Shearer says: “Sam Allardyce has been stupid and naive and paid a huge price because it was his dream job”
Shearer says: “Sam Allardyce has been stupid and naive and paid a huge price because it was his dream job”
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Coral just had to ask football ambassador Alan Shearer about the Sam Allardyce controversy surrounding The Telegraph’s sting that cost him his job as England manager, what it means for the Three Lions players and where do the FA go from here?
So, we sat our very own Simon Clare down with Alan and got his frank, honest views about the entire situation. Read the best bits from the video interview below each separate section…
“As England manager the first thing you have to do is go in there and concentrate on football”
“First and foremost, I was angry and sad,” Shearer said of Allardyce’s exposure and departure as England boss. “I did have a little bit of sympathy with Sam, but when you look at the whole picture it was such a huge misjudgement.
“I was absolutely staggered. It was such a huge error. One, for him to be in the room in the first place; and two, to say what he actually said.
“So soon into his England reign as well, you would think that, as England manager, the first thing you have to do is go in there and concentrate on football, win games and get your feet under the table.”
“I still find it hard to believe he was actually in the room!”
When asked if Allardyce should’ve known some entrapment operation like this was possible, Shearer added: “When you look at every other England manager and what some of them have gone through, you would think Sam being as experienced as he is, knowing what he knows, would have gone into the job with both eyes open and think this could happen.
“I still find it hard to believe he was actually in the room! He should never have been there. If anyone should’ve been there, it should’ve been his advisers to look at the situation and weigh it up.
“Sam should’ve been concentrating on football. He’s been stupid and naive and he’s paid a huge price because it was his dream job. You could see what it meant to him when he was first appointed.
“Where there’s money, there’s greed”
“You could see what it meant to him when they won that first game (World Cup qualifier in Slovakia) with a goal in the last minute, so to throw it all away like he has done he must be, and I am sure he is, absolutely devastated.”
While Shearer supports investigate journalism such as The Telegraph’s sting operations, he stressed the need for hard evidence to put out in public.
“There’s so much money involved now in our game, and inevitably where there’s money, there’s greed,” Shearer added.
“With Gareth being with the Under-21s, he will know a lot of the players”
What effect will Allardyce’s exit have on the England players? Well, Shearer doesn’t think it will be an issue. “It shouldn’t really matter who the manager is, they should just go out there and play,” he said.
The FA have given Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate the next four games in charge of the senior side, which includes a Wembley showdown with the Auld Enemy, Scotland, on November 11th.
Shearer supports this temporary appointment, with Southgate having named his England squad to face Malta at home on Saturday and Slovenia away the following Tuesday.
“I think that is the right decision,” he added. “With Gareth being with the Under-21s, he will know a lot of the players. It also gives everyone a little bit of breathing space to have some time to think and reflect, because the next decision has to be right.”
Important for the FA “not to rush into names”
Shearer urges the FA to take their time before naming a new permanent Three Lions boss. “We’ve had so many managers over so many years that have been unsuccessful with England,” he continued.
“It’s about time we got it right. I think it’s also important not to rush into names. They might have to go down a different avenue.
“They might have to do something differently, but at this moment in time it’s sit and reflect, it’s looking at the bigger picture and it’s getting the right results in the next few games. After that, then it’s time to decide who goes into the hotseat.”
