Sam Allardyce

[Howards tipple]

Just heard an interview with him on Talksport. Main points are:

He's only worked on the defence up to now. He hasn't had time to focus on the midfield or up front.

Said some good things about Rooney and Williams.

He is desperate to have injured players back including Barkley.

He will be discussing 1 or 2 transfer targets today and tomorrow.

The squad is to big so he expects several players to look at their options in the transfer window.

Very balanced interview and realistic that we aren't playing well, agreed we were lucky yesterday and it could have easily been 2 goals the other way.

I'm looking forward to the next few months, going to be interesting and it feels good to look up the table rather than down.

 

[Rugby Toffee]

Not pretty , but effective. This is what we needed to raise our position.

 

[Philw]

Would be an amazing achievement from where we were to get Europe. We’d be reliant on top 4 teams winning both cups to open up 7th. Plus a winning run from us to outstrip Burnley Leicester etc. whilst we’re in the midst of an injury crisis.

Not saying it can’t be done but if we finish 8th and everything looks as though we’re on the up then surely Allardyce gets another year?

Hate to knee jerk & get cocky on the back of 3/4 scrappy results, but I think it's between us and Burnley for 7th! Then it just a matter of two of the top 6 winning the cups (hardly a crazy jump of the imagination and we're in!) Only 9 points to make up

We were getting absolutely run over at home by Burnley Bournemouth and Watford (still not sure how we won two of those games) as well as getting hit for 4 or 5 by the big boys. Now people are moaning because we only won away by one goal. Honestly.

Not aimed specifically at you - but while I am pleased with the last few results, and cautiously optimistic, I think shouts of us being defensively solid now are a bit premature. Liverpool should/could have scored at least a couple more against us, Newcastle hit the post twice. For me we still need to cut down the clear cut chances a bit more before I think we are really earning the clean sheets and can say the defense is solidly shored up. But I do think we are moving in the right direction.

 

[mutley]

The injuries are fair comment. They've been going on for so long that you almost forget about them

Koeman finished 7th last year and had only one point more than we have right now at this stage

Allardyce is doing fine but people (myself included) need to be convinced that he can do more than just provide mid-table security. That's why I think I'd want him to do something really impressive this season before I'd commit to another year. I'm not totally against the idea, but I'd want him to earn it. If he gets top 7, considering how the season began, I think there's a reasonable argument that he deserves another season. That would mean hunting down someone like Burnley or one of the accepted top six faltering and us capitalising.

I think you're setting the bar way too high for him, you want more than mid table security yet only two weeks ago we were on a slippery slide to relegation, praying he could get us out of this free fall.
We had let in over 40 odd goals in about 20 odd games, since he arrived we've let in one goal in five games.
In such a small space of time he has us defending as a team, to get us attacking as a team will take a hell of a lot longer.

 

[MrGrumpy]

We were getting absolutely run over at home by Burnley Bournemouth and Watford (still not sure how we won two of those games) as well as getting hit for 4 or 5 by the big boys. Now people are moaning because we only won away by one goal. Honestly.

People have short memories, only a few weeks ago we conceded 9 goals in 2 games, we haven't won an away game in almost a year, we where in the bottom 3 and going down.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Hate to knee jerk & get cocky on the back of 3/4 scrappy results, but I think it's between us and Burnley for 7th! Only 9 points to make up

We beat Swansea and Spurs lose to City and we are 6 points behind them

 

[Harryflashman]

People have short memories, only a few weeks ago we conceded 9 goals in 2 games, we haven't won an away game in almost a year, we where in the bottom 3 and going down.

We were absolutely stinking against the likes of Southampton and it was far from the only performance and as for the points we did get we robbed Watford and a couple of others .

 

[kithnou]

If the man can attract the like of Anelka and Okocha to Bolton stand by for a couple of big surprises.

Holding my breath in anticipation

 

[Stuartisitc1878]

He's making the most of the squad he was given. Not pretty but i'd take a scrappy 3 points over stunning loses every day of the week. January is going to be massive for us.

 

[toffeeblue9]

I think you're setting the bar way too high for him, you want more than mid table security yet only two weeks ago we were on a slippery slide to relegation, praying he could get us out of this free fall.
We had let in over 40 odd goals in about 20 odd games, since he arrived we've let in one goal in five games.
In such a small space of time he has us defending as a team, to get us attacking as a team will take a hell of a lot longer.

I accept I'm placing the bar quite high

My logic here is that I accept that Allardyce was absolutely the right man for the job in the position we found ourselves in. We needed stability and someone who could get us to stop shipping goals all over the place and having him this season will probably be a good thing. I remain very unconvinced that Allardyce is the man who could take us forward and help us get into that top six, which is why despite the 18 month contract, I've always seen him as an interim appointment.For me to change my perception about that, I'd need to see something really impressive this season to convince me that he could provide more than just stability and could help us kick on. To me, this is his audition, and I tend to think Moshiri may think the same way, given he wasn't first choice and the length of the contract he has got

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Is this the best start he's ever made at a new club?

 

[ProZ]

...everything he says about us being poor in possession and offering no threat is entirely accurate. I’m sure he wants us to break with pace and purpose but we’re not capable of doing that just now. He can’t turn us into Barcelona overnight but his concentration will be on introducing players who make us better in possession.

I think more than anything he’s telling the fans he’s aware we are turd in possession so not to tar him with that play style after he’s only been here 2 weeks.

He’s worked on the most vital part which was the defence, onwards.

 

[Kev The Rat]

This guy finishes top 10 he is 100% here next season

 

[Death]

We are the league champions of over-reaction and knee jerking.

We've also won the fa cup of criticizing each other.

 

[Yarrgh]

I'd love to know how more focused and/ or intensive the coaching is at the moment. I can imagine that Sammy Lee and Shakespear and Big Sam are really working hard with the boys at the moment and it must be rewarding for all involved that it's showing such results.

I can't wait to see what will happen as soon as he gets to working with the attack and creative aspects of our game.

I'm starting to like Big Sam and his bunch of merry men. I do hope they succeed such that come summer, it'd be considered by us to be a travesty to consider another coach. Never believed that I'd write that a few weeks ago.