Wednesday 11 February 2015 13:00, UK
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says he is as good as any other manager in the Premier League.
Allardyce takes his team to Southampton on Wednesday night where he comes up against Saints boss Ronald Koeman - who has been widely praised for how well he has taken to managing in England.
Koeman's fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal was accused by Allardyce of reverting to direct tactics as his Manchester United side took a last-gasp point from Upton Park on Sunday, as he labelled the Red Devils as "long-ball United" – a tag the Hammers boss has had to live with himself for some time.
I don't think there is any coach that would be in that position (of being more sophisticated than me). I'm just as good as everybody at this stage.
The accusations of adopting a long-ball policy left van Gaal handing reporters a detailed pamphlet loaded with statistics to rebuff those suggestions ahead of his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, whilst Allardyce chose to look ahead to the trip to St Mary’s.
And the man who once famously said he would have landed a top European job had he had a name such as 'Allardychi', feels his longevity in the top flight set him aside from all comers.
"I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me any more," said Allardyce. "That's not trying to criticise any other coaches but there is only Arsene who has done it longer than me.
"They may well have gained more experience by managing abroad like Louis van Gaal, Ronald Koeman and people like that but in this country, with the experience they've got I don't think there is any coach that would be in that position (of being more sophisticated than me). I'm just as good as everybody at this stage.
"That comes from the amount of time you do the job, how much experience you gain in the job and how much knowledge you strive for on a regular basis to keep the cutting edge.
"The cutting edge is what's new in football, what's the next level, where is it going to be, how can you find it, how can you implement it into your club?
“I've always been that way inclined. I've never stood still and it's probably why I am still here managing in the Premier League for the last 13-14 years."
Allardyce was full of praise for Koeman's work at St Mary's and feels that the Dutchman would be in line to be named manager of the year if he can guide Southampton into the Champions League.
"Everybody would see it as such a great achievement and with it being your first appointment in this country, even more so," he said of a potential top-four finish for Saints.
"There has been some really good recruitment in new players and that is the key element for us all as managers. We are only as good as the club's recruitment policy and when you get that policy right you improve as a manager because better players come to you.
"If you get it wrong, the club declines and you get sacked - it has always been the same, recruitment is the most important thing at the football club.
"That player that arrives has to be better than the player that leaves, especially at this level and that is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination."
