Saturday 24 December 2016 17:10, UK
Sam Allardyce speaks exclusively to Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves about his England exit and taking on the challenge at Crystal Palace...
SHREEVES: It looks as though you're taking everything in and working out how to put your imprint on things, whether that be players or facilities....
ALLARDYCE: It's about asking questions, some of which might be uncomfortable for people. But questions need to be asked for me to absorb as much as I can to start making the right decisions because the right decisions need to start happening quickly when you're in the middle of a season in Palace's position.
The decisions I make have to be made on the knowledge I absorb over the next few days during a hugely busy Christmas period. It's not the best of times to take over a club but Steve Parish wanted a quick decision so I gave him a really quick answer and drove down yesterday and said 'let's go'.
For me there are a few injuries but, given the investment in the summer, this squad shouldn't be where it is. Hopefully I can turn it around and get them back to where everybody thinks they should be.
SHREEVES: Why this job for you right now?
ALLARDYCE: Players, club, ambition, it has all that. Palace have been established in the Premier League and want to go a bit further. They've got some new investment from new owners that have taken a partnership with Steve, money has been invested and hopefully more money in the future will be because investment is the way forward at every business and football club.
If we get recruitment right, the atmosphere right and the players here play to their full potential we should get out of trouble. But there is no guarantee of that.
SHREEVES: What about you? Are you alright? Have you got your appetite back?
ALLARDYCE: I wouldn't be here if I wasn't right. If I didn't feel right I wouldn't have taken the position. I've upset my wife because we were supposed to be going to Dubai for new year so that tells me I'm right. She has always supported me in taking this job. They'll still be going on holiday and I'll be working away trying to turn Palace around as quick as I can.
SHREEVES: How have you been in the 87 days since you ended your time with England?
ALLARDYCE: Has it been that long? I would have to say the first four weeks was one of the darkest moments of my career. Certainly the early reaction, which was hysterical to say the least looking back at it.
My family and I have had that problem, we've all had to deal with that problem but eventually time passes by and you overcome those adversities and move on. Moving on and finally putting this to bed is taking this job and being determined to be a good manager at Crystal Palace again.
SHREEVES: Being back in work is going to help but will you be forever scared after what happened to you with your dream job?
ALLARDYCE: Yes, there is no doubt about that. There is no doubt at all that it happened and it was a black, dark moment - one I wish had never happened in my life. In all honesty I never ever saw it coming. But I can't dwell on the past, I'm not a past man. I always think of what I can do in the future.
Hopefully I can come to Palace and enjoy working with young people, I always like working with young people, it keeps you young. There is a lot of pressure at first when you first take over a club that's struggling a little but you want to go and do your best for yourself, your family and the club that employ you.
SHREEVES: Do you feel like ex-England manager even though it was so short?
ALLARDYCE: I did achieve the ultimate dream eventually, even though it wasn't long enough. I did achieve it, you can't take that away from me. Other circumstances, not the footballing side of things, led the FA to let me go. Like I have said I have to accept that and move on.
SHREEVES: You have always been a confident character in your own abilities with a proven track record. Do you need to get out there on that training ground and get results to truly find out for yourself that you're still the same man or, before that even happens, can you look me in the eye and say there is no difference?
ALLARDYCE: I know I'm the same man. I'm probably a better man for the experience. In adversity you have to become stronger and make sure you don't make those mistakes again so you learn from it.
When you're sacked as a manager you have to look at what you did wrong, look at yourself and don't blame other people. Yes, there are contributing factors all over the place but you have to look at yourself and move on. To be honest with you it was such a blur for me when it happened so I can't recall that much.
Then my family, like they always have been, were there and told me to go away, move on and then this offer came up. I didn't think anything would come until perhaps new year but like I've said I'm ready for it and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. Everybody sees I'm good at this from the past track record and hopefully I can deliver again.
SHREEVES: Is there no part of you that feels there is more to you than saving clubs from relegation?
ALLARDYCE: I've always felt like that, but that doesn't matter now. It's what people want from me and if I like the job description when they offer me a job, I take it. What you think you are or could be is immaterial at the time, it's what you get offered at the time, you are not in control of who asks you to be the manager of their football club. You take control when you decide whether you want to job or not.
SHREEVES: Palace are in real trouble so you don't actually have time.
ALLARDYCE: Part of this job is finding quickly what the faults are and making them better. It's very important to establish that as quickly as possible. Obviously, first and foremost, I have to improve the players on the field in terms of getting a result.
From 2015 where they were fifth in the league to 2016 it's become difficult. The team struggled to score goals but were defensively sound, now the team seems to score a goal but are quite weak defensively. I've got to try and balance that situation here. We don't want to take away from the flair and goal ability but make sure when we are scoring a goal it is winning us a game.
SHREEVES: When you spoke to Steve Parish did he talk about the style of play or is it quite simply 'spot the rot'. When I say style of play I don't mean what your style of play is, have Palace gone away from their DNA and have been too expansive and entertaining which is why they are shipping goals.
ALLARDYCE: That is not for me to answer. Whether Alan Pardew went like that or not I'm not too sure. Talking to Steve he said 'we are in this position' and 'can you get us out of it'. Establishing ourselves as a Premier League club is the No 1 priority for most teams. To move forward as a business and be able to invest more money and buy better players.
The devastation of relegation is greater than ever before by the loss of revenue and what threat it puts a football club under, who have to budget drastically as seen during my time at West Ham in 2011. We moved out 28 players in the first year and brought about 19 in, reduced the budget by over 50 per cent and then got re-promoted, which was a hell of a task.
That's the last thing anybody wants to do and certainly Crystal Palace, given the way they've grown over the last few years, are in a difficult place at the minute but hopefully we can get them out and continue to grow.
SHREEVES: You've come in at busiest time of the year ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.
ALLARDYCE: I couldn't have picked a worse time, could I? I must be mad. The window has and always will be a nightmare.
SHREEVES: Have you got time to assess what you've got, what you need and get players in and out.
ALLARDYCE: You've got to do it, it is part of the quick process to turnaround difficult situations at the moment. It is not a difficult as the position Sunderland were in. Hopefully the players respond quickly. Certainly at the moment there seems like too many injuries so I'll try and get players fit, keep them fit, get the players producing results and build up confidence.
There is bound to be a lack of confidence at this moment in time. Then I'll have to evaluate everything. I haven't worked with the coaching staff before but that's not unusual for me. It's about all pulling together in the right direction and making sure we entertain the fans, yes, by starting to get results first and then hopefully build more confidence and better results and performances.
Fans want to be excited, particularly at home. They are great at getting behind the team, which is a great help for the players. Whatever people say about how much money players get and the stick they should be able to take because they get a lot of money, they can't. If you call somebody constantly they will crumble, no matter who they are. The support from the fans is vital. My experience coming to Palace has always been fantastic.
SHREEVES: How well do you know Crystal Palace from what you have seen?
ALLARDYCE: I've seen them a lot from start to finish. I know most of the players quite well from the amount of knowledge I've had at previous clubs I've been at, particularly Sunderland last year. A load of the players are still here from last year, I've seen a lot of them on the TV and like I said, let's hope we can pull things together.
It's a team game and we play as a team, win as a team, lose as a team and move forward. Meeting the players this morning was important. We have a short period of time to prepare for Watford. It's our busiest period, while everyone is enjoying Christmas. Hopefully we can bring some joy to the Crystal Palace fans by getting some results over the next three games.
SHREEVES: You sound like you're back.
ALLARDYCE: I am.
