Friday 22 July 2016 19:25, UK
Jamie Carragher says Sam Allardyce must prove he can adapt his style of football after being confirmed as the new England manager.
The Sky Sports pundit feels the former Sunderland boss was the best English candidate for the role, even though his highest Premier League finish was sixth with Bolton in 2004/05 and he has little experience working with the very best players.
Carragher says Allardyce will not be able to rely on defensive football in the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia, Slovenia, Scotland, Lithuania and Malta, but is confident he will be able to alter the tactics that saw him steer Sunderland to Premier League safety last season.
"His teams are difficult to break down," the former England defender explained on Sky Sports News HQ.
"He would usually be with a team near the bottom of the table, sometimes fighting relegation. He did an extraordinary job at Bolton but more often than not, he's trying to stop the opposition.
That's the question mark now - can Sam set up a team to win games rather than to stop teams or stifle them?
"The best thing about his teams are that they keep clean sheets and make it difficult for the opposition. Breaking his teams down was always the main aim when playing against them.
"When you look at the group for qualification, England will be massive favourites every game they play and are expected to win. That's the question mark now - can Sam set up a team to win games rather than to stop teams or stifle them?
"He'll now be dealing with players from Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool - all the top clubs - who probably play more easy football on the eye.
"I'm sure he'll argue that he hasn't had those types of players in the past to play that type of game - but he's a manager that adapts to a situation he's in and whatever situation he's in, he's always been very successful."
