Sam Allardyce Appointed As New England Manager - Dispatch Weekly

The FA have appointed ex-Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce as the new manager of the England national team.

After England once again failed to reach their potential at Euro 2016, embarrassingly crashing out to Iceland in the last 16 and Roy Hodgson resigning with immediate effect, the job was left in the hands of FA chairman Greg Dyke and his three-man team to find the right man to regain a bit of pride and respect back into English football.

“Clearly the three-man group are convinced he (Allardyce) is the right man,” Dyke said. “I’d go along with that as well. We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at the candidates and they’ve come back with a decision about who they think is the best man.”

There was much speculation of who would take over, and many names in the frame. Former England manager Glenn Hoddle, Bournemouth man Eddie Howe and former Germany boss Jurgen Klinsmann to name a few were potential candidates for the job, but after saving Sunderland from relegation last season, the FA opted for Englishman Allardyce.

Who Is Sam Allardyce?

Allardyce began his managerial career in 2004, when he was appointed manager of Blackpool. Two years later, the 61-year-old in fact interviewed for the England role however at the time the FA decided that Steve McClaren was the right man for the job.

Nevertheless, Allardyce can be proud of the career in football he’s had up to now. Most memorably, he took control of then Premier League side Bolton and led them to Europe, signing the most unlikely of talents like Jay-Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo.

After a couple of unsuccessful spells at Newcastle and Blackburn dented his managing credentials somewhat, Allardyce bounced back and led West Ham from the Championship back into the top flight of English football in his first season.

Most recently in 2015, troubled Sunderland approached Allardyce and after accepting the touch job ahead of him, he saved them from the drop with some astute January signings and the restoration of England striker Jermain Defoe. After missing out on the Euro 2016 squad, there has already been much talk that Defoe will be re-called to the national team with his ex-Sunderland boss now in charge.

What Does The Future Of English Football Hold?

With much doubt and a lot of uncertainty surrounding whether England will win another major tournament in the next few years, and with Euro 2016 doing the side no favours, Allardyce has the most challenging task of his career so far ahead of him. With a nation on his shoulders, he has already received backing from prolific figures in English football.

Newly employed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said that Allardyce is “the right person” to manage England and that “he is a good motivator and can create a good team spirit.”

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who led the team to three major tournaments between 2001-2006, has also shown confidence in the new appointment.

“If the FA want an Englishman, he is one of several good names, I wish him the best of luck. I know he is very organised. He knows all the players and he wants the job”, Eriksson told BBC Sport.