisons to Guardiola and Klopp are 'ridiculous'.
Of the four clubs credited with saving him, Sunderland and Crystal Palace found themselves in the most dire straits upon his arrival. He took over at Sunderland after just eight games, using the January transfer window to his advantage after a poor start. Likewise, he invested £30m in new contracts at Selhurst Park before avoiding a fall. Everton were 13th when he took over from Ronald Koeman, finishing 8th and West Bromwich Albion lost despite being appointed in December.
Allardyce has four games to play to score six points at Elland Road, the minimum time to set up a defense and side kick.
He was appointed in the hope that the strength of his character would cause an uplift. If he succeeds, he will receive a well-deserved applause. Then we can all make popcorn for his last press conference at Elland Road.
If Leeds stays up, there will be a massive anti-climax if Big Sam doesn't declare himself manager of the season.
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