Post by QPR Report on Feb 21, 2009 8:45:39 GMT
No mention re QPR, but as I recall in the Summer, he ws one of the contenders - and many messageboard posters were saying: No if it's Dowie or Allardyce - pick Dowie 
Guardian/Andy Hunter
Relaxed at Rovers but still regretting England's rejectionSam Allardyce is a man in a hurry but still can't resist looking back at what may have been
Sam Allardyce is supposed to be in a hurry. He has 30 minutes to devour a bowl of soup, meet several corporate sponsors and conduct an interview before leaving Blackburn Rovers' training ground for a dental appointment, yet still he finds time to wax lyrical about the performance he witnessed from Paul Scholes against Fulham the night before. Talent lost to the England national team never fails to strike a chord with the Rovers' manager.
It is almost three years since Allardyce sat before Brian Barwick, Dave Richards and Noel White and attempted to convince the Football Association's international selection committee that he should replace Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager. Their rejection hurts to this day. The belief that he is the right man for the job – even after Steve McClaren's reign was brought to a mercifully swift end and despite Allardyce's own ill-fated tenure at Newcastle United – is also unwavering.
Allardyce is now two months into the challenge of preserving Blackburn's top-flight status having replaced Paul Ince with Rovers 19th in the table and five points adrift of safety. The relegation zone remains their residence, and they face top-of-the-table Manchester United at Old Trafford this evening, but one defeat in 11 games under the 54-year-old has revived confidence and spirit at Ewood Park. Survival is now achievable rather than an aspiration. Regardless of what he achieves at Blackburn, however, Allardyce knows his days as an England contender are over, although he will not go quietly.
"It wouldn't be mentioned at all now would it, Sam Allardyce for the England job?" says the man himself. "But at the time I should have got it and I really don't know why I didn't. It had to be political for me, rather than my credentials.
"Maybe my external look isn't to everybody's liking and one or two people seem to dislike Sam Allardyce for whatever reason. But as a person, in terms of knowing what he is doing, where to go and how to get there, and helping players do the same, I have the credentials. It was the right time and the right job for me but not from the FA's point of view. It is a political FA board and a real shame in terms of my life. That job doesn't come around too often."
Allardyce has never hidden his longing for the England job but the insistence that he remains perfectly suited for the position, even after his sacking from Newcastle and Fabio Capello's encouraging start, suggests a flame-resistant exterior.
"I am probably even better equipped to do the job now but would never get a mention," he adds. "I never got a mention when Steve went, they just went straight for another foreigner. It seems foreign coaches are still all the craze for the top jobs and that is a great shame. I also think that Steve not being successful was a massive blow for British or English managers, because it has put us down a peg or two. I thought I was really equipped, well-versed and ready to make England as successful as they really wanted to be. More importantly, I thought I would have had the squad and the players to do that, but somewhere along the line they thought it wasn't for me."
September 2006, when Panorama's documentary on Football's Dirty Secrets aired a month after McClaren's appointment, was arguably the precise point when Allardyce's international hopes disappeared. The BBC and the subject remain off-limits for the Blackburn manager, who also denied Lord Stevens' claims of a "conflict of interest" in transfer dealings involving Allardyce's son, Craig, while at Bolton, but his belief that the allegations removed him from the England equation is clear.
He ventures: "I think they [the FA] went safe, but I don't quite know why they did that. I couldn't have given them any more about the way forward than I did. From all accounts that thoroughly impressed them so it couldn't have been my credentials. It must have been something political. Perhaps the people on the board are influenced by outside factors too much, because of the pressure they are under from the media. Maybe that affects them somewhat when they should be making cold, clinical decisions on who is the best. It was a great run for me right up to a big disappointment at the end."
Allardyce, rather like Brian Clough before him, appears destined to take his theories for his England rejection to the grave, although that rollercoaster spell when he first interviewed for the FA, walked away from Bolton and then found himself unemployed after only 21 league matches in charge of Newcastle, has not left him consumed with regret.
"I really relaxed and enjoyed myself for many of those months," he says of the 11-month period between leaving St James' Park and returning at Ewood. "Not having to constantly make decisions on a day-to-day basis, even in the summer or on holiday, was nice.
"Waking up in the morning was not about who wants what or how do I sort this problem out, it was about do I want porridge or toast for breakfast. Once we'd decided that, it was then what to have for lunch. Should we jump on a plane to Dubai or should we go to Portugal? Just doing what me and my wife wanted was very important and it showed me there is a life after football. I wasn't quite sure there was one before."
