Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Atletico boss Simeone would be boring in English football

April 29, 2016 15:50 IST

‘Everybody can say 'well, that's not entertaining', but everybody is eulogising Simeone's tactics now. I wouldn't think they would do that in the Premier League so much’

Diego Simeone

IMAGE: Diego Simeone, coach of Atletico Madrid gives instructions during the Champions League match. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce reckons Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone would be labelled boring for his defence-oriented style if the Argentine were managing a Premier League club.

A fine defensive display helped Atletico secure a 1-0 first leg win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday and in the process they kept their 34th clean sheet in 52 games in all competitions.

Allardyce himself never endeared himself to fans at former club West Ham United for his defensive approach and under him, Sunderland have managed three clean sheet in their last four games to crawl out of the Premier League relegation zone for the first time since early March.

"It's an art, defending - everybody has forgotten that. It's a tactical art to be able to sense danger and block people's crosses and get your toe in without fouling them now," Allardyce told British media.

"The whole team buys into it. That's how good the manager is and that's why they are successful. They are successful because they concede fewer goals than everybody else and only need one to win.

"Now, everybody can say 'well, that's not entertaining', but everybody is eulogising Simeone's tactics now. I wouldn't think they would do that in the Premier League so much."

With just four games left, Sunderland, who are 17th in the Premier League, will look to take a step closer to top-flight safety in their away match with 10th-placed Stoke City on Saturday.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.