Holdsworth backs Allardyce to make the most of his second shot at England job

A decade after he was overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren while in charge at Wanderers, Big Sam has been given a second shot at the job he has coveted his whole managerial career.

Holdsworth, like many players of a glorious era at Bolton, cites Allardyce as one of his biggest influences. As captain of the team which broke back into the Premier League and reached an FA Cup semi-final, he thinks the time is right to hand his former manager an opportunity.

“He might have felt like it went away from him a few years ago,” he told The Bolton News. “He’s had to go away and prove himself all over again. Now it’s like a second coming.

“There is no doubt in my mind that he deserves an interview but once he sits down and talks to them it will be difficult not to be swayed in his favour. That’s just the kind of character he is.

“Sam has an aura about him and he makes players play for him. If he gets that chance he will make the best of it, I’m sure.”

Paradoxically hailed as an innovator in sports science during his days at Bolton but also an exponent of so-called old fashioned long-ball football, Allardyce continued to divide opinion among supporters in his next jobs at Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham and Sunderland.

His popularity has rarely wavered in these parts, however, and Holdsworth believes his former boss has been guilty of some lazy criticism.

“When I decided to go into management it was because I thought I could do it in a similar way, to manage players and manage people,” he said.

“When you do your pro-licence you learn a lot about the different departments of football. But Sam coaches like the pro-licence. It’s done to the letter.

“He leaves absolutely no stone unturned in his preparation, his man-management is phenomenal and his in-game decision making is first class.”

England’s failure at the last World Cup and the Euros under Roy Hodgson has left some supporters questioning whether there is a suitable home-grown alternative.

Talk has centred on implementing clear pathways between the youth teams, establishing an English brand of football – but Holdsworth believes success for England can come by concentrating on much simpler targets.

“If England had a successful tournament, we don’t have this conversation,” he said. “But the truth is they were very poor and someone needs to get to the bottom of why.

“Did we give the players the right details? I’m not talking death by analysis, more information for improvement. Sam relishes that kind of stuff.

“Tournament football is about winning football matches, remaining unbeaten, being hard to beat and break down.

“Something as simple as set pieces. We were poor – there was no second or third set piece, no surprises or invention. We went backwards while everyone else went forward.

“Look at France, a few years back they were miles off. Everyone said France had discipline problems in the squad but they went back to basics and quickly turned into a winning team. It didn’t take a lot of song and dance.”

Anyone who tracked Wanderers’ progress in the previous decade, which culminated in European football for the first time in the club’s history and four consecutive top-eight finishes, will know the legends. A squad of every creed, colour and quality was fused together to bloody the nose of Sir Alex Ferguson, Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger on a regular basis.

Holdsworth, who was one of Allardyce’s trusted lieutenants in the early days with the Whites, reckons his man-management style can translate to international football – if not perhaps some of the stunts which used to lift the spirits at the club.

“Certainly in the team I played in there were a few strong characters, I think I was one of them,” he said.

“But Sam dealt with people, quickly found out what they were like. That side of things just came naturally to him.

“He will know what makes the players tick. He will thrive on that.

“Of course it’s a different world from club management. I remember if we got beat by three clear goals, everyone from the coaching staff and the chairman to the players were given a ticket. Three would be drawn out and they would have to go and eat sheep’s testicles.

“After that, another three or four would have to dress up as clowns and walk around town with a charity bucket.

“There were little things like that which kept the spirits up. It reminded me of the old Crazy Gang days at Wimbledon.”