Allardyce rejects criticism of Bolton's tactics

Many regard Allardyce as the forefather of negative football in the modern British game, playing a system to simply survive rather than entertain. Allardyce, though, is refusing to take the blame. "Why is it all my fault?" he asked.

"That's great isn't it. People love blaming me don't they? Well, that shows a lack of intelligence, or they don't even come here and watch us, or they are jealous, which is probably the big one.

"We will deal with what we have to deal with, and if you want to have a look at my record, it stands up for itself. I make no apologies about how we go about our job because we are a very attractive football team, no matter what anybody else says, and we are winning more matches than ever.

"We also get the best out of our players week in and week out, we spend less money than anybody else and yet we are in the top half of the table and playing in Europe, so I don't see how you can blame me."

Instead, Allardyce offered his own theories. When asked whether the Premiership had become more boring, he replied: "It's too early to tell yet because we are only six games in.

"I think everybody has become frightened about Chelsea because they haven't conceded a goal, and they are saying it's negative.

"But at the end of the day, I saw Arsène Wenger play one up front in the FA Cup final in May and wait for penalties, and all they say about him is that he plays open, attractive football.

Allardyce, though, always felt the supporters would start to turn away due to the volume of live televised matches currently available.

"There's a huge amount of games being played, and people can't afford to go to more than one game every week, or even a game a month," Allardyce said.

"There's now the opportunity to keep a few quid in your pocket on a Sunday, drink a few pints with your mates at the pub, watch your favourite team on the telly and then stagger home, have your dinner and go to sleep.

"There is too much live football on television, day in and day out, week in and week out, so we might have over-exposed it to the public who are getting slightly fