Sam the Sham?

Let’s hope not. Sam Allardyce has been named the new England manager, though his appointment has not been greeted with huge enthusiasm. Or even the expectations that greeted the appointments of Fabio Capello and Sven Goran-Eriksson. Big Sam is seen as a lumpen journeyman who thinks tactics are a a kind of mint. I don’t agree. I think it’s an excellent appointment. Even Sam’s critics acknowledge that his style of play, though not pretty, can be effective. He’s tough, organised and highly skilled at getting teams out of trouble. Which is exactly where England find themselves. Again. And he certainly won’t have any truck with pampered, overpaid superstars who fail to give him less than “110%”. They’ll soon discover that he’s anything but woolly. And that he can be a bully.