Ferguson backs Allardyce as FA panel puts his name forward
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has backed the decision to put Sam Allardyce’s name forward by a three-man Football Association panel to become England’s next manager.
Only final compensation negotiations between the 61-year-old and his club Sunderland stand between Allardyce and his dream job.
The selection panel, consisting of chief executive Martin Glenn, vice-chairman David Gill and technical director Dan Ashworth, presented the findings of their threeweek search to the rest of the board at Wembley and explained why Sunderland boss Allardyce had been selected as Roy Hodgson’s successor.
“He’s got many years of club football behind him and the confidence and the reputation,” Ferguson said. “He’s certainly the top Englishman. You can search the world for a top manager but it was right to appoint an Englishman.”
A former captain for Ferguson at Manchester United, Steve Bruce, who was interviewed earlier this week, Eddie Howe Jurgen Klinsmann are the other names to have been seriously considered, while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger gave no indication he would be willing to accept the role.
The FA panel meeting represented Greg Dyke’s final day as FA chairman after three years and, although he was not involved in the headhunting process, he indicated there would be unanimous support for Allarydce once his nomination was confirmed.
Speaking as he arrived at the national stadium, Dyke said: “Clearly the three-man group are convinced he’s the right man and I go along with that, yes.
“We appointed a threeman committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. They’ve taken that decision and obviously we’ll agree with them.
“You’d have to ask them but as far as I understand it that’s the discussion.”
Allardyce took charge of the Wearsiders for what should be the final time during a 3-0 friendly win over Hartlepool on Wednesday night, but did not re-emerge for the second half.
It is thought Allardyce will be offered an initial two-year deal, covering the 2018 World Cup campaign, but Glenn has previously expressed a desire for a longer partnership than that and intends to integrate Allardyce into the wider FA system, working alongside coaches of the national age-group sides from Under-16s up. Friday, 22nd July, 2016