Has modern football adopted the Allardyce playbook?

Modern football is tilting toward a more direct style, with longer balls and a renewed emphasis on set-pieces, according to Sam Allardyce, the former Bolton Wanderers manager whose teams helped popularize a direct approach in the 2000s. In a BBC Sport interview tied to this season’s tactics debate, Allardyce argues that elements of his playbook are resurfacing at the highest levels, including in the Premier League. The discussion comes as teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea flirt with a more aerial, direct brand of football. In a Premier League clash dated 20 September 2025, the game between Manchester United and Chelsea appeared to illustrate a broader shift toward launching attacks long from the goalkeeper rather than building from the back.

"We got heavily criticised at the time," Allardyce says. "But we were ahead of the game and lots of people, particularly at the bigger clubs, or even the press, were not too complimentary." The conversation frames a broader debate about how teams press higher up the pitch, how they move the ball, and what counts as efficient construction of an attack in 2025.

Take a high vantage point. In Paris Saint-Germain’s bid to defend their Champions League title, head coach Luis Enrique watched the opening 45 minutes from a seat high in the stands rather than the touchline. "I’ve been watching rugby coaches analyse matches from above for a long time," Enrique said. "I’m always open to anything that can improve our performance." The stance echoes a variant of Allardyce’s own approach decades earlier. He recalls being in the stands at Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn, communicating with staff via walkie-talkie while the bench remained a distance away. "You’ve got the bigger, better overview," he says. "You’re not as emotionally attached." He notes that external pressure from fans and directors ultimately pushed him back to the bench, but he sees value in the away-from-the-dressing-room perspective when it is used to illustrate a plan to players. "It’s a great shame based on what people’s perceptions are."

Play #1: Take a high vantage point. A direct way of coaching and communicating can illuminate tactics in real time, particularly when a coach wants to demonstrate a sequence of moves to a forward line or a defensive unit. In practice, the method mirrors an openness to innovative analysis that Enrique has described as part of a broader trend toward data-informed decision-making and, at times, a more managerial separation from the touchline. The conversation about this approach is part of a wider debate about how much managers should be on the bench versus in the stands, and whether the view from above can become a staple rather than a novelty.

Play #2: Send it long to the big man. Allardyce’s best-known formula featured a target striker who could hold the ball and bring others into play, a style that champions a long ball or long-pass sequence to switch the point of attack quickly. The idea was that a physically imposing frontman—think Kevin Davies, Mark Viduka, Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke in his era—could win aerial duels, lay the ball off, and allow quicker forwards to pounce. In today’s market, clubs are still investing in tall forwards—Benjamin Sesko (6ft 5in) at United, Nick Woltemade (6ft 6in) at Newcastle, Thierno Barry (6ft 5in) at Everton, and a still-productive Haaland (6ft 5in) at City—yet the emphasis is shifting to maximise the influence of the frontman within a system that can break through with direct progression rather than patient buildup alone. Allardyce notes: “For the past three or four years they have been stood in the middle saying 'when am I going to get a kick?' Frontmen will not be as bored as they have been.” The trend, he argues, reflects a willingness to deploy a strong target in combination play, with the ball arriving quickly to the attacker who can hold, run channels, or lay off to runners. This approach, he suggests, makes the ball’s first pass forward more consequential and reduces the dependence on a backline building through midfield.

In this context, a number of clubs have pursued a more direct line, reducing the emphasis on back-passing and patient, possession-based phases at times. The shift toward “playing the ball into dangerous areas” aligns with the continued willingness to exploit the strengths of a tall, mobile striker in tandem with athletic wide players and pace behind the defense. Allardyce emphasizes that modern teams must use the best attributes of their squad—whether a big forward’s hold-up play or a quick, sharp passer’s ability to thread an early ball—to create chances. He adds that frontmen should be integrated into the game rather than isolated in central positions, something he believes can reinvigorate a stale attacking dynamic.

Play #3: Make the most of set-pieces. Sunderland’s 2015 relegation-survival campaign is a touchstone for Allardyce’s doctrine: set-pieces can be as decisive as open play. Sunderland finished the season with a league-high number of goals from dead-ball situations outside penalties, a point Allardyce uses to illustrate his broader point: corners, free-kicks, long throws and other restarts must be a weapon, not an afterthought. He argues that teams should tailor set-piece routines to players’ strengths and avoid using a specialist if the player is not comfortable delivering quality balls into the danger zones. Defensive solidity must also improve to convert dead-ball opportunities into sustainable advantage. In 2025, the Premier League has seen a notable share of goals from set-pieces, with 27.7% of non-penalty goals coming from dead-ball situations—the highest such share in more than a decade, according to Allardyce’s assessment of league trends. Arsenal, in particular, has been praised for its set-piece execution, with Nicolas Jover’s coaching staff widely credited for efficiency and precision in delivering balls to trouble zones. "There’s more and more set-play coaches than ever before," Allardyce says. "Arsenal have done very well on that. They’ve changed slightly this year because everybody’s had to spend a lot of time trying to stop them against that particular corner." He contends that the success of any set-piece program hinges on the ball delivery and the players who convert the service into goals.

Play #4: Have an element of surprise. Allardyce has long argued that coaching innovation often requires stepping outside conventional wisdom and avoiding the self-imposed cage of “you can only play in this way.” He urges coaches to be different, to test a new approach, and to endure early criticism if the tactic yields results. “The continuing brainwashing of 'you can only play in this way'… scared the living daylights out of coaches,” he says. His own teams occasionally employed surprise elements such as long-throw or direct early switches of play, followed by quick transitions that disrupt opponents’ setups. He stresses that the element of surprise pays especially in the first 15 minutes of a game and that the best innovations are those that teams can sustain after the initial impact. “After a few weeks go by, everybody else all over the pitch knows what’s coming. So you start coaching towards it,” he explains. “Be the first to do it and see if it works. And if it does, you’ll surprise everybody.”

In discussing how much modern football has absorbed or departed from his methods, Allardyce acknowledges that several clubs are experimenting with elements of what he once championed. The PSG example illustrates a wider acceptance of tactical versatility, with Enrique and others showing willingness to blend different philosophies—from high-press to set-piece optimization and stand-based analysis—into a cohesive plan. As managers experiment with formations, transitions, and match-day decisions, the debate persists over whether these shifts signal a return to a more direct, less patient form of football or simply a broader toolkit to adapt to the pressures of elite competition.

The thread running through Allardyce’s reflections is a reminder that football’s tactical spectrum remains wide and fluid. Coaches are increasingly evaluating risk versus reward in real time: whether a long ball from the back reduces exposure to high-press systems, whether a target forward creates space for runners, and whether well-drilled set-pieces can unlock tight matches. The 2025 season has underscored a trend toward diversification, not a single, uniform doctrine. Whether this marks a permanent return to Allardyce’s playbook—or a hybrid that borrows from multiple eras—may depend on how clubs balance risk, spectacle, and efficiency as the calendar turns toward spring.