ALLARDYCE REIGN STARTS WITH TRICKY QUALIFIER
SAM ALLARDYCE took a huge gamble yesterday by deciding to kick off his England reign with a vital World Cup qualifier rather than ease himself into his new role with a friendly. England were set to meet Croatia in a Wembley warm-up match on September 1, but the 61-year-old wants to get his squad together to train instead. It is a risk by Allardyce which will see his debut come in a competitive game in Slovakia on September 4 as England look to get back on track following a dismal European Championship campaign. And they will, once again, be tricky opponents in a World Cup qualifying group also including Gordon Strachan’s Scotland. Speaking yesterday at St George’s Park for the first time since becoming England boss, Allardyce insisted the squad was good enough to win Euro 2016. He said: ‘Yes, I do. I think they (could have done) had they all performed to their best, which they suggested they were going to beforehand. ‘I was extremely excited by the performances that came before they actually got to the tournament. ‘I thought there was some outstanding ability and plenty of goals in the team. ‘Maybe we looked, at times, suspect defensively but we seemed to be able to score one more goal than the opposition. Unfortunately, that all seemed to dry up in the tournament.’ The Football Association have told Allardyce they expect qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Allardyce said that he will pick his players based on performance rather than loyalty. ‘For me, it will be based on performance,’ said the former Sunderland boss. ‘Performance will be the key element, measuring the lads’ performances can be done as well here as in the Premier League.’