Sam Allardyce says he is the right fit for the England job because of his experience and man management skills.
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“I think I’ve got the experience to challenge the England team and challenge myself”.
“But it would help the Premier League and it would help us at global level if that was one of the first things we could try and achieve”.
“He was my number one managerial target for the last five appointments, but his desire to honour existing contracts meant we were not able to bring him to Sunderland previously”. Man-management is my thing.
“So as the pinnacle of my career, which this job is, I want to enjoy this the most”.
Among the points up for discussion was who his captain would be, and Allardyce neither confirmed nor dismissed that Rooney would continue in the position.
Last week, the Daily Telegraph compiled a list of 20 players in the Premier League who could get a chance under Allardyce, with Palace duo Jason Puncheon and Scott Dann included in the list.
Of England’s decades-long failure to make an impact at a major tournament, Allardyce said all he could concentrate on at the moment was qualification for the 2018 World Cup.
“There is no lack of passion, I don’t see that anywhere from the players”, Allardyce refuted.
Allardyce told reporters: “The bonding of the team is exceptionally important and trying to create a good team spirit and to have some fun”.
The Scotsman is determined to change the mindset at the Stadium of Light – he wants the team compete further up the table and avoid another relegation scrap.
The former Bolton boss, 61, has made no secret down the years that he would like the opportunity at leading England. While most leagues shut shop for three to four weeks in December-January, English teams end up playing more fixtures due to the heavily congested fixture calendar.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho last week promised the 30-year-old that he would keep the armband at club level. “The demand physically and mentally on players is enormous”, he said.
“A break would help the players and would help the national team”.
“In my time when we finish at Christmas, in January and February it is always the most hard time to get players through”.
The new Three Lions boss reported to the national football centre for his first day in the job on Monday, where he met FA staff and the media.
“I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players”.
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“I might not have won trophies”, Allardyce explained. Fernando Hierro, Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha, Gary Speed, Nicolas Anelka and Michael Owen.
