Every sport has their team that gets more than their fair share of grief. In international football, that team is England. The Premier League draws more eyes than ever, which in turn heaps even more pressure on their national side. But with each passing major tournament, the disappointing results continue to mount for the Three Lions. The latest was a round of 16 ouster by Iceland at the Euros. Not long thereafter, manager Roy Hodgson ended four year stint as England head man. In the footballing world, England view themselves as a power. But is the hiring of Sunderland’s Sam Allardyce, a man renown for working wonders with lesser means, the first sign that England’s FA are backpedaling on that idea?
As a player, Sam Allardyce was a gritty central defender who laid waste to any attacker foolish enough to challenge him in the area. He wasn’t a neanderthal on the back line though, and many could see him in a managerial role in his post-playing career. Big Sam brought that same edge to his management style. There have been dust-ups aplenty during his career, but in the end he always did his job.
Now his job is taking over an England side without an identity. They are Swiss cheese on every level of the pitch, and future reinforcements are few and far between. That England fire that was a staple from the 60’s to the 90’s has all but burned out. But while many want to label Big Sam as a “long ball manager” with questionable tactics, Allardyce can do many things to help England reclaim their dignity, and identity. The 61-year old has done so much with so little before. It will be interesting to see what he can do with a proverbial loaded gun instead of a prop one.
He is a humble man by no means. Allardyce has said for years that he deserved this appointment. However, where his humility does crop up is in his man management. He is keen on seeing a formation error or a player out of place. Instead of sticking to his guns and tactics, he swallows his ego and makes the necessary changes for the betterment of the team. Just don’t expect him to keep quiet to the press if said moves produce results.
UEFA’s climate has heated up in the past few decades. Instead of having one standout to fend off the South American contingent, the continent has built many stable, solid camps that maintain certain levels of excellence. Germany’s current run is their best in a quarter century. Spain is rebuilding from their pinnacle, but are still not to be trifled with. Italy, France, Portugal, and a slew of others make routine runs to the latter stages of major competitions. England wants to keep their name in that conversation of greatness. But while the pick of Allardyce may seem like a step backward, sometimes that step is necessary to eventually leap forward.
Allardyce’s managerial career has shown that he is up to the task of a reclamation project. His last two teams, West Ham and Sunderland, were in absolute shambles before he arrived. He got West Ham into Europe for the first time in nine years before his unceremonious exit. The Hammers were the laughingstock of the Championship before his appointment. Sunderland had no business staying in the Premier League this past season. But alas they did. It was made all that much more sweet by sending Newcastle, Sunderland’s rival and the club that gave him the most brutal of sackings in 2008, down in the process.
I asked the question in the title “Can Sam Allardyce save England?” While many want to make it a yes or no answer, it is a bit more complex than that. He can take a team in shambles and make them whole. He may just not be there to see his seeds become trees. Sam Allardyce can’t completely save England, but he can be the man to start strengthening the hull of the HMS Three Lions.