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The Man In Blue wrote:http://twitter.com/TheBig_Sam

Ted Hughes wrote:Tbf to Fat Sam, he didn't always play this pathetic hit it & hope shite that he inflicts on people now. Back in the days of Djorkaeff, Okocha, Sasa Curcic etc his teams played decent football. Mind you, I notice nobody headhunted him for Real Madrid even then!

Burt wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Tbf to Fat Sam, he didn't always play this pathetic hit it & hope shite that he inflicts on people now. Back in the days of Djorkaeff, Okocha, Sasa Curcic etc his teams played decent football. Mind you, I notice nobody headhunted him for Real Madrid even then!

Sasa Curcic was years before BFS was at the helm at Notlob mate. He was a Kinkladze type player and ended up drifting into obscurity at Villa and then elsewhere.

Ted Hughes wrote:

Burt wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Tbf to Fat Sam, he didn't always play this pathetic hit it & hope shite that he inflicts on people now. Back in the days of Djorkaeff, Okocha, Sasa Curcic etc his teams played decent football. Mind you, I notice nobody headhunted him for Real Madrid even then!

Sasa Curcic was years before BFS was at the helm at Notlob mate. He was a Kinkladze type player and ended up drifting into obscurity at Villa and then elsewhere.

Fair enough. I thought he was still there when Sam took over. I must be mistakling him for someone else. I'm sure I can remember another clever attacking type player around the time of Okocha, Djorkaeff etc but can't picture who it may have been. Perhaps I'm imagining it. I remeber Fat Sam signing Hierro as well. Bizarre. Wonder what made him suddenly go all Dave Bassett?

Sam Allardyce insists that Arsene Wenger is no more 'advanced' in terms of coaching than him.

Allardyce feels that the perception of him is the only thing separating him from somebody like Arsenal manager Wenger.

The Blackburn boss refuses to back down in his spat with Wenger, who has been a big critic of Allardyce's style of play.

"There is a problem with perception. Arsene is seen as a sophisticated Frenchman while I'm just a rugged English centre-half from the Midlands with an accent to match, but is Arsene more advanced than me in terms of coaching? Not a chance," said Allardyce.

"Does he use live fitness data on his players during games? Does he study sports psychology every day? Does he use sports science to the extent that I do? I doubt it.

"None of all this affects my view of Wenger. I have total respect for the way he changed his philosophy in recent years when the £400million move to the Emirates Stadium reduced his spending power in the transfer market.

"He hasn't won trophies yet with his current crop but he has stuck to his guns by insisting that nothing will prevent the development of his young players. Arsenal play some wonderful football but what makes the Premier League interesting is the difference in styles between teams."

Private
Allardyce admits that Wenger is a private figure who will never be truly understood.

"The truth is that nobody really knows Arsene Wenger. There certainly aren't too many people who actually get close to him," he continued in his News of the World column.

"If that's Arsene's way, though, then I respect that. Maybe he doesn't like me. Maybe he is keen to get on the coach or the plane after fulfilling 45 minutes of post-match media duties.

"He loves the psychological warfare of the Premier League, the world's most watched and talked about sporting competition. It goes with the theatre of the game and without it football would be less interesting.

"Arsene is a very clever guy. He uses his profile in London to get messages out which are aimed at putting pressure on referees.

"We can get fined by the FA for directing remarks at referees before games - but he did it in a very clever and subtle way.

"However, if Arsene is allowed his opinion, then I am entitled to mine. I speak to about six press people on a Friday afternoon and he probably speaks to about 60.

"What goes on between managers doesn't bother me, in fact, I find it very entertaining.

"But if I have an opinion nobody will stop me expressing it. How we go about our business as bosses is different from each other."

Allardyce also admitted that he would miss former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez following his summer departure from Anfield.

"I am gutted that Rafa Benitez has gone. He hated me and I used to love winding him up," he said.

"For years he came to Bolton and never got a result and used to accuse us of cheating."