FA set to put final seal on Sam deal

SAM Allardyce’s imminent appointment as England manager was discussed at yesterday’s Football Association board meeting, leaving only final negotiations between the 61-year-old and his dream job.

The FA’s three-man selection panel, consisting chief executive Martin Glenn, vice-chairman David Gill and technical director Dan Ashworth, presented the findings of their three-week search to the rest of the board at Wembley and explained why Sunderland boss Allardyce had been selected as Roy Hodgson’s successor.

Steve Bruce, who was interviewed earlier this week, Eddie Howe and Jurgen Klinsmann are the other names to have been seriously considered by the trio, while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger gave no indication he would be willing to accept the role. All that now stands between Allardyce and the role he first pitched for a decade ago, when he lost out to Steve McClaren, is the completion of personal terms and a compensation package for the Black Cats. Allardyce is unlikely to bring any of his Sunderland backroom team with him, having accepted a series of club appointees when he arrived last season.

That removes one possible stumbling block, while some of his favoured deputies, such as Neil McDonald and Mark Taylor are available.

So too is Teddy Sheringham, who worked as attacking coach under Allardyce at West Ham and would fit the FA’s desire to have a distinguished former international in the set-up.

The 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 Allardyce.

Speaking to Sky Sports News as he arrived at the national stadium, he said: “Clearly the threeman group are convinced he’s the right man and I go along with that, yes.

“We appointed a three-man 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. I think you’d have to ask them but as far as I understand it, that’s the discussion.”

All parties would like a swift resolution, with the new Premier League season near and England’s World Cup qualifying campaign beginning on September 4, but Sunderland have made clear their dissatisfaction with the process.