What of England’s DNA?

The decision to appoint 61-year-old Sam Allardyce as the new England manager could be seen as a move away from the Football Association’s much-vaunted England DNA. But maybe that’s a good thing, writes Adam Bate.

It’s barely 18 months since the Football Association launched the concept of England DNA. Dan Ashworth was there, the director of elite development, flanked by England Under-21 head coach Gareth Southgate and head of player and coach development Matt Crocker.

Speaking at St George’s Park, the trio outlined the five core elements of England DNA and there was much talk of a specific playing philosophy running through each age-group. “England teams aim to dominate possession intelligently,” they announced with pride.

There were even sessions, for which the FA charged as much as £240, in which Roy Hodgson would discuss the “framework and vision that underpins the England DNA”. Thoughts turn back to those days with the imminent appointment of Sam Allardyce as the new England manager.

Dominating possession. It doesn’t scream of Allardyce. In his last full season as a Premier League boss, the 2014/15 campaign with West Ham, his side saw just 46.7 per cent of the ball and ranked among the bottom five for both short passes and passing accuracy.

“All this tippy-tappy stuff is all a load of b******s,” he said after a West Ham win over Hull last year. “Getting the ball into the opposition’s box as quickly as you can with quality and getting it forward and in behind the opposition is definitely the best way forward.”

Little changed for …

continue reading in source www.skysports.com