Allardyce takes first press conference as Everton boss

Sam (wiping flakey-pastry debris from his chin): "Well firstly I'd hope to..."

No more BS – just tough talking and performances.

Gawd, you're (we're) going back a bit there, used to love the old Hotspur.

Got a good feeling about the game tomorrow, let's hope the new manager's winning syndrome, holds true to get us up that table.

Watched Huddersfield a couple of times recently on the telly, bit of a Jekyll and Hyde side, let's hope It's Hyde tomorrow, or it'll be Hide for us!

While not liking certain things about him, he could actually be just what we need – at least for the short term.

Even in his interviews, he didn't seem arsed until he knew the axe was about to fall on his head, but by then he had totally lost the fans anyway.

At least Sam will give us a lot more respect than Koeman ever did. I am not overjoyed by his appointment but we all need to get behind him, the club and the team. Hopefully onwards and upwards from now on.

You never know – it may turn out to be a great journey. If anyone isn't fully behind the club, please stay away. We've had too much negativity around the club this season. We don't need anymore. COYB

I actually hope he does well with us.

Little to excite or look forward to, just staying in the division. Big club, my arse.

For the first time in ages I’m looking up the table and thinking who we can reel in rather than worrying about Crystal Pakace and Bournemouth et al.

He’s sort of developed this firefighting reputation and rightly so but has he ever really been given a chance at a big club?

Not my first choice at all but I’m fully behind him now! And I don’t think the press conference has harmed him at all!

We should all be behind him. He'll improve the way we are playing at the moment. Maybe not sexy football but enough to lift the team and despondency that shrouds our great club.

COYB

You should watch the video. I liked this bit:

Q: "Why was Everton so tempting?"
A: "Because it's Everton. The name of the club says it all"

Then he went on to set the bar high. Europe and a Cup is what he wants.

The only negative was the Ross Barkley stuff. He rubbed his nose a lot, now i'm no body language expert, but isn't that a sign of untruthfulness? Anyway, what he did say was that Everton had tried and failed to get him to sign a new deal. He went on to say that if he wanted the contract he would want, then he needs to be playing well. He kind of left the door open to him, but it didn't leave me full of optimism like Unsworth did.

Anyway, he certainly talked the talk. I can see why he's a good motivator. Lots of positives there. Let's hope he can deliver on what he promises and do our best to forget all the corruption.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUcEgclZPE

He's also on the Everton Show now.

Colin, Allardyce went on about great a club Everton were after Andy Gray, Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell, someone else I forget, and Duncan Ferguson told him. I assume this means he's some kind of mate of his. He also mentioned him being on the staff.

He also talked about Alan Kelly. Alan was brought in temporarily as keeper coach by Unsworth. Allardyce said he would assess him and all the other coaches and that probably some would leave. I doubt he would cull the U23 squad, so who's he talking about? Kelly? Ferguson? Or is he talking the youth setup? Unsworth? Ebbrell? Jeffers? etc?

He likes Chicken and Mushroom pie too, so watch out next time you're at the Match.

"John Pierce #54

Stones to City, Hart plus cash in return

Lukaku to United, Rooney plus cash in return

Smart business that Ron!

COYB!"

Stole a living as a player, stealing a living as a coach.

As for Dunc, I have to agree with Andy. He seems to be stealing a living on the back of his legend status. A job in hospitality or Everton in the community would surely be more fitting.

"the days of celebrating survival are over"

"those Euro nights out that end in far away places contesting a final".

And the scorching Martinez received on here... where is he btw? Well he is coaching one of the favourites for the World Cup. Clown!

I think that's debatable.

Bolton: were Premier League; now Championship.
Newcastle: were Premier League, up until Benitez; Championship.
Blackburn: Premier League; now League One.
West Ham: Premier League; now still in Premier League but crap.
Sunderland: Premier League; now League One and crap.
Palace: Premier League; now bottom of Premier League.

It doesn't matter if you like him or not, those are the facts. You could argue they decline when Allardyce leaves or you could argue that his management style in the long run damages the clubs.

