Our Will To Succeed Will Be My Way Forward

Sam Allardyce relives his first weeks as Everton manager, revealing why he chose to accept the opportunity, his thoughts on the options in his playing squad, the work being done off the pitch – plus the encouraging outcome of the 229th Merseyside derby

Sam, your first sit-down with Everton magazine, and we have to the start with the point gained from your first Merseyside derby. There were plenty of talking points...

Well, what I’d say is that the quality of our defending paid of and then one moment, which we took full advantage of, culminated in the equalising goal. And I have to say that the quality of Wayne [Rooney]’s ball that opened up the back two of Liverpool caused the panic. And that panic resulted in the penalty. Whatever Jurgen [Klopp] says about it, it was a penalty and it was a brave decision by the referee, so the credit goes to Craig Pawson for being brave enough to give it. I had a couple of stats about us not getting penalties at Anfield – I believe it was only our second penalty there since 1937, so it shows you how difficult it can be to get a pen at Anfield - but the referee was very brave in his decision. And correct as well. And if there’s one man you’d want stepping up in those circumstances, it would be Wayne Rooney.