Sam Allardyce strides away from his interview to be the next
manager of England on Tuesday having discussed his ambition with the FA's
kingmakers.
Sportsmail's exclusive picture shows Big Sam leaving the
first formal interview to replace Roy Hodgson, with the secrets of his
presentation in his £1,000 Louis Vuitton man-bag.
Allardyce flew back from Sunderland's pre-season training
camp in Austria, a move seen by the FA's senior figures as a significant
gesture. It was claimed he was on club duty in England to discuss transfer
targets, but on Wednesday the club confirmed that they had given permission, at
Allardyce's request, for him to talk to the FA, and calling for a swift
resolution.
'The Football Association contacted Sunderland AFC to seek
permission to speak with our manager as part of what was supposed to be a
confidential discussion process with potential candidates for the position of
England manager,' read the club's statement.
'At Sam Allardyce’s request, we agreed to this.
'Sam is very much key to our plans. After what was an
extremely challenging season, we are keen to see a period of stability, both on
and off the field, and we want him to remain as manager of our football club.
'The ongoing speculation over Sam’s position is extremely
damaging to Sunderland AFC, particularly at this crucial time of the season and
we urge the FA to respect the disruption that this process is causing and bring
about a swift resolution to the matter.'
As Sportsmail revealed, the Sunderland boss was called to
the Cheshire home of David Gill, the FA vice-chairman and key member of the
three-man panel that will select Hodgson's successor.FA technical boss Dan
Ashworth and chief executive Martin Glenn were also at the meeting, with
Allardyce's chances of landing the top job in English football boosted by a
personal endorsement from Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferguson and Gill formed a hugely successful partnership at
Manchester United as manager and chief executive and Sportsmail understands the
Scot has recommended Allardyce to his former colleague.
There does appear to be some opposition on the FA board to
Allardyce, 61, but Gill is by far the most influential member of that board and
the fact that the meeting was at his home is significant.
Eddie Howe is still a leading contender but there is a
feeling he lacks experience. Allardyce, who left West Ham last summer,
certainly has plenty of that.
When Allardyce was interviewed for the position in 2006,
with Steve McClaren eventually emerging as the successful candidate, FA bosses
were red-faced that they did not have the necessary equipment to enable the
then Bolton manager to support his application with a PowerPoint presentation.
Allardyce is a forward-thinking manager despite a reputation
for simply being a no-nonsense expert in guiding teams into the Premier League
and keeping them there.
Only last week Mike Forde, who worked with Allardyce at
Bolton before becoming director of football operations and executive club
director at Chelsea, said he was perfect for the job.
'I worked with a lot of managers at Chelsea and Sam could
hold his own with any of them,' Forde told Sportsmail from his office in New
York.
'You are only ever as good as the players you have but when
it comes to getting the best out of the players you have — something that is
key to international management — I think he's second to none. In my time at
Chelsea I'd say Carlo Ancelotti was the best at that and Sam is at the same
level.
'In terms of his approach, his methods, his thinking, the
England job would be a perfect time for Sam and he'd be perfect for the job.'
Allardyce is the favourite, with Jurgen Klinsmann, Howe and
Steve Bruce also in the top four.
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