Sam Allardyce one of the best in the Premier League - Alan Pardew
Barclays Premier League |
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| Venue: Selhurst Park Date: Monday, 23 November Kick-off: 20:00 |
| Coverage: Live commentary on BSports Radio 5 live, live text on BSports website and app |
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is one of the best managers in the Premier League, according to Crystal Palace counterpart Alan Pardew.
Allardyce took over the 19th-placed Black Cats in October and leads them to Selhurst Park on Monday looking for a first away win of the season.
"I never fancy my chances against a Sam Allardyce team," said Pardew.
"He's got a knowledge and a respect from me that I will take into the game."
Allardyce was appointed at the Stadium of Light after previous manager Dick Advocaat left the club.
A 3-0 win against Newcastle came in his second game in charge, but a 6-2 defeat at Everton and a 1-0 home loss to Southampton has left Sunderland four points from safety.
Sam Allardyce's Premier League record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Win | Draw | Loss | For | Against | Win % | |
| Bolton | 226 | 80 | 66 | 80 | 275 | 301 | 35.4 |
| Newcastle | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 27 | 33 | 33.33 |
| Blackburn | 76 | 26 | 21 | 29 | 86 | 108 | 34.21 |
| West Ham | 114 | 35 | 28 | 51 | 129 | 151 | 30.7 |
| Sunderland | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 25 |
| Total | 437 | 148 | 120 | 169 | 517 | 593 | 33.87 |
"If anyone is going to resurrect their season it will be Big Sam," added Pardew. "He's a great choice because he knows the division.
"I know every time I come up against a Sam Allardyce team I know they have what they are trying to achieve in place and he has a team that knows how to play Premier League games - he's going to go and try and win the game."
The Black Cats have conceded 26 goals from their opening 12 games this season, the second worst defensive record in the division after Bournemouth.
"My philosophy has always been you start from the back," said Allardyce. "It goes without saying every team which wins the league has the best defensive record.
"When we are a conceding on average over two goals a game, that is the first thing which we have to stop and the players have to understand that.
"If they think it is a negative, it is not, it is a massive positive because as soon as you don't concede a goal you don't lose the game. If they achieve a clean sheet as often as they possibly can it will give them a very, very good chance of winning more and getting safer up the league as quickly as possible."
