Allardyce Talks About 'Boring' Factor

Last updated : 23 September 2005 By Matt Bottom

Sam Allardyce has spoken about the 'boring' factor that Bolton have been labelled with along with many other sides in the Premier League this season.

"I think everybody has become frightened about Chelsea because they haven't conceded a goal, and they are saying it's negative.

"But at the end of the day, I saw Arsene Wenger play one up front in the FA Cup final [in May] and wait for penalties, and all they ever say about him is that he plays open, attractive football.

"That's great. Who is conning who here? Do me a favour - open your eyes!

"Why is it all my fault? That's great isn't it. People love blaming me don't they! Well, that shows a lack of intelligence, or they don't even come here and watch us, or they are jealous, which is probably the big one.

"We will deal with what we have to deal with, and if you want to have a look at my record, it stands up for itself.

"I make no apologies about how we go about our job because we are a very attractive football team, no matter what anybody else says, and we are winning more matches now than we have ever won before.

"We also get the best out of our players week in and week out, we spend less money than anybody else and yet we are in the top half of the table and playing in Europe, so I don't see how you can blame me."

Roman Abramovich has been slated this week as the main cause of inflation in the beautiful game, with Chelsea having the pick of any players they want therefore making it harder for other teams to compete in the transfer market.

"Because money is no object for him, it's inflated everything else in this country," he said.

"It's inflated salary and transfer packages, forcing the top boys to try and compete, and leaving us just staying in there and trying to bring the best players with what we've got."

Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan has spoken this week of the 'Salary Cap' that could be introduced to stop this type of behaviour, but Big Sam thinks an adjustment needs to be made before it will work.

"You will simply lose bigger players to other countries and that will dilute the quality of the Premiership", he said,

"You'd have to do so from the G14 downwards otherwise somebody from Spain or Italy will enquire about a top player like Thierry Henry or Rio Ferdinand, tell them they don't have a salary cap and then what will happen?

"They will buy a private jet and they will go."

"Of course we would like to bring parity and more excitement, but whether the fan would cope seeing their big players leave and whether TV would still pay the money is another matter."

Allardyce feels the onus is on Premiership chairmen to find a working solution to the malaise afflicting football, with accusations it has become boring, married to the fact some fans are turning away.

"We have a lot to protect in the Premiership, and it's not my responsibility to protect it. That's down to the chairmen and owners of the clubs," added Allardyce.

"They have the major problem of making sure we keep hold of what we have, and we've the best league in the world, have had for the last four or five years, maybe even longer.

"They should all come together to protect it, and not wait until a time when they look around and say 'Oh, what's happening?', because by then it will be far too late to do anything about it."