Football Comment: Old hands lend edge in drop fight
Allardyce and Pulis can make the difference
WHILE London’s heavyweights fight it out for the title and European places, West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace are locked in a relegation battle that could see the capital’s Premier League six-strong population slashed in half by May.
It feels tighter than in previous seasons, with only six points separating the entire bottom half and everyone from 10th-placed Aston Villa down looking over their shoulders. It’s a lottery trying to predict who’ll stay up, but what we know is that, with 14 games remaining, momentum is absolutely vital.
That’s why I fear for Fulham. They’re currently two points adrift at the foot of the table and, watching their FA Cup defeat at home to a team fighting to stay in League One, they look dire, clueless and powder-puff.
It’s a similar story at 19th-placed Cardiff. New boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in on a sticky wicket as the players weren’t happy at the ridiculous sacking of Malky Mackay and they look vulnerable. Going on how things look and feel, Fulham and Cardiff have a huge task on their hands.
That leaves one more relegation spot. Swansea have been looking bad, but the sacking of manager Michael Laudrup this week was perhaps the right decision – there was turbulence with his agent, he had looked less enthusiastic, the fans don’t seem to mind – while the improvement Gus Poyet has fostered at Sunderland is proof that a change can make a big difference.
It looks to be a three-way fight between West Brom, Palace and West Ham and I fancy the two London clubs to survive – because they’ve got men in charge who’ve been there and done it before. Sam Allardyce should be able to get enough out of that squad to stay up, injuries or not, and Tony Pulis has already restored belief and momentum since taking charge of Palace.
The Baggies, on the other hand, have appointed a Spanish manager, Pepe Mel, with no experience in English football.
If you asked me for two British managers you’d want for the task of dragging a struggling side out of the bottom three, I’d pick Allardyce and Pulis every time. And I’m pretty confident the vast majority of players in those teams would also favour them over Mel too.
Trevor Steven is a former England footballer who now works as a media commentator.