Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce might not be to FA's tastes, fears ex-England assistant

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is garnering support to be the next England boss, with reports earlier today that the 61-year-old would be interested in taking the job after missing out to Steve McClaren 10 years ago.

McMenemy - who held a dual role as England assistant manager and Under-21s coach in the early 1990s - believes Allardyce should certainly be on the shortlist to succeed Hodgson.

But the ex-Sunderland manager fears that the straight-talking Allardyce might not fit into the FA’s corporate strategy.

He told the Echo: “At that level, you’ve got to impress the FA suits.

“Personally, I think unless more and more people like myself push for Big Sam, that might be a problem.

“The FA have to forget all the wining and dining.

“We don’t want a fella who can waltz into a dinner in Switzerland and put his little finger out when he drinks red wine.

“Where we’re lacking now is in the dressing room and on the training ground.

“If Sam Allardyce had been in that dressing room at half-time against Iceland, that team wouldn’t have come out in the second half the way they did.

“Sam should be on the list.

“Let the FA go out, have their dinners and wave their flags, but let the manager get in to where it matters.”

McMenemy resigned alongside manager Graham Taylor in 1993 after England’s failure to qualify for the World Cup.

And he believes that Hodgson will now forever be tarnished by England’s dismal elimination from the European Championships earlier this week.

“He’ll always be remembered for the Iceland game after all those years in management,” added McMenemy.

“It’s like Steve McClaren will be remembered for the umbrella and Graham Taylor will be remembered for turnips. That’s the way the world goes.

“Roy more or less said that they’d let everyone down.”

H Great Britain Special Olympics President McMenemy was speaking at Gateshead International Stadium as athletes from the Special Olympics Gateshead club prepared for next year’s Summer Games.

The club’s main aim is to ensure people with disabilities can fulfil their sporting aspirations, with 32 athletes getting ready to compete at the 2017 event in Sheffield.

As a registered charity, Special Olympics Gateshead relies on grants and donations and now faces the challenge of raising £17,000 to cover their athletes’ transport and accommodation costs for the event.

Team Valley-based print management company, SOS Group Ltd, is a long-term supporter of Special Olympics Gateshead.