Unbelievable post!

So on your theory, we are in the shit now because Kendall left for Bilbao?

In the press conference, he said all the right things and more. He didn't do any knives to gunfight comments. He didn't try to quell expectations, he actually promised more. He came across better than anyone could hope.

What I and I expect others will now do, is hold him to those standards and promises. If he meets them, then he won't have a problem. If he fails to deliver, then he knows what's coming next.

I also believe, that unless he delivers 7th or finishes the season playing real class football, then we will go back in the summer for Silva, or maybe Fonseca, and pay Allardyce off.

To reiterate my post, I stated if you like him or not those are the facts. You can read into it that he's such a good manager they inevitably decline once he's left, or, you could argue that they aren't better once he's left.

He stated the clubs he managed are better off, I'm saying that's debatable, I didn't say I had a theory.

He should have been the one to step into the breach when Koeman went, he was the only one left who had been working with the first team squad. Unsworth hadn't been near the first team, yet he was put in charge, what does that say about Ferguson's coaching ability?

No doubt he'll be around until his sponsor leaves. Another charity case.

I noticed before the West Ham game he had Rooney amongst the practising strikers and that didn't turn out too bad either. Some fans really need to get out of the hearsay mode and do some fact finding before assuming Ferguson steals a living.

I also think he is a legend in some fans eyes for being part of an FA Cup winning side and being a real force in big games. The games people talk about. He was definitely stupid at times no doubt.

I also think he takes to fans like a gentleman should and is a genuine person in a way most people cry about players not being anymore.

What he said was correct. What happens long after he's gone is not down to him.

Far better to just come out and say you don't want him here rather than make snide comments.

Let's just hear the boos he gets tomorrow from those of the anti brigade who haven't burnt their season tickets.

Under Martinez people loved his positivity when we were winning, but it grated when we were losing. People thought Koeman's detachment and brutal 'honesty' was just what we needed when we were winning and called it a problem when we were losing. Unsworth's love for the club was rated highly for about a week!

The only thing that matters is the performance of the team.

I didn't want Sam. It says a massive amount about the ambition, capability and knowledge of our ownership.

But if I took one thing from that press conference it's that he's a leader. Everyone gets aligned with him and does their job or they can leave. He wasn't nasty about it, just stated facts.

And right now, this club needs a leader more than anything else. It needs everyone working towards one aim.

Performances will dictate his success. Now he's in the chair, he'll get my support.

The way the team all celebrated the goals the other night made me think are they feeling a bit more settled now the manager is announced or were they together anyway? Either way the team look like their up for a fight.

It's now a case of getting the most from our quality players. It's up to the new regime to find a winning formula and like Allardyce says a new set up needs everyone to bond and give it a go.

He has landed a top job here and he knows it, so hopefully he can steady the ship but I will be happily and greatly surprised if he gets us playing free flowing good tactical football.

One thing is though is that it's actually good to understand what he's actually saying unlike the last couple we have had.

Really looking forward to the game tomorrow and even managed to get a ticket for my daughter. Huddersfield look a half decent side so should be interesting. I hope Sam Allardyce gets a proper Goodison welcome, he deserves to be given every chance to succeed.

Particular note is that he said he's always managed with what he's had at his disposal, he's got arguably the bet squad he's had at his disposal and with some additions this could be exciting .

Every club he has managed looks much better than when he took over and when he leaves they go into a sharp decline.

He was fired at Newcastle, West Ham and Blackburn for not playing attractive enough football (yet keeping them all safe and solid) but those teams were all relegated shortly after he left because he was actually making a poor bunch of players look decent.

The only time he's ever had real quality players (although admittedly aging) was at Bolton and they were 5th in the premier league when he left.

I didn't want Big Sam here but I've always rated him as a manager so I'm not going to be a hypocrite and start finding ways to start proving that he's a poor appointment now. We're in the shit due to poor recruitment, poor leadership and lack of squad morale.

Those are things that someone Big Sam will sort straight out.

