It is a little bit surreal to recognize that Sam Allardyce withdrew his retirement and continued the coaching journey with West Brom at this moment.
But that strange decision is easy to understand and explain. As a coach, Sam “Big Sam” Allardyce is the master of avoiding relegation. Having succeeded to avoid relegation 18 times consecutively, he knows what West Brom wants thoroughly. West Brom needs to stay with the English Premier League for at least, another season. And if there is someone that can accomplish that task, it has to be “Big Sam”.
The greatest saving of Allardyce was when he saved Everton from being regulated in the season of 2017-2018. Everton of “Big Sam” did not end the season in top 5 or top 6, but at least, they escaped from the relegation zone outstandingly.
After that saving, Allardyce announced his retirement and stay far away from the route of the English Premier League in the last 3 years. But before signing with Sam Allardyce, West Brom has considered several candidates.
Actually, the Baggies also highly wanted Mark Hughes to take the job. However, they turned down that decision since Hughes probably could not save the Baggies from the relegation.
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An excellent striker and the former English Premier League champion, Hughes has an enormous collection of trophies as an athlete. Sadly, it is not the case in his coaching career.
Being relegated to the Championship with Stoke in the season 2017/2018, Hughes is not the specialist in preventing the regulation. Nor he was the one that earns a trophy for the Baggies.
The former striker of Manchester United can be a handsome coach but not that fairly talented.
During his career as a coach, Mark Hughes left some fleeting marks in the shirt of Manchester City, Southampton, Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, and Fulham. In the end, Hughes was definitely a good option for West Brom but not the best.
West Brom also put on their table the resume of Nigel Pearson.
Once again, it was not the best selection for West Brom. Pearson did avoid the relegation successfully with Leicester City in the season of 2014-2015. Unfortunately, the same thing did not happen with him and Watford last season. Pearson was regulated to the lower-level league with the Hornets.
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Ironically, he was also sacked by the side.
West Brom has on their tables several resumes of potential candidates. And in the end, Allardyce was picked. It is hard to believe that Allardyce would come back, especially when he already declared his retirement.
“Big Sam” decided to come back was probably a big surprise for everyone. And for himself, it was a big move. In the last 3 years, Allardyce mostly participated in the sports world as an expert. He rather gives advice than instruction. “Big Sam” was no longer the coach that can create an impact in small clubs. He turned himself into an expert and worked solely for sports channels.
However, “Big Sam” is coming back to the English Premier League and he is ready to save the Baggies.
As it has been said earlier, Allardyce is the relegation-avoiding specialist, and no matter what clubs he worked for, “Big Sam” has his own way to rescue them from the red zone of relegating. West Brom can be in a dangerous spot right now, but with the talent of Big Sam, the Baggies can be saved.
