Sam Allardyce: Sven Goran Eriksson backs prospective new England manager to 'do a good job' with national side

Eriksson managed England to three quarter-final appearances, in two World Cups and Euro 2004

(Getty Images)

Sven-Göran Eriksson, the former England manager, has backed Sam Allardyce to experiment with new tactics when he is formally announced as Roy Hodgson’s successor later today.

Allardyce is expected to be handed the post after impressing the Football Association during the interview process following England’s farcical exit from the European Championship with a 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the second round.

Eriksson managed England to three quarter-final appearances, in two World Cups and Euro 2004, at the turn of the millennium before going on to manage Manchester City, Leicester City and the Ivory Coast national team.

Now head-coach at Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai SIPG, the 68-year-old believes Allardyce won’t necessarily stick to the “long ball” tactics which have attracted derision during his 25-year managerial career.

"Sam has been there for a long, long time and he's done a good job wherever he's been," he told Sky Sports. “He's very organised so that will be a very organised team I suppose. So why not? Good luck, Sam.

“If you take a team from the lower part of the table, you have to adapt what you want to do. You have to defend and be organised or you will go down. So I think it depends on the situation, whether you have a top team, a middle team or a bottom team.

Sven-Goran Eriksson talks to Sol Campbell during the 2006 World Cup (Getty Images)

“Many times Sam has managed a team that has been struggling for survival and he has done the job. I don' t think Sam needs any advice. I know that for many years he has wanted that job. He knows the English press well and that is the least pleasant part of the job. But he will do a good job. I hope so. I'm sure he will.”