Sam:I’mmore thanjustaclub salvageexpert
SAM ALLARDYCE has no doubt he is tough enough to deal with the challenges of the England manager’s job and declared: “Bring it on.”
The 61-year-old dismissed suggestions the job was a poisoned chalice after he was officially unveiled by the FA yesterday.
Allardyce replaces Roy Hodgson after the former manager quit following England’s disastrous Euro 2016 campaign, where they were dumped out of the competition by Iceland.
England also failed to get out of the group at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and have not won a major competition since lifting the World Cup 50 years ago.
But Allardyce, who left Sunderland this week after keeping them in the Premier League last season, is not scared of the job. He said: “Bring it on, lads.
“I’m hardened over many, many years. You toughen yourself for whatever job you take. You take the good with the bad, otherwise you don’t do it – don’t bother.
“I am here because I want to be here, because I want the challenge, I’m here because I think I can make the team better and I think I’m tough enough to take it.
“People see me as being able to turn a club around very quickly and I suppose that comes with taking West Ham up, saving Blackburn Rovers and now saving Sunderland.
“I consider myself to be much more than that but that is the sort of label I’ve been left with.
“I can turn things around pretty quickly and get amongst teams to try to create a successful journey and a successful journey starts with us pulling together.
“When it comes to winning no trophies or cups, unfortunately as an English manager I never really got the chance to go right to the top of the Premier League.
“But look at what I’ve achieved over the years, like not being relegated, and they are big achievements, difficult to do.”
Allardyce refused to be drawn on Wayne Rooney’s future as England captain, saying it was too early to reveal his choice ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
He said: “I’m going to leave that until we meet all the players and get all the coaching staff together and plan for the internationals in September.
“It’s my first day in, I’m getting my feet under the table and meeting everyone.”