Big Sam To Sunderland? Surely Not
July 13th, 2006 by Alan HylandsBolton chairman Phil Gartside has voiced his incredulity at the prospect of Sam Allardyce leaving Bolton Wanderers to take over as Sunderland manager and can’t quite see the logic being offered for anyone to take such a move.
“It is nonsense to suggest Sam would even consider leaving Bolton to go to Sunderland. How could anybody even think that?”
“Why would he consider leaving a club - one of only five clubs to finish in the top 10 of the Premiership for the last three years - to go to a club that has just been relegated and where there is no money?”
I have to say I agree with gartside. I thought this was just another nonsense summer rumour when I first read it (like the papers claiming that Marcello Lippi is the new Spurs manager!) but it seems like Niall Quinn and his consortium were very serious about appointing Allardyce and for their part, I can see why. Sam isn’t England manager material, despite what he himself may think, but at smaller clubs with limited transfer budgets he certanily knows how to get the maximum potential out of a squad and weave homegrown talent with some ageing experience from abroad.
What he would want to go to the yo-yoing Sunderland for is another matter. As Gartside says, no money and in the Championship after a dismal Premiership campaign. Hardly a “must have” job for a respected, seasoned Premiership manager who has established his club in the top part of that mid table scrum.
The Newcastle job would have been as high as Sam Allardyce could have gone in English football in my opinion and with it going to Glenn Roeder and Steve McLaren taking the England job, maybe Sam would look elsewhere for a new challenge. Personally I think he’d be mad to even consider the Sunderland job but each to their own. Maybe it’s one for Alex McLeish to consider if he decided to come down south to manage?
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July 13th, 2006 at 6:54 am
How you can say that Allardyce is not England management material I’ll never know. Do you think he would have bottled dropping Lampard or beckham? Do you think he’d have brought to the England job all the science that he uses to get the best out of the Bolton players? Do you think England players playing for him would have bottled it in the penalty shoot-out?
No - let’s choose Steve ‘I’ve not a clue’ McClaren instead.
Big Sam to Sunderland - no way.
July 13th, 2006 at 8:18 am
You never know if football.
Sam Allardyce might just be brave enough to accept the challenge of developing Sunderland into a Premiership force. The potential here is enormous, the facilities among the best in the country and the fan base is fantastic. The new incoming management under Niall Quinn is enthusiastic, refreshing and not without rsources.
Managing SAFC is a plum job for anyone brave enought to step forward for the challenge. Get it right and the ground will be full to its 48,000 capacity every home game.
So will Big Sam be brave enough? Sadly I think not and expect him to remain in the mediocrity which is Bolton.
July 13th, 2006 at 8:47 am
Who is Alan Hylands - he obviously knows nothing about the history of British football, or he would realise that Sunderland has been one of the greatest clubs in England and undoubtedly has the potential to do so again!
The revolution begun by Niall Quinn and his consortium will provide the new manager with the platform to realise the club’s potential and make him a hero in the fans’ eyes. It will be allardyce’s loss, mark my words.
And, Newcastle as high as he could have gone? Don’t make me laugh. They aren’t “under-achievers”, they’re “never will achieve”
July 13th, 2006 at 8:50 am
The guy who wrote this article really doesn’t know too much about football.
Sam - Not an England manager?
Sunderland - Has no money?
Sam is a great manager and was my number one choice over McClaren, who in my opinion is poo. How can you say McClaren is an England manager, but Sam isn’t?
Sunderland do have money available for transfers, quite a lot I’ve heard too. Potentially more than what Bolton can offer. Anybody remember? Consortium? Take over?
Now, why would Sam come to Sunderland?
- Financial backing.
- Training academy (Some of the best facilities in Europe).
- World class stadium (That’s capacity can be increased to 76,000 from 48,000)
- Fanatical, large support following, well capable of filling their stadium.
Non of these things Bolton can offer. It would be a fresh challenge for Sam and let’s be honest, there’s more potential in Sunderland than in Bolton if the club is in the right hands.
So, there you go, there’s several reasons why Sam might want to join Sunderland.
Needless to stay, I don’t think Sunderland will get him even if he wanted to leave, he’s under contract and Gartside would stand in his way.
July 13th, 2006 at 9:11 am
I have to say i disagree with the slightly ignorant view of Sunderland. Yes, in the past a yo-yo but with a change of regime at the top forcing wholesale changes throughout the structure of tyhe club over the next few months, and as the new consortium headed by Niall Qiunn and populated by some of the most succesful business in ireland take over surely a change of play is afoot. The base is there for all to see, one of the best equipped academy’s in europe and one of the best stadia with the fans to fill it, an average of over 33,000 fans to watch the worst team in premiership history, and a fan set who also gave the team a standing ovation after the sole home win of the season, surely even the most short sighted can see it has huge potential. Added to this a huge amount of financial backing by a goup of eight, any manager worth his salt could not turn this down, a complete blank canvas with all the tools you could possibly need…
July 13th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Think of it this way - Bolton have no money and a small fan base. It is virtually impossible for them to break into the top 4 even if Mourinho was the manager - they just aren’t big enough a club to sustain it.
In short - perhaps Allardyce has taken them as far as they can go.
Allardyce perhaps missed out on the England job because he failed to achieve the level of European experience required (not his fault - hes done a fantastic job). Had he moved to Newcastle last year he may now be England manager.
Curbishley was in the same situation and has since left Charlton, and look at the restrictions Jewell is facing at Wigan because of the size of the club (despite the millions of pounds at his disposal!)
I believe that these types of managers should take gambles and move to bigger clubs in worse situations. eg Sunderland, Sheff Wed, Leeds etc. These clubs have massive fanbases. If any of these three enjoyed the current success that Bolton have had in the last three years they would have the potential to attract big names. I know if I was a top class footballer I’d rather play in front of 40,000 - 50,000 rather than 25,000 at the reebok for example.
Sunderland have been poor in the past, but now it looks like the new consortium are going to invest heavily in new players. Allardyce could create a squad from scratch and Sunderland could (potentially) attract big name players, especially when they expand the stadium to 63,000 (Quinn said they would) and if they fill it every week. Of course, this all depends on if he was to be successful or not.
In my view Sunderland have potential, whereas Bolton have possibly reached their potential.
July 13th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
A few things that might be in Big Sams tick boxes about football clubs are there at Sunderland AFC. All that is missing at SAFC is a good manager which is what Sam is.
Here is what I think is waiting for the right man:
A great chairman who seems to have the backing and funds
The best ground in Europe
A wonderful accademy
48,000 screaming, football mad Mackems backing you every week.
Now apart from the teams how do Bolton compare? I think the potential at SAFC is untouched but at Bolton he has peaked.
July 20th, 2006 at 8:40 pm
Let me firstly address the comment at the top of this page. Having been a semi professional footballer for many years and involved in the game 24/7 , one thing I can honestly say is that I know my football.
Sunderland afc is without a shadow of doubt an enormous club compaired to the likes of bolton. Yes bolton are an established prem side, however that aside sunderland have the fan base,the stadium,the academy to be one of the greatest clubs in this country. Anyone who truly knows football can see this. Bolton are one of many mediocre sides the likes of which you can get 10 a penny.
Sunderland with the new ownership of quinn have a very exciting time ahead and will- no matter who is manager -win the championship this season. the potential for any manager is mouth watering. Sam Allardyce should leave bolton if sunderland want him! and show the country what he can do at a proper club.
TELL ME WHEN THE LAST TIME BOLTON HAD 48,000 CROWDS WATCHING A TEAM BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE WITH NO HOME WIN ALL SEASON!!!!