Swagger back for Big Sam
SAM ALLARDYCE says he can strut his stuff again.
Crystal Palace’s shock win away to Premier League leaders Chelsea prompted chairman Steve Parish to claim Allardyce had his “joie de vivre” back.
But before tonight’s clash at Southampton, Allardyce said: “I never lost it!
“I think when you lose football matches, it’s hard to portray a flamboyancy or an upbeat mood.
“But nobody really knows me apart from the players and the staff here. They see me when I walk through the door and when I’m behind the scenes in the dressing room. That’s the real me.
Guard
“I told them after Chelsea, ‘Unfortunately, lads, there’s not a lot of celebration can go on because we’ve got another very important game on Wednesday.
‘So enjoy your evening from a relaxation point of view, not from a night out on the town’.
“That probably would have been the case for one or two players.”
Allardyce also warned his players not to let down their guard tonight.
“When you have beaten one of the big three or four, it’s always hard to get up for the game after,” he said.
Palace centre-backs Scott Dann and James Tomkins are out tonight, with captain Dann doubtful to return this season after injuring a knee at Chelsea.