SAM IN ACTION: West Ham boss injects self-belief and urgency into his side. 

EXCLUSIVE: ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW (FILE) WITH SAM. VIDEO BY DIANNE KAVI. COPYRIGHT.

West Ham boss off to good start, needs to carry on the momentum; manager backs application of technology to make crucial decisions

Sam Allardyce has a burning ambition.

He has set his sights firmly on coaching the English national soccer team.

"I'd walk over burning coals to get the England job," he recently told a pack of reporters with a sense of pride in his words.

This comes after the current England coach Fabio Capello confirmed that he would quit after the Euro 2012.

Sam is currently the boss of West Ham United, and faces a challenge in that he has to lift his club to the top of the Npower Championship table if his ambition is to get wings.

Sam was ostensibly considered for the top job in 2006 but Steve McCLaren eventually turned the tables on him. Managing the English side has proved a daunting task for Capello, and his predecessors; even as the team has produced some spineless performances in the past despite plenty of talent.

Sam took charge of West Ham after his predecessor Avram Grant was shown the door following a string of losses. Sam's only downside is that he was never at the helm of a top flight club in the Premiership league.

However, going by his past performances, Sam is riding on some good results at Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers.

I believe Sam deserves a chance to prove his mettle provided his team finishes among the top two. Sam is an Englishman who knows the psychology, style and strengths of the players. On a personal note, I am impressed by his showing at West Ham.

Before his arrival, West Ham was tottering. Sam injected self-belief and urgency into his side and the result is there for everyone to see. West Ham is now sitting pretty in the second position.

They face stiff competition as only four points separate the top four clubs. Though West Ham fans have accused him of not playing the West Ham way, he has produced results, and that is the bottom line, rest everything takes a back seat.

Interview with Sam

I had the opportunity to interview Sam during his visit to the Gulf where he was eyeing to attract investment for his club. Back then, he was the boss of Bolton Wanderers.

During a marathon interview with Sam, I bombarded him with queries relating to English soccer, application of technology, and his views on Spanish league, among others.

Sam came across as a very focused and dedicated manager who was determined to finish among the top four in the Premiership. What struck me most about Sam was his oodles of positive attitude which seemed to have rubbed quite well on his present side.

Responding to a question, Sam noted that the Premiership league is superior as compared to the other leagues in the world, and that the ferocious tempo and athleticism of the players sets it apart.

Elaborating further, Sam added: “The strength and athleticism of the players in the Premiership is much higher for the complete game. The tempo of the match is ferocious and goes at a higher pace throughout the game.”

He said a Premiership game starts on a fast note and stays that way until the final whistle, and as a result skilful players need to produce their skills much quicker as compared to Italian or Spanish leagues.

Sam buttressed the application of technology in soccer and that there was an imperative need to review critical decisions because a wrong decision could prove devastating for a club, especially in competitive leagues.

Sam lamented that the number of English players playing top-flight soccer had dwindled, and as a result the national manager had not enough pool to choose from.

Responding to the claim that English players were unable to deliver outside England, Sam refused to buy the argument.

When pointed out that former Manchester United hitman David Beckham had come cropper at Real Madrid, Sam thundered:  “Beckham was under a lot of pressure because Real Madrid was frequently changing its coach, and as a result blame cannot be heaped on to the star.”

Sam stonewalled a query when asked whether he would coach a foreign national team.

Can Sam pull it off? Sam’s future hangs in balance. If West Ham manages to bag the Championship, then Sam could find himself in the reckoning for the top job. It’s a formidable task but not impossible.