West Ham boss Sam Allardyce reckons he is as good as any of the foreign managers currently in the Premier League. "I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me anymore," said Allardyce. "That's not trying to criticise any other coaches.
"But there is only Arsene Wenger who has done it longer than me. I'm just as good as everybody at this stage."
Arsenal boss Wenger has been in charge since September 1996, with Allardyce first managing in the Premier League with Bolton in 2001.
He said: "They may well have gained more experience by managing abroad, like Louis van Gaal, Ronald Koeman and people like that, but in this country, with the experience they've got, I don't think there is any coach that would be in that position [of being more sophisticated than me].
"That comes from the amount of time you do in the job, how much experience you gain in the job and how much knowledge you strive for on a regular basis to keep the cutting edge.
"The cutting edge is what's new in football, what's the next level, where is it going to be, how can you find it, how can you implement it into your club?
"I've always been that way inclined. I've never stood still and it's probably why I am still here managing in the Premier League for the last 13-14 years."
