The Tottenham Hotspur manager has tipped the West Ham United boss as a viable alternative. Is he barking mad or talking sense?
Many fans are thinking that Harry Redknapp is beginning to lose it, with his side buckling under the pressure of Arsenal’s charge for third, and constant questions about the England job.
He might just have confirmed that view to a few, after throwing Big Sam’s name into the hat to replace Fabio Capello.
He made the comment in an interview with ITV, discussing that the England job is one for managers of a certain age, adding that there weren’t many options for the FA, just him, Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce.
We featured an article earlier this week, revealing how Roy Hodgson’s odds have dropped from 13/1 to 5/1 in some quarters, thanks to a combination of West Brom’s good form and Spurs’ back-to-back losses.
When it comes to Sam Allardyce, the bookies rank him as a real outsider, offering odds of 50/1.
After all, its not 2006, the year he was interviewed for the job after continued success with Bolton Wanderers.
But while Allardyce has his detractors, is it an entirely ridiculous suggestion to suggest he could take England to Euro 2012?
He can’t have done himself any harm this season, with West Ham poised to regain top spot in the Championship if they win their game in hand.
He is a manager whose record is better than his public perception; Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle all struggled after he left them, and he has a thorough approach to the game which could work with tournament football.
However it is his style of play which irks supporters, and fans would almost certainly see it as a step back. Spain won the last World Cup with their tiki-taka style, and Allardyce’s route one approach is not the image England would like to present to Europe at Euro 2012 when it comes to showcasing their game.
Redknapp’s comments seem to have had little impact with the bookies, who still consider Allardyce a complete outsider.
Perhaps the Tottenham boss was trying to solidify his position as front runner- by showing there are few viable alternatives for the position.
We still believe Hodgson could be a better choice than Redknapp for this summer – based on his previous international knowledge and experience with Switzerland and Finland.
Who do you think should be given the job- is Allardyce even an option?
Would Big Sam make a good England manager?
image: © abhijittembhekar
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
