Jamie Carragher has some advice for Sam Allardyce as he begins his tenure as Everton manager.
Allardyce has signed an 18-month contract at Goodison Park, ending the club’s search for a new manager that lasted over a month, and takes charge of his first game on Saturday at home to Huddersfield Town.
However, it’s fair to say that the former England manager wasn’t the first choice of the club or supporters. Everton made several approaches for Marco Silva, but Watford weren’t prepared to lose their manager mid-season. Sean Dyche was also linked with the position, and Everton owner Farhad Moshiri reportedly wanted to appoint Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone.
Yet, they have ended up with Allardyce, and Carragher has given him some advice as he prepares to begin his job on Merseyside.
The former Liverpool defender, who was an Everton fan as a child, writes in his column for The Daily Telegraph that Toffees supporters “do not want Big Sam”, and that their concerns extend beyond any playing style. Allardyce is known for instructing his teams to play in a direct manner, but Carragher reckons Evertonians will accept this if he is prepared to add some flair to his side. But the Sky Sports pundit claims Everton fans won’t accept Allardyce if he fails to curb his “self-promoting” personal manner.
“The force of Allardyce’s personality, how he has presented himself over many years, is a problem to the Gwladys Street,” Carragher said.
“There is a fine line between being self-confident and self-promoting, and to be blunt the Everton fans believe Allardyce has been on the wrong side of that. The most cherished managers in Merseyside football were super-talented and humble. In the city of Liverpool, people who talk themselves up are cut down swiftly, becoming figures of ridicule. Allardyce’s quotes about his managerial abilities have been often mocked by Everton and Liverpool fans – neither of whom would imagine he would one day manage their club.”
Allardyce infamously said that if he was “more suited to Internazionale or Real Madrid than Bolton and Blackburn” and that he would “win the double or the league every time” if he was to manage one of these clubs. Before taking a job with Everton worth a reported £9m over the next 18 months, he said British managers were like “second class” citizens in English football “with no-where to go” – despite all evidence suggesting the complete opposite.
Nine of the 20 managers in the Premier League are British, all of the bottom six clubs are managed by British coaches, their average age is 53 and they’ve won no major trophies between them. One of them is David Moyes.
When they say young British managers never get a chance, maybe clubs should stop hiring old British managers.
Stop the merry-go-round I want to get off. pic.twitter.com/Acotl3xCDW
— MFT – MrFixitsTips (@mrfixitstips) November 29, 2017
So, Carragher is suggesting that Allardyce refrain from “self-promoting”, and add some flair to his team, in order to earn the trust of the Everton supporters.
“If Allardyce is to shift perceptions he will have to change his tone. My advice to him is to listen to those who know Everton best, understand the ethos of the club and city you are working in. His referencing of his friendship with Peter Reid suggests he is well aware how important that is. Deliver the wrong message in the wrong way and no matter how much improvement we see on the pitch – and I am sure Evertonians will over the next few months – you will never win over the crowd. Allardyce can be successful at Goodison Park, but to be accepted he will not only need to deliver on the pitch. He must learn and speak the language of Evertonians off it.”
However, it appears Allardyce didn’t hear Carragher’s advice, as he’s already taken a slight dig at Watford manager Silva, who was reportedly Everton’s main target.
On Friday, the new Everton manager told reporters:
“If you look at my track record why wouldn’t I be here, irrespective of Marco Silva? I have every respect for him and I am not criticising him, but Marco Silva’s track record has got no comparison whatsoever with mine because he got Hull City relegated.”
Allardyce is correct by stating by Hull were relegated under Silva, but the comment was a bit harsh. Silva didn’t “get Hull relegated”, the club were a mess when he took over last January and he almost kept them up. He’s also won the league in Greece and a cup in Portugal, which is more silverware than Allardyce has won in his career.
