Society Gists

Sam Allardyce will be named as the new England manager – with confirmation expected in the next 24 hours.

Allardyce will leave Sunderland after nine months at the Premier League club.

The 61-year-old replaces Roy Hodgson, who resigned after the surprise defeat by Iceland at this summer’s Euro 2016 finals in France.

Allardyce, a former West Ham, Newcastle and Bolton boss, spoke to the Football Association last week and has been chosen ahead of Hull’s Steve Bruce.

Both Sunderland and Hull had urged the FA to act quickly, with the new Premier League season less than a month away.

Allardyce was interviewed for the England job following Sven-Goran Eriksson’s departure after the 2006 World Cup but Steve McClaren was appointed.

His first competitive game in charge will be a World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on 4 September.

Allardyce will become the 15th permanent England boss as the pinnacle of a managerial career that started with Blackpool in 1994 and has taken in 467 Premier League games – behind only Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann had also been linked with the job.

England manager appointment close, says FA chief executive Martin Glenn
FA chief executive Martin Glenn told BBC sports editor Dan Roan earlier on Wednesday that the new manager would need to “build resilience” in players so they are able to deal with criticism on social media and the pressures of an “intensely passionate” English media.

“The British press, like it or not, are probably the most intensely passionate about the game in the world and that has a spill-over effect,” he said.

“The consequence of which is people probably play not to make a mistake, as opposed to play to win.

“So the new manager’s got to be someone who can inspire people to get the best out of themselves, build resilience and unashamedly adopt the kind of psychological techniques that other sports and other football teams have done.”