Sam Allardyce has cancelled Everton’s Christmas party after telling his players their form this season is no cause for celebration. Everton are unbeaten in three matches in all competitions under their new manager, four in total, with the sense of crisis that preceded his appointment eased by a rise to 10th in the Premier League.
The manager believes Everton have turned things around before Wednesday night’s visit to Newcastle United, a former employer of his, but with six points separating the team from the relegation zone, and having been knocked out of the Europa League at the group stage, Allardyce believes a Christmas party would be an unwarranted and unwelcome distraction from a demanding festive programme.
The players’ night out, scheduled to take place after Monday’s home game against Swansea City, has been postponed as a consequence. “It is not needed at the moment and because of the position we were in when I first arrived here,” Allardyce said.
“I told the players I will pay them back when they come out of Christmas and into January in a better position. They can go and socialise at the right time. As a manager it was very important that the players, in today’s environment with social media, were not seen to be out enjoying themselves too much.
“They have turned things around already for me but [the festive schedule] is our biggest demand. It is probably not overall because a lot has been demanded already with their season starting in July with Europe, and the injuries. A lot has been demanded of the players and Christmas will be the same.
“The party is off until there is a period of time when we are in a very good position and I can tell the lads they can have the relaxing time that they deserve. But whatever they do I don’t want a phone call telling me they’ve been in trouble or they will be in even more trouble with me.”
Allardyce said that life is too short to hold grudges before his return to St James’ Park, where he was in charge for eight months before being sacked by Mike Ashley and where he will face an old adversary, Rafael Benítez. The 63-year-old thanked the Newcastle owner for eventually admitting it was a mistake to have removed him. “It was the first time in my life as a manager I’d heard an owner say that and I was very grateful,” Allardyce said.
He said relations with Benítez have thawed since their regular run-ins when his Newcastle counterpart was at Liverpool. “I had a drink with Rafa for the first time when he was at Chelsea, and at Newcastle,” he said. “It’s all water under the bridge, just two managers pitting their wits against each other. It is the same with Arsène. We used to have a bit of a tête-à-tête. I used to enjoy that scenario when I was younger. I liked to show it wasn’t just the top managers who can do it, that we can have a go as well.”
“It’s not so much now because I don’t feel as though someone with my age and my experience needs to go down that route any more. Now it’s about two teams competing against each other, using our tactics to try to give the players the best opportunity to beat the opposition, and then without any question of doubt what substitutions do you make rightly or wrongly to help the team.”
Despite the cordiality, two years ago Allardyce claimed in his autobiography that Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in Istanbul had “nowt to do with” Benítez. “It’s just stories, and that’s what sells the book,” Allardyce said, laughing. “There were some belting stories, much better than that, but the publishers wouldn’t put them in.”