Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
It must be hard being Sam Allardyce. Whenever I imagine him, I see him in a big country house in the north of England, in a well-furnished front room where the only noise is the metronomic ticking of a towering grandfather clock in the corner. He sits alone in his armchair, surrounded by discarded newspapers and untouched cups of tea, staring out of the window while an oversized Old English Sheepdog snores at his feet. Every now and then he glances at the phone, but it never rings.
How did this happen? Just two years ago he was a front-runner for the England job. Now, every time his name is linked with a vacancy, the fans howl in protest and the role goes to someone else. It happened again this summer with Blackburn Rovers. He was all set to step into Mark Hughes' shoes when the supporters found out and launched an internet campaign to stop him. Paul Ince got the job instead and, for that, I hope the Blackburn fans are feeling rather silly. There are no certainties in football, but I'd stake a lot of money on Allardyce's Blackburn being placed higher than 19th right now.
This weekend, with Roy Keane and his little black cloud heading off into the distance, Allardyce is being linked with Sunderland and their supporters are, predictably enough, up in arms about it. There is a perception up in the north-east that he destroyed Newcastle United, but the reality is quite the contrary.
Allardyce arrived at St James Park having completed one of the most astonishing transformations in English football since the Premier League began. He took Bolton Wanderers from second flight makeweights to UEFA Cup regulars and this was no fleeting Ipswich Town or Reading-style success. Bolton improved year-on-year because the foundations of the club were so secure. His attempts to do the same at Newcastle were curtailed by an owner who has since proved himself to be incompetent. When he was sacked, the Magpies were 11th in the table, higher than they had finished under Glenn Roeder the season previous. Allardyce did not fail Newcastle. Newcastle failed him.
There is a perception too that he is a boring manager, obsessive about defensive tactics. Well, I watched the lowlights of the Sunderland game last weekend and they are crying out for help at the back. Keane has left behind a talented squad, low on confidence and tactically unsure of themselves. If Allardyce is sat in his living room reading this article now, he'll be salivating on his sheepdog at the prospect of such a legacy. The job is made for him.
Sunderland and Allarydce need each other because this is a time of great opportunity. Whisper it, but the Mackems are the biggest club in the region now. Middlesbrough are steady, but play in a half-empty stadium, Newcastle are rudderless and letting in water, but Sunderland are nicely placed. The Stadium of Light holds nearly 50,000 and they are well-backed and well-financed. Roy Keane has performed magnificently in hauling them out of the doldrums, but they are ripe for someone to take them to the next stage. Allardyce has the experience, the know-how and the hunger and if Sunderland's supporters have got any sense, they'll let Niall Quinn break the silence of his living room with a phonecall.
How did this happen? Just two years ago he was a front-runner for the England job. Now, every time his name is linked with a vacancy, the fans howl in protest and the role goes to someone else. It happened again this summer with Blackburn Rovers. He was all set to step into Mark Hughes' shoes when the supporters found out and launched an internet campaign to stop him. Paul Ince got the job instead and, for that, I hope the Blackburn fans are feeling rather silly. There are no certainties in football, but I'd stake a lot of money on Allardyce's Blackburn being placed higher than 19th right now.
This weekend, with Roy Keane and his little black cloud heading off into the distance, Allardyce is being linked with Sunderland and their supporters are, predictably enough, up in arms about it. There is a perception up in the north-east that he destroyed Newcastle United, but the reality is quite the contrary.
Allardyce arrived at St James Park having completed one of the most astonishing transformations in English football since the Premier League began. He took Bolton Wanderers from second flight makeweights to UEFA Cup regulars and this was no fleeting Ipswich Town or Reading-style success. Bolton improved year-on-year because the foundations of the club were so secure. His attempts to do the same at Newcastle were curtailed by an owner who has since proved himself to be incompetent. When he was sacked, the Magpies were 11th in the table, higher than they had finished under Glenn Roeder the season previous. Allardyce did not fail Newcastle. Newcastle failed him.
There is a perception too that he is a boring manager, obsessive about defensive tactics. Well, I watched the lowlights of the Sunderland game last weekend and they are crying out for help at the back. Keane has left behind a talented squad, low on confidence and tactically unsure of themselves. If Allardyce is sat in his living room reading this article now, he'll be salivating on his sheepdog at the prospect of such a legacy. The job is made for him.
Sunderland and Allarydce need each other because this is a time of great opportunity. Whisper it, but the Mackems are the biggest club in the region now. Middlesbrough are steady, but play in a half-empty stadium, Newcastle are rudderless and letting in water, but Sunderland are nicely placed. The Stadium of Light holds nearly 50,000 and they are well-backed and well-financed. Roy Keane has performed magnificently in hauling them out of the doldrums, but they are ripe for someone to take them to the next stage. Allardyce has the experience, the know-how and the hunger and if Sunderland's supporters have got any sense, they'll let Niall Quinn break the silence of his living room with a phonecall.
