Sam signals Toon gloom

MAYBE the football won’t win any beauty contests, but for me Sunderland’s capture of Sam Allardyce as their new manager has changed the relegation battle overnight.

I reckon Big Sam will keep the Black Cats up – and his arrival on Wearside only increases the risk of Newcastle going down.

His first task is to shore up Sunderland defensively. Whatever combination his predecessor Dick Advocaat tried – any two from om Younes Kaboul, Sebastian Coates, John O’Shea or Wes Brown – did not work. They have been all over the shop at the back this season.

They will become a fitter, more functional team under Big Sam (above) and frills will be in short supply in the short term.

But don’t assume it will be all long balls, set-pieces and scrambles for the scraps around the box.

There seems to be a perception that Allardyce sticks to tried and trusted methods at the expense of flair. In which case, how did he attract the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Nicolas Anelka and Youri Djorkaeff to Bolton?

One way or another, things are about to change at the Stadium of Light, probably for the better.

And that’s bad news for Newcastle, especially with the north-east derby just around the corner.

NOT to be confused with the tactical expertise foreign coaches can bring to the Premier League, I’m not convinced about a higher quota of homegrown players.

Just before the international break, there were 17 British players involved in Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win against West Brom.

It was one of the worst Premier League games I’ve seen this year.

And the moment of magic to break the deadlock was supplied by a Frenchman, Yohan Cabaye.

Don’t shut the border to foreign imports. Let them come over here and show us how to play.