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| Sam Allardyce |
Sam Allardyce’s hopes of a quick appointment as England manager "were growing" on Wednesday as the FA "faced up to the difficulties and exorbitant cost of attracting a high-class overseas candidate for the role," according to Matt Dickinson of the LONDON TIMES. Although the FA was open to the idea of appointing an overseas coach for the third time, a shortage of "suitable" candidates -- and an unwillingness to pay top-of-the-market rates as they did when hiring Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello -- "has left the Sunderland manager firmly in pole position." Sunderland is "preparing for his potential departure." Roy Hodgson’s £3.5M ($4.6M)-a-year salary "was by far the largest of the 24 coaches at Euro 2016 and the FA believes that, in a time of financial challenges, it cannot justify an increase on that deal." Crystal Palace Manager Alan Pardew has been considered for the role, but he told the FA that "he felt that it was not the right time to go for the job." The FA "had considered the potential candidacy of Arsène Wenger, who is committed to at least one more season at Arsenal, and may yet talk to Jürgen Klinsmann, the United States coach, and Guus Hiddink, the vastly experienced former Chelsea coach." The growing mood within the FA, however, is that Allardyce "may be the only viable candidate to lead England to the 2018 World Cup in Russia" (
LONDON TIMES, 7/14).
