Big Sam's mind games

The Manchester United supremo, hailed by experts as an accomplished psychologist, is an acknowledged past master when it comes to chicanery.

But Sam Allardyce gave the distinct impression in the build-up to today's Old Trafford derby, that he was taking Fergie on at his own game. And he is certainly no fool.

Rarely has Big Sam adopted such a downbeat assessment of Wanderers' prospects: while praising United to high heaven he gave an honest if harsh analysis of his own team's form, claiming they had lost their competitive edge and admitting that he would settle for a performance, never mind a result in the lunchtime fixture.

Agreeing that his players had "gone soft" was hardly what you expect of a manager on the eve of a derby game.

At face value, it smacked of defeatism. But anyone who has studied Big Sam as he has moulded Wanderers into a major Premiership force, knows that, although he can be as realistic as the next man, he is no defeatist.

And while it would be wide of the mark to suggest he was trying to lull United into a false sense of security, he gave enough clues to suggest that he was hoping at least to take the pressure off his own players.

Ever since the home defeat by Blackburn Rovers, he had suggested the only hope of success at Old Trafford would be to play a containing game, baulking at every suggestion that United might be handicapped by their mounting selection problems and pointing out they still possessed not only a formidable array of talent but also a powerful physical threat.

How better to take the heat off his own players and put the onus on the opposition than to acknowledge that he can't decide whether to vote for Cristiano Ronaldo or Chelsea's Didier Drogba as player of the year, and suggest that, even with a crop of casualties including the suspended Paul Scholes - a player he has always drooled over - he still doesn't expect an upset at Old Trafford?

And, by the way, if Wanderers fans think booing Ronaldo will knock the Portuguese international off his game, they should think again. "Negative press and negative reaction from crowds is a great motivator for world class players" is Big Sam's take on that particular topic.

Wanderers desperately need a lift if they are to get enough points in their remaining nine games to secure UEFA Cup qualification, which was their minuimum requirement when they kicked off back in August. But in the immediate aftermath of the Blackburn defeat, Allardyce effectively wrote off their chances of picking up points on their trips to United, Chelsea or Arsenal.

Don't you believe it. Wanderers have pulled off shock results at all three grounds in the past and Big Sam would not be the manager he is if he didn't believe they could do it again.

Interestingly, while apparently issuing a reality check, he dropped enough hints that he was deliberately shifting the weight of expectation firmly into Fergie's court.

Since United still have to go to Chelsea, they can't afford any slip-ups; Wanderers have a habit of responding to big challenges; and he only gets angry with his players when they lose to teams in the bottom eight ... Big Sam usually has a motive when he offers such opinions.

And the suspicion is that the negative vibes are just part of a strategy designed to prepare Wanderers for a repeat of the Old Trafford triumphs of 2001 and 2002.

but also a powerful physical threat.

How better to take the heat off his own players and put the onus on the opposition than to acknowledge that he can't decide whether to vote for Cristiano Ronaldo or Chelsea's Didier Drogba as player of the year? And to suggest that, even with a crop of casualties including the suspended Paul Scholes - a player he has always drooled over - he still doesn't expect an upset at Old Trafford?

And, by the way, if Wanderers fans think booing Ronaldo will knock the Portuguese international off his game, they should think again.

"Negative press and negative reaction from crowds is a great motivator for world class players" is Big Sam's take on that particular topic.

Wanderers desperately need a lift if they are to get enough points in their remaining nine games to secure UEFA Cup qualification, which was their minuimum requirement when they kicked off back in August. But in the immediate aftermath of the Blackburn defeat, Allardyce effectively wrote off their chances of picking up points on their trips to United, Chelsea or Arsenal.

Don't you believe it. Wanderers have pulled off shock results at all three grounds in the past and Big Sam would not be the manager he is if he didn't believe they could do it again.

Interestingly, while apparently issuing a reality check, he dropped enough hints that he was deliberately shifting the weight of expectation firmly into Fergie's court. Since United still have to go to Chelsea, they can't afford any slip-ups; Wanderers have a habit of responding to big challenges; and he only gets angry with his players when they lose to teams in the bottom eight ... Big Sam usually has a motive when he offers such opinions.

And the suspicion is that the negative vibes are just part of a strategy designed to prepare Wanderers for a repeat of the Old Trafford triumphs of 2001 and 2002.