Allardyce mocks Unsworth over caretaker tenure at Everton

According to Sam Allardyce, for a manager -

“You win fans over by winning football matches and winning them in style.”

That might be one of the truest things Big Sam has said since he has taken over at Everton. However, you certainly do not win fans over by belittling the accomplishments (and failures) of someone adored widely by the fans, and Allardyce going after David Unsworth in a bid to add lustre to his own awful season with the Toffees reeks of lack of class.

“You can only do what you do and work as hard as you possibly can with the squad and the players you have got to deliver what you can. That has been a difficult challenge.

“We have managed to overcome the chaos. Even David Unsworth said he could not wait for the new manager to be appointed. He was in for (eight) games and he was saying before the West Ham game, ‘Get me out of this position, get a new manager appointed because I am struggling to cope and these players have got no confidence’. That is where I came from.”

All Unsworth had said at the time was that he knew he was in there as an interim manager and wasn’t necessarily going to try to steer the ship, just try to be a firm hand on the tiller. However, not only did Allardyce belittle Unsy there, he went on to take credit for the 4-0 win over West Ham at Goodison Park, the last game of his caretaker spell.

“I came in for West Ham and spoke to the players. It helped have a positive affect.

“David does the last game and he gets the win. We both benefit from that and move forward. Where we have gone from there, I consider it my contribution, which is 30 points from 21 games, rather than 13 games, 12 points.

“I had a contribution to play in the victory over West Ham that day. I spoke to the players before the game. The players reacted. I’m not saying they reacted to what I said but they certainly reacted to a new manager on the door.

“When a new manager comes in, even if he hasn’t taken a coaching session, the players go out and respond to it. They think, ‘I have got to prove that I deserve my place in the side’. That contributed to what was a great victory.”

None of us should really be surprised at some of the things Allardyce is saying in recent weeks - his acerbic comments reek of self-preservation and even though it appears his sacking is imminent, he’s showing that he won’t go out without smearing anyone that has come close to him throughout his time at Everton.