Will he reopen the School of Science? No.
Will he break us into the top 4? Probably not.
Will he attract the big name players Moshiri wants? Probably not.
Will we get any worse? No.
Will we get relegated? Absolutely not.

Considering where we're at, let's just hope he steadies the ship, gets the squad fit, bonded and focused and then in 18 months we can start talking about aspiration to break into the top 6 again.

What's the point of being a supporter if you can't even have hopes and dreams as you clearly refuse to?

Miserable fecker!!!

Personally, I'm waiting on hopefully for a boost to my Christmas spirit this year!!

You?.. 'But I've already got a fucking mince pie!' yeah?

Already he talks of 'us', and 'we' and I loved his response when asked why he took the job. "It's Everton isn't it?" He sees us as a big club, a step up, not a stepping stone.

Give him a chance, let him see what he can do for us. Isn't it good to have a manager who knows who and what we are? At last!

We now have - "Everton - the name says it all!"

Well spotted.

This squad is obviously unbalanced and to believe it can win and entertain suggests the idea that Koeman and Unsworth do not understand a thing in football which we all know would be wrong.

Let's just get the points which is a difficult task already for the foreseeable future.

Views on Sammy Lee? Well I've read and heard that he's a really good coach.

He also went right up in my estimation when he pulled out of a "Liverpool Legends Night" – an "Evening With Sammy Lee" – a ticketed event that was being held in The Shankly hotel in town on the evening before the derby.

Positivity... let's hope it's catching.

I think we'll be fine. We have the off-the-field resources we didn't have before; get a couple back from injury, get a new striker in January and a defender maybe... and the balance will return.

I might even watch a game now – to be honest, I've been avoiding games this season.

I'm not implying anything at all. My conern is that while I understand his appointment right now, but my worry is for the long term. Short term wins and long term losses and his history tends to point towards that.

I also completely understand that while he's now been appointed many want complete positivity but life isn't like that. It's not black and white. I'm not against Allardyce nor am I really for him. I'm an Evertonian, I'm assuming you and most on here are too. Our common denominator is we all want the team to do well and improve. We just disagree on how to get there.

I have to reiterate my original post because you seem to be hearing what you want to hear. He said he left a legacy of clubs in more positive health and I said that was debatable. I'm not even saying it was an incorrect statement but I'm saying it was debatable because the facts point towards a history of clubs performing quite poorly now. The seeds you plant now have ramifications in the years to follow.

Of course not. You just make it up as you go along.

There's absolutely no point in being miserable about it now, that will achieve nothing. Keep a weather eye out, by all means, so that we don't have falsely raised expectations (which we can easily fall into). We need to be what we want the team to be, positive. Negativity is self-defeating, but identifying a problem if and when it arises, and thinking of a better way forward, is more likely to achieve something.

I thought his press conference was very good. It's only talk, but at least there was nothing to make me feel concerned, and many things to make me feel encouraged. I got my wife, who's a better judge of body language than me, to look at it too, and she thought he came across as a no-nonsense individual who talked clear sense and who doesn't bullshit. Most other times, she thinks managers are full of shit when they open their mouths. So that'll do for me, for the moment.

I certainly don't make it up as I go along. I've read several articles and read several columns written by players & ex-players with regard to their appreciation for Sammy Lee's coaching talents.

Graeme Sharp and Barry Horne also spoke highly of him to me personally.

Sooooooooooooooooo, err, fuck off!

He will stabilise the club. Rooney will play midfield. The backline will become not nonsense and have shape. The wingers and wing backs will be pushed forward. Players with tackling ability and legs will supplement Rooney.

Sigurdsson will be the Number 10 and Niasse will spearhead the attack with runners picking up the loose balls from the midfield and wings and supplement the attack. Klaassen will be tried as a defending midfielder to break up the passing movements of the top five clubs.

Players who have the potential will be tried. If they don't make the grade, they will be replaced and gone.

And why should we respect the opinion of ex-players anyway, whether or not you know them 'personally'. Name-dropping bellend.