The Sun columnist Neil Custis bluntly states that Premier League teams wanting success should learn from Allardyce rather than Guardiola.
Neil Custis writes, “Guardiola’s greatest con is making the world believe that it’s necessary to build up play from the back. Otherwise, you’re Keyser Söze (a character from the movie ‘The Usual Suspects’), ruining the beautiful game, and those common critics will line up to blame you. The problem is that City are very good at this, and Guardiola has players who can handle this tactic.”
“Not only does City excel in this tactic, but they are also the best at pressing opponents and regaining possession when other teams try to replicate this tactic. Look at Saturday’s match, where Ipswich goalkeeper Murić tried to emulate Beckenbauer but was dispossessed by Savigny, followed by De Bruyne scoring. Southampton lost to Newcastle on the opening day of the season when goalkeeper McCarthy directly passed the ball to Isaac; the Saints tried to build up from the back but failed. All promoted teams seem to stick to their principles. Farke led Norwich to promotion and went to Liverpool on the first day of the 2019/20 season, receiving much praise for their short-passing game – but they lost 1-4.”
“It seems if you as a player or coach attempt any slightly more direct tactics, you’re not tactically savvy enough. But what exactly is ‘playing football the right way?’ Sir Alex Ferguson always praised teams that came to Old Trafford and played ‘the right way,’ even though they had just been beaten four or five-nil.”
“One Monday, while having coffee with former Nottingham Forest manager Frank Clark, I complained about the poor performance of the previous night’s match and declared that football is an entertainment industry. ‘It’s not,’ he said. ‘It’s something people go to see their team win.’ He was right; if your team wins, do you really care how it’s done?”
“Back in Nottingham, I met Allardyce, then manager of Notts County, and witnessed his incredible years at Bolton – it was indeed incredible. No other manager has taken such an unassuming club into the Premier League and established them there like Allardyce. First, he led the team to promotion, then to survival, and then he plotted a path that saw his team finish eighth, sixth, eighth, and seventh between 2003 and 2007. Since then, they have never come close to that incredible period. He created an atmosphere off the pitch where everyone pulled together and enjoyed the whole process. He organized matches based on the strength and speed of his team. He got Kevin Davies to bulk up over one summer to become the perfect center forward.”
“But it was never the blind long ball that critics claimed. Especially Davies, who was very good at winning high balls and bringing other players into the attack. Most importantly, defense was never soft. His team also had no shortage of quality players, ensuring that big-name players didn’t just come to coast. Players like Okocha, Gary Speed, Ivan Campo, and Dugarry were still a joy to watch. Yet, he was ridiculed, especially when he beat coaches like Wenger and Benitez. Wenger once hated playing against Bolton.”
“Allardyce’s attention to detail and understanding of players and games is incredible. During his brief stint in the US, he absorbed sports science and became one of the earliest Premier League managers to fully utilize it. From the sidelines, Allardyce controlled everything. Instead of following Guardiola, some newly promoted or struggling clubs might want to look at Allardyce’s blueprint for success.”