The FA may have overlooked him, but the former Limerick, Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton and Newcastle manager was approached by several businessmen during his sabbatical as they considered investing in the game. Allardyce reveals: "I was asked by a consortium about the prospects of Leeds United as a football club, and not just Leeds United, there was a few other clubs. They wanted an expert opinion from the football angle and how the club was and how it could develop on that side. I was offering an expert opinion for potential buyers but I wasn't involved in any of the buying."
His investment is now firmly in Blackburn, despite having withdrawn from the interview process to replace Mark Hughes last summer and being invited back just six months later when the bold appointment of Ince from MK Dons backfired. As a vocal advocate for the advancement of British managers, one might expect Allardyce to welcome the opportunities that were presented to the likes of his predecessor and Tony Adams this season. Not quite.
"I am really pleased to see any British manager but these are British managers with a big football name who have been getting the opportunity," he says. "No disrespect to them, but a lot of it is based on their achievements in playing football rather than the longevity or success they have gained as a manager. That is one of the key areas that should be looked at a little bit more.
"This league will find anybody out, not just players but coaches and managers. You do need longevity and the experience of making mistakes in the lower divisions, as you can see from most of the foreign managers or the likes of myself who have made it to the top. I think there are some great managers in the Championship, in League One and League Two, who deserve the opportunity to manage in the Premier League and I hope they get the chance. But, in general, to do that you've got to promote your own club there."
Blackburn now have at the helm, Allardyce hopes, "a better man and a better manager" for his experience with Newcastle and his disappointment with England. Gone are his plans to retire at 55, originally envisaged when he was on a 10-year contract at Bolton and long before he took the "massive, massive decision to leave based on the lack of ambition from that club in terms of wanting to finish in the top four. Or to push on and be better than what we were."
Allardyce is, in many respects, starting all over again with Rovers. "There is a big challenge," he admits. "I always thought the players were good enough but lacking a bit of leadership and we are trying to put that right every single day, every single week and every single game." And with exactly 30 minutes to spare, he leaves for the dentist's chair.
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Football
Blackburn Rovers · Sam Allardyce · Premier League · England
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Guardian/Andy Hunter
Relaxed at Rovers but still regretting England's rejectionSam Allardyce is a man in a hurry but still can't resist looking back at what may have been
Sam Allardyce is supposed to be in a hurry. He has 30 minutes to devour a bowl of soup, meet several corporate sponsors and conduct an interview before leaving Blackburn Rovers' training ground for a dental appointment, yet still he finds time to wax lyrical about the performance he witnessed from Paul Scholes against Fulham the night before. Talent lost to the England national team never fails to strike a chord with the Rovers' manager.
It is almost three years since Allardyce sat before Brian Barwick, Dave Richards and Noel White and attempted to convince the Football Association's international selection committee that he should replace Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager. Their rejection hurts to this day. The belief that he is the right man for the job – even after Steve McClaren's reign was brought to a mercifully swift end and despite Allardyce's own ill-fated tenure at Newcastle United – is also unwavering.
Allardyce is now two months into the challenge of preserving Blackburn's top-flight status having replaced Paul Ince with Rovers 19th in the table and five points adrift of safety. The relegation zone remains their residence, and they face top-of-the-table Manchester United at Old Trafford this evening, but one defeat in 11 games under the 54-year-old has revived confidence and spirit at Ewood Park. Survival is now achievable rather than an aspiration. Regardless of what he achieves at Blackburn, however, Allardyce knows his days as an England contender are over, although he will not go quietly.
"It wouldn't be mentioned at all now would it, Sam Allardyce for the England job?" says the man himself. "But at the time I should have got it and I really don't know why I didn't. It had to be political for me, rather than my credentials.
"Maybe my external look isn't to everybody's liking and one or two people seem to dislike Sam Allardyce for whatever reason. But as a person, in terms of knowing what he is doing, where to go and how to get there, and helping players do the same, I have the credentials. It was the right time and the right job for me but not from the FA's point of view. It is a political FA board and a real shame in terms of my life. That job doesn't come around too often."
Allardyce has never hidden his longing for the England job but the insistence that he remains perfectly suited for the position, even after his sacking from Newcastle and Fabio Capello's encouraging start, suggests a flame-resistant exterior.
"I am probably even better equipped to do the job now but would never get a mention," he adds. "I never got a mention when Steve went, they just went straight for another foreigner. It seems foreign coaches are still all the craze for the top jobs and that is a great shame. I also think that Steve not being successful was a massive blow for British or English managers, because it has put us down a peg or two. I thought I was really equipped, well-versed and ready to make England as successful as they really wanted to be. More importantly, I thought I would have had the squad and the players to do that, but somewhere along the line they thought it wasn't for me."
September 2006, when Panorama's documentary on Football's Dirty Secrets aired a month after McClaren's appointment, was arguably the precise point when Allardyce's international hopes disappeared. The BBC and the subject remain off-limits for the Blackburn manager, who also denied Lord Stevens' claims of a "conflict of interest" in transfer dealings involving Allardyce's son, Craig, while at Bolton, but his belief that the allegations removed him from the England equation is clear.
He ventures: "I think they [the FA] went safe, but I don't quite know why they did that. I couldn't have given them any more about the way forward than I did. From all accounts that thoroughly impressed them so it couldn't have been my credentials. It must have been something political. Perhaps the people on the board are influenced by outside factors too much, because of the pressure they are under from the media. Maybe that affects them somewhat when they should be making cold, clinical decisions on who is the best. It was a great run for me right up to a big disappointment at the end."
Allardyce, rather like Brian Clough before him, appears destined to take his theories for his England rejection to the grave, although that rollercoaster spell when he first interviewed for the FA, walked away from Bolton and then found himself unemployed after only 21 league matches in charge of Newcastle, has not left him consumed with regret.
"I really relaxed and enjoyed myself for many of those months," he says of the 11-month period between leaving St James' Park and returning at Ewood. "Not having to constantly make decisions on a day-to-day basis, even in the summer or on holiday, was nice.
"Waking up in the morning was not about who wants what or how do I sort this problem out, it was about do I want porridge or toast for breakfast. Once we'd decided that, it was then what to have for lunch. Should we jump on a plane to Dubai or should we go to Portugal? Just doing what me and my wife wanted was very important and it showed me there is a life after football. I wasn't quite sure there was one before."
The FA may have overlooked him, but the former Limerick, Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton and Newcastle manager was approached by several businessmen during his sabbatical as they considered investing in the game. Allardyce reveals: "I was asked by a consortium about the prospects of Leeds United as a football club, and not just Leeds United, there was a few other clubs. They wanted an expert opinion from the football angle and how the club was and how it could develop on that side. I was offering an expert opinion for potential buyers but I wasn't involved in any of the buying."
His investment is now firmly in Blackburn, despite having withdrawn from the interview process to replace Mark Hughes last summer and being invited back just six months later when the bold appointment of Ince from MK Dons backfired. As a vocal advocate for the advancement of British managers, one might expect Allardyce to welcome the opportunities that were presented to the likes of his predecessor and Tony Adams this season. Not quite.
"I am really pleased to see any British manager but these are British managers with a big football name who have been getting the opportunity," he says. "No disrespect to them, but a lot of it is based on their achievements in playing football rather than the longevity or success they have gained as a manager. That is one of the key areas that should be looked at a little bit more.
"This league will find anybody out, not just players but coaches and managers. You do need longevity and the experience of making mistakes in the lower divisions, as you can see from most of the foreign managers or the likes of myself who have made it to the top. I think there are some great managers in the Championship, in League One and League Two, who deserve the opportunity to manage in the Premier League and I hope they get the chance. But, in general, to do that you've got to promote your own club there."
Blackburn now have at the helm, Allardyce hopes, "a better man and a better manager" for his experience with Newcastle and his disappointment with England. Gone are his plans to retire at 55, originally envisaged when he was on a 10-year contract at Bolton and long before he took the "massive, massive decision to leave based on the lack of ambition from that club in terms of wanting to finish in the top four. Or to push on and be better than what we were."
Allardyce is, in many respects, starting all over again with Rovers. "There is a big challenge," he admits. "I always thought the players were good enough but lacking a bit of leadership and we are trying to put that right every single day, every single week and every single game." And with exactly 30 minutes to spare, he leaves for the dentist's chair.
Printable version Send to a friend Share Clip Contact us larger | smaller EmailClose Recipient's email address Your first name Your surname Add a note (optional)
Your IP address will be logged
ShareClose Digg reddit Google Bookmarks Yahoo! My Web del.icio.us StumbleUpon Newsvine livejournal Facebook BlinkList Contact usClose Contact the Football editor
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Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk
Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk
If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk
Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard:
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Advertising guide
License/buy our content
Football
Blackburn Rovers · Sam Allardyce · Premier League · England
Sport
More interviewsMore on this story
Capello can't understand players' accents
Fabio Capello has revealed he struggles to make sense of England players who have northern accents
Sir Bobby opens Newcastle Cancer research unit
Tickets go on sale for 2010 World Cup
Related
15 Jan 2009
Football: Louise Taylor on Sam Allardyce's time at Newcastle United
6 Jan 2009
Premier League: Simpson praises the Allardyce effect on Blackburn
31 Dec 2008
Premier League: Sam Allardyce says Manchester City have not spoken to Blackburn Rovers about Roque Santa Cruz
23 Dec 2008
Sam Allardyce has made peace with Roque Santa Cruz and wants him to stay at Blackburn
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/21/sam-allardyce-blackburn-rovers-england