Allardyce favourite to take the job with Sunderland

Dec 5 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

SAM Allardyce has emerged as the early favourite to replace Roy Keane as Sunderland manager after the former Black Cats defender indicated he would jump at the chance of a return to Wearside.

The Journal understands Allardyce views the Sunderland job as the perfect opportunity for a return to Premier League management 11 months after he parted company with Newcastle.

Allardyce’s stock has fallen as a consequence of an uninspiring short spell at St James’s Park, but the 54-year-old remains one of the most successful managers in the Premier League, having turned unfashionable Bolton Wanderers into a consistent force in the top flight of English football.

Indeed, given the nature of the job which needs to be done at Sunderland following Keane’s sudden departure, his astute man-management, which consistently got the best out of his players, as well as his ability to work within a budget, may well make him the preferred candidate for a Sunderland board who are unlikely to be able to invest heavily in new players in January.

A source close to Allardyce said last night: “Sam is out of work and of course this would be a job he is extremely interested in. Sunderland are a massive club and Sam is a former Sunderland player so he knows about the fans, the club and the area.

“It’s a big job and an attractive one for any manager, but the dust still has to settle after Roy Keane’s departure. It is a big shock. I’m sure Sam will be in the running for it when the club have a look at the options that are available.”

It is easy to forget Allardyce was on the Football Association’s shortlist to replace Sven-Göran Eriksson as England coach two years ago, but he performed wonders at Bolton to achieve what Sunderland aspire to, Premier League security.

Allardyce, though, will have plenty of competition for the job as chairman Niall Quinn draws up his shortlist, with his former assistant at Bolton, Hull City’s Phil Brown – who grew up supporting Sunderland – another front runner, although he said last night he was not interested in the job.

Former Charlton and West Ham manager Alan Curbishley will be another out-of-work manager who may have his admirers on the board, but the Londoner has previously indicated he is unwilling to move this far north of the capital.

Sources in Scotland have indicated Celtic manager Gordon Strachan could be another name in the frame. The former Scotland international is only on a yearly rolling contract with the Bhoys

and is admired by Quinn. At this stage, though, the Sunderland hierarchy are still trying to come to terms with the loss of the man who has been the club’s figurehead for the last three seasons.

Quinn said: “It’s been a few days of Roy Keane and the football club. The new manager is something to go away and have a think about. I’ve a very open mind, I’ve no thoughts that way.

“To find somebody to fill Roy’s shoes, there are various components to a good manager, but in terms of box office, that’s going to be a tough one.”

Quinn was the key factor in persuading Keane to take his first managerial steps at the Stadium of Light and he has been hit hard by the breakdown in the relationship with his former Republic of Ireland team-mate.

Nevertheless, he still urged Sunderland’s supporters to appreciate what Keane had achieved as he disputed claims the former Manchester United captain had quit the moment the going had got tough. He said: “When you look at five weeks ago ( after the win over Newcastle) people were dancing in the streets of Sunderland. It’s a funny world, football, as they say.

“I hoped I would never have to do this. I spoke many times about me and Roy being in a partnership and it feels like a partnership has dissolved now.

“He brought more than just his presence. He brought a way of thinking into this place.

“He was instrumental in developing a winning mentality – that was the toughest thing of all for him to come and do when we were at the foot of the Championship.

“He brought standards to this club which are amazing. But to do that, it’s intense. He is such a respected figure around the world that the media is intense, the fan pressure is intense.

“I tried for a couple of years to keep as much pressure off him as possible, but the Premiership is the Premiership and I guess it came to the point where Roy thought he had reached the end of that journey.

“Reluctantly, I accepted that. It was not the easiest thing to do, but I think it was the best thing to do in the circumstances at that point.

“In fairness to him he’s left a brilliant set of players who are only four or five points from eighth place. When Roy Keane came here we’d have given him the crown jewels for that.

“He’s achieved so much and I guess he just felt that with the way the team has gone and what he was trying to achieve, the time had come that maybe someone else was the person to try and kick us on and make more of it.”