Everton have appointed Sam Allardyce – is it unfair to lump him in with West Ham’s David Moyes, West Brom’s Alan Pardew and Roy Hodgson of Crystal Palace.
Sean Dyche, manager of Burnley, looks on during the Premier League match against AFC Bournemouth.
Burnley’s Sean Dyche recently told the Lancashire Telegraph that foreign coaches and experienced bosses are blocking the way for up-and-coming British managers like himself from getting top jobs in the Premier League.
Well if this season is anything to go by then the latter is certainly true. Five clubs from the English top flight have sacked their manager already in 2017/18. Four of those have since appointed Brits over the age of 50 and with an average age over 60 in Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, David Moyes at West Ham United, Alan Pardew at West Bromwich Albion and most recently Sam Allardyce at Everton.
Sam Allardyce looks on from the stand during the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park.
Claude Puel replacing Craig Shakespeare at Leicester City is the only anomaly and only example that fits the first part of Dyche’s opinion.
This has lead to a certain amount of criticism at clubs for a lack of inspiration and that is probably quite fair. Yet is it unfair to lump all these bosses together?
Moyes has been sacked from his last three jobs in management and was relegated with Sunderland last year. Pardew’s last role at Palace saw him dismissed after picking up just 26 points from 36 games in the calendar year of 2016. Hodgson won trophies in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland in the past and took Fulham to the Europa League final, but that latest success was more than seven years ago.
David Moyes, manager of West Ham United, looks on during the Premier League match against Everton.
Criticism aimed at the trio and Moyes and Pardew in particular seems perfectly justified when looking at recent history. However, Allardyce does not fall into the same bracket.
During their decade stay in the top tier, the 63-year-old was the only permanent Black Cats manager not sacked, but actually left to take the England job after steering them clear of the drop against the odds. Since then he has repeated a similar feat with Palace.
Leaving the Three Lions after just one match in charge is admittedly a blot on his CV, but that was for off-field misdemeanours not poor performances and his own recent history should ensure Toffees fans don’t lump him in with the aforementioned names.
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