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Big Job for Big Sam? The Week’s Biggest Stories

By on July 18, 2016

With Euro 2016 now over and pre-season starting to get into full flow, Richard Lewis has been all over football’s most humorous stories in the past week like a fluttering Moth to the lights left on at the Stade de France. Here are his takeaways on three stories from the week’s news:

Big Job for Big Sam?

Will Big Sam Allardyce be getting the Big Job of the summer (and I am not talking about the Top Gear job!)? The Sunderland manager is in talks with the FA to become the new England boss and if he can get land the highly lauded position he will certainly have a big job on his hands in terms of turning the fortunes of the Three Lions around.

England endured a disappointing Round of 16 exit to Iceland at this summer’s Euros and subsequently dropped down to 13th in the FIFA world rankings, behind British rivals and Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales. France and Portugal have also moved up in the rankings system after reaching the final of the Euros, in which Eder’s extra-time strike gave Portugal their first major tournament title ever.

Allardyce would have to leave his post at Sunderland to take the job but he would surely be willing to part ways with the Black Cats to take such a prestigious post, especially having been reportedly interested in it in the past.

An Allardyce regime would be good news Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe, as he would have a better chance of making it back into the England fold. Former West Ham United midfielder Kevin Nolan could also be part of a reshuffle at the Wembley helm having been released from his position as a player-manager at Leyton Orient.

The UK has already got a new Prime Minster in the time since Roy Hodgson departed the England post so the FA are surely narrowing in Hodgson’s potential successor. Most definitely, it would be Big News if Big Sam was appointed England manager shortly after Theresa May got the top job in Downing Street (but still probably not as big as the new Pokémon Go game).

Of course, Wembley will need a new chant to sign should Allardyce be appointed and The Coldplay classic “Paradise” turned into a parody version of “Allardyce” seems the logical conclusion:

‘And dream of Allar-Allar-Allardyce
Allar-Allar-Allardyce
Allar-Allar-Allardyce’

Job Swap: What if Jeremy Corbyn and Arsene Wenger swapped jobs?!

Comparing resident Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn this summer:

There have been calls for both #WengerOut and #CorbynOut this year, but both have relied on youth to maintain their positions.  Both are long term residents to North London and represent the red corner, yet there are doubts that either can have that May winning feeling when it comes to the end of a crucial campaign.

There were widespread rumors Arsene Wenger was being considered for the vacant England job after Roy Hodgson resigned, just as Jeremy Corbyn would like to one-day lead England as Prime Minster.

Wenger would probably have Steve Bould and Tony Adams in his shadow cabinet, but not Thierry Henry, who is a bit like Hilary Benn in our imagined scenario.

Both men were born in 1949 and have been criticized for their respective dress sense, what with the Arsenal manager’s infamous raincoat and the Islington MP having been slammed for not wearing a tie. Yet the two grey-haired pensioners continue to try to take down the blue corner and carry on as leaders, even when there are loud calls for them to go!

Bayern Trek: Beyond the Bundesliga!

New Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti is set to make a cameo appearance in the summer blockbuster 2016 film “Star Trek: Beyond”, which will be released this Friday. The ex-Real Madrid Italian manager will hope to go Beyond the achievements of predecessor Pep Guardiola in the UEFA Champions League by going on a Trek to the final, instead of falling at the semi-final stage!

Ancelotti spent his year away from club management by dipping his toe into acting, but will start a new Enterprise in Munich, with Renato Sanches and Mats Hummels now aboard his ship. The former Chelsea coach will hope to find Space in the trophy cabinet for more silverware at Bundesliga champions Bayern. Ancelotti will be keeping his fingers crossed that he can “Live long and prosper” at the Allianz Arena.

Homepage photo credit: Egghead06 [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

About Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis can relate almost anything to football and quite often does! You may have seen Richard's previous ideas and work in the BBC Match of the Day Magazine, from 2011 to present. He is a Manchester United and England fan, but has gone to see Leyton Orient play with his O's season ticket in the 2013/14 campaign. Aside from football, Richard has written articles on Doctor Who and studies English Language and Linguistics at the University of Westminster. Aspiring sports journalist.