The North-South point was a digression just to emphasis how people from the south view most northerners, despite history telling us otherwise.

Allardyce is pragmatic, but sees pragmatism as a means to an end rather than the only way things should be done.

Allardyce's view of "respecting the point" is based on the need to keep the scoreboard ticking over when we are deeply immersed in a relegation fight, whilst Roy won't loosen the reigns even when its clear we are safe from relegation.

He achieve great things with Bolton, and get West Ham promoted. His successor at Everton was a flop and I think Newcastle got relegated after he left.

Would have been interesting to see what he could have done if he had the opportunity at a club, which alluded him mainly because he appears unfashionable. Its like a young Danny Cipriani once said "If my name was Danny Smith, there probably wouldn't be any fuss about me". (Digressing again, but Quinn's current fly half, Marcus Smith, is meant to have phonominal potential but hardly mentioned)

Back on the subject, Benteke's goal scoring record under BFS plus the decline of many individuals under Roy is a possible sign that he was better at setting up the team and getting the best out of players.

He was the one that forced Palace to invest in this.

I don't think people understand the changes he and even Pardew did at the club to bring it forward it was so out of touch had been neglected it many areas (I believe this is one of the many reasons why he walked SP not willing to keep going he's comfy staying put with little £ coming from his pocket plus scheduling preseason without managers say so is poor, Big Sam had to convince the Americans to invest in transfers which they did)

Had the guy stayed at the club and gotten what he needed I would see us being a solid team fighting for Europa cup spot or even another cup final. (football wise well West Ham fans are very delusional what have they done since we went nothing with massive amounts of £ spent)

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Parish realised we had to buy our way out of relegation which was unsustainable but required. We had to pay for it over the next couple of years but Roy benefited from inheriting a much strong squad.

I think at the stage Allardyce and Pullis were at in life, they didn't want to spend year after year battling to stay in the prem. They'd already proved they could do that. They wanted some cash to see how successful they could be - but Parish didn't bend to a managers whim as so many other chairmen have in the last.

In fairness, every manager we've had in 10 years has progressed the club. Even FDB tentatively with the Reidewald signing & Warnock with Zaha and McArthur. Shows good stewardship. Although, I wouldn't really want any of the managers we've had in the last 10 years back. The club is outgrowing them all.

The football played at home under Allardyce was absolute horsesh1t to watch save for two games against Arsenal and Hull. There were some truly woeful performances against the likes Swansea, Sunderland and Burnley and West Ham (away) and a couple backs to the wall away wins against Liverpool and Chelsea rescued us. It's the closest we've got to going down and we weren't even in the bottom three when he took the job in December 16.

Roy still has the core of that squad in Dann, Tomkins, Ward, MacArthur, Luka, Ward, PVA, Schlupp, Townsend, Zaha, Beneteke, Sakho and Kelly. Hennessey and Wickham are also both still at the club. If Allardyce really fancied that team to do well I very much doubt he'd have walked.

The big difference now of course is that those players are the best part of four years older.

Never heard of him.

Oh, I thought he was cutting edge with an openness to using technology and sports science. As you pointed out earlier in this thread.

As for getting the best out of players, those players were inherited by Hodgson and were bottom of the table with no points or even goals when he took over. Parish backed Allardyce in the market in a big way at the time and that's a contributory reason for the lack of spend over the last 3 seasons.

I do think the brand of football under Hodgson, which I will be the first to admit has not been entertaining for the most part, is clouding people's judgement of him.

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