WHY SAM ALLARDYCE WILL MAKE A FANTASTIC ENGLAND MANAGER

Sam Allardyce has just been confirmed as the new England manager. Think about that for a minute: Big Sam. England manager. Our immediate reaction? Probably the same as yours: lots of swearing. But once we had stopped shaking our heads, we slowly came to realise that Big Sam may be just what England need.
There is a theory with England that our expectations have always exceeded our talent. For the most part, this is true. We just can't help ourselves. However, the notion our current England team is "not good enough" is ridiculous. We may not have the world’s finest footballers, but our squad is still full of Premier League winners and Champions League contenders. Not part-time plumbers. If the right man is in charge, there is no reason why we shouldn’t challenge at major tournaments. After all, the best teams don’t always win, do they?
Take Portugal at Euro 2016: a well-managed, well-organised team with one superstar player. But even with Ronaldo, Portugal failed to win a game in 90 minutes until the semi-final – proof, surely, they are nothing special. In fact, you could argue that player-for-player Portugal are not that much better than England. And yet they lifted the trophy while we returned home shame-faced like scolded children.
So why do we always fail to deliver? Obviously, the players are in part responsible but, in the end, the blame lies with the boss. It has to. As England manager, you must be able to get the best out of the team. Otherwise, why are you there? The best players in the country don’t need coaching; they just need guiding into their roles and responsibilities. Tell them what you expect, teach them your system, and then encourage them to perform. That’s it. That is your job.
Not since Terry Venables have England had a manager able to bring out the best in the national side. And it’s no coincidence that England have not reached a semi-final since Euro '96 when Venables was in charge. If we have learned one thing from Euro 2016, it is this: if you can get the players to believe in what you are trying to achieve then anything is possible. AskWales boss Chris Coleman or the dynamic duo in charge of Iceland.
England need to go back to basics with the next manager. No bells. No whistles. Just good old-fashioned management skills. We need someone to get in the ear of players, to rattle them when required. Someone with a firm but fair hand, who will galvanise the squad and, at the same time, inspire them as individuals. In short: a proper football manager.
Step forward Big Sam.
A man who has proved time and time again he can get players to perform. A man who has built a career on the strength of this priceless talent. The Sam Allardyce CV is littered with examples of him making the best out of a bad situation. That is what he does. He has never spent huge money on transfers and yet he has always, given the chance, taken teams forward.