Liverpool striker Danny Ings has hailed the appointment of Sam Allardyce as England’s new manager, though the forward is taking nothing for granted in terms of his own worldwide career.
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Although his captaincy has coincided with Rooney overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton as his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, there are calls from some quarters for fresh leadership after England suffered a dismal Euro 2016 exit at the hands of neutrals’ favourites Iceland. The humiliating defeat prompted Roy Hodgson to resign as coach.
Sam Allardyce is the first England manager who also managed in the League of Ireland.
“It’s far too early to make any predictions”.
The FA statement added that he would be responsible for shaping “a strong, purposeful team identity” as well as ensuring England qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
“I think working on people’s strengths is the main factor”.
“I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results”.
“It’s not potential any more, it’s got to be reality now”. We have to stand up and be counted. It’s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter.
Allardyce has a reputation for turning around struggling clubs but has never won any domestic silverware.
Sam Allardyce was ready to quit football altogether if Sunderland had been relegated last season.
Allardyce said: “Style of play has always been a tag for me that I can’t shake in terms of everybody thinks it’s this style or that style. I don’t expect a player at this level to only want to play one position and one system”, he said.
Allardyce said man-management was his main attribute.
“I have managed some world-class players”, he said.
“He’s 40 or 50 games short of 1,000 games now so he has all the experience you could want and I think he’ll help the national team get our identity back. It’s my first day in, I’m getting my feet under the table and meeting everyone”. “And to make them aware of the opposition, which may change the style of how we play”.
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.
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And FA technical director Ashworth says the former Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham and Sunderland chief can channel all of his experience into helping the various squads often in-situ at St. George’s Park.
