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Why Allardyce gives England the identity they’ve been lacking

Sam Allardyce’s appointment as England coach has certainly sparked much debate. Why Allardyce gives England the identity they’ve been lacking.

Depending on who you speak to in the football world, the former Sunderland boss is either a forward-looking genius or an old-school dinosaur.

The Football Association have sided with the former opinion but it immediately begs the question as to why they felt that both Steve McLaren and Roy Hodgson were better choices for the role previously.

Could it be that, given who is available at this time, ‘Big Sam’ is the safest bet? Perhaps. After all, English football can’t get any worse than being defeated by Iceland can it?!

But that’s actually missing the point.

What Allardyce will most certainly do is give the team the identity that it’s been lacking for far too long, inject some pride back into playing for the country and allow players to freely express themselves once more.

His style is, for all intents and purposes the English way – based on physicality and the like, and more often than not, quite direct football. Yet when it comes to major tournaments, that goes out of the window.

Exponents wearing the Three Lions are expected to morph into a technical one-touch, short, sharp passing side. Why?

Why is it that what England are good at is routinely dispensed with when it’s most needed?

It might not be the beautiful game as we know it but if it’s winning football then who the hell cares.

There’s no point in pretending that the England national team is something they’re not, although that’s not intended as a criticism.

Moreover, a realisation that if England stick to what they’re good at, then there’s every chance they will can go places.

Terry Venables back in 1996 – 20 long years ago – is the manager who has come closest to a final in recent memory.

His England side weren’t the greatest to watch, nor were they the best as was eventually proved, but that vintage were bloody good at playing the game the English way. Simple and effective – and that’s where Sam Allardyce will excel.

There’s nothing fancy about him as his players will tell you. No bull, tells it as it is and moulds the players into the system that he wants to play, like it or not.

Far from what supporters perceive him to be, those that have worked for him speak of his man-management skills and tactical nous as being the equal of any other in his position.

It’s time to celebrate England’s nuances and differences and get behind a man who has all of the tools at his disposal to bring the glory days back.

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