Speaking exclusively on our No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Sam Allardyce was joined by the former West Ham United midfielder and football league manager Martin Allen.
The pair were asked for their thoughts on the current style of football in the Premier League, and whether Big Sam’s iconic ‘long balls’ may be coming back into fashion again.
Ex-England manager Allardyce spoke about the misconception around his perceived stance to dislike playing ‘tippy-tappy’ football. The 69-year-old also highlighted how ‘brainwashed’ Southampton players playing short passes from the back is proving costly for the team’s survival chances, and shared how he believes Brentford’s recent success in the first few minutes of games is down to them not being scared to play ‘directly’.
Sam Allardyce, Martin Allen, Natalie Pike
Allardyce went on to name and shame Southampton, who are yet to win a game this season:
“The Bournemouth vs Southampton game, what were the players [Southampton defenders] thinking? Is it because the players are so brainwashed by their manager saying ‘you’ve got to do it [passing] now’ that they're doing it in impossible positions where they're never going to be clever enough to make that pass, and ultimately the opposition keep scoring.
“Play out from the back, yes, but when you get the chance, can you play forward? And it sounds simple, but you've got to be able to see it on the pitch. All you need to do is drop five yards deeper than you're doing now.
“We [football managers] want you to pass it forward when you get it, and to give yourself more time to see where you pass it forward - go deeper from where the ball's coming so you've got enough time. Then it takes longer for the centre forward to shut you down so you can make better decisions, and you're going to look better on the ball.
“Do not lose the ball in your own final third - if in doubt kick it out. If you can kick it over the opposition's defence, you're not looking for anybody, but you just relieve the pressure, so what you can do is you can push up and you can get to the halfway line.”
While dismissive of Russell Martin’s tactics at Southampton, Allardyce spoke highly of Thomas Frank and Brentford, who he says are reaping the rewards of not being afraid to go long.
He said: “I have to bring up this wonderful new record at Brentford that the manager got - they scored three goals on the trot in less than 60 seconds [and another in the second minute], by rolling it back to the goalie, playing it up the side of the opposition, winning the knockdown or the header, keeping the ball in play, keeping the pressure on the opposition, then the cross comes in and bang goal.
“I have actually thought ‘this is quite exciting’ because they’re getting the opposition facing something they haven't faced for quite a while.
“It creates an opportunity to get in the opposition box a lot quicker, you don't have to break down 11 like you normally do if you're going to play from the back, so there might be a little shift about where and what you're doing.
“If you're talking about keeping your job, then results keep your job, not the way you play.”
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