Football
Nick Miller, ESPN.com writer 8y

Sam Allardyce not interested in England 'potential,' wants to deliver

Sam Allardyce believes that England's players have to deliver now, and that potential is not enough as he begins his tenure as manager of the national team.

Allardyce, who was introduced as the new England boss at St George's Park on Monday, has a stiff task on his hands after the low point of Euro 2016, when Roy Hodgson's side were knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16 by Iceland.

But while he rejected the notion that the summer represented rock bottom, he did make clear that England's young players do not have the time to simply be regarded as potentially impressive, and must deliver now.

"We've got to say it's not potential anymore, it's reality now," he said. "These players have a lot of experience now, even if some of that experience has been pretty bitter, it could be a great help in motivating them that they don't want to feel like that again.

"Potential is a word I don't like to use too much. This is the England first team: you don't want potential in there, you want players of top quality producing top performances immediately. This group of players is experienced and going forwards we'll hopefully produce better performances and results."

Allardyce has signed a two-year contract to take over from Hodgson as the national team boss, a decade after he was first interviewed for the role.

The 61-year-old was among the candidates to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson after the 2006 World Cup, giving the FA a detailed presentation on what he would bring to the job, but on that occasion they elected to appoint Steve McClaren instead.

Sammy Lee, who worked with Allardyce at Bolton and indeed replaced him when he left, will be part of his new coaching setup, while discussions are continuing with Paul Clement, who has recently been reunited with Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich, about a role in the England camp.

Allardyce was in confident mood when addressing the media, believing that he is the best man for the job.

"To sit here is obviously a huge thrill for me," he said. "I think I fit the chair. I think I've got the experience to pass on, to challenge myself and the team. Nobody else in the Premier League has managed five different clubs. Man-management is my asset, to get the players to enjoy themselves and get the best from them."

One theme that Allardyce addressed was trying to take the pressure off the England players, something that was a problem for the team in France, where they seemed to freeze in the defeat to Iceland.

"The bonding of the team is exceptionally important," he said. "I try to create a good team spirit. The game of football is to be enjoyed -- I've enjoyed my life in the game, so I want to enjoy this as the pinnacle of my career. We have to try to get everyone to enjoy themselves.

"I think the key element for me is to get amongst all the staff that England have in place, and to talk to them thoroughly about the programme going forwards, in all areas but particularly psychologically. The pressure that comes with playing at international level is something that we'll look at in depth."

Allardyce offered no hints about any players he may or may not call up, and said it was too early to say whether Wayne Rooney would continue as captain of the team.

He said: "I'm going to leave that until we get all the players together, and get all the coaching staff together before the internationals in September."

Allardyce also addressed his style of play, which he has been criticised for: his teams, from Bolton to West Ham to most recently Sunderland have often been characterised as physical and not especially attractive to watch, but he believes that's unfair.

"Style of play has always been a tag I can't shake, in terms of how everyone thinks I play this style or that style," he said. "I'd describe my style as pragmatic. I think choosing styles or systems depends on the players available, and who we're playing. My coaching technique is to try and give the players the opportunity to win football matches, whether that be home or away.

"Who we play against will determine how we play. I expect the players to be very adaptable, and very flexible. I don't expect players at this level to be only able to play in one position or one system. I think they should be much more capable of being adaptable."

Allardyce was asked whether he regarded the job as a poisoned chalice, but he dismissed that idea.

He said: "Not for me. You toughen yourself for whatever job you take. I'm here because I want the challenge. I'm here because I think I can make the team better, and I think I'm tough enough to take it. So, bring it on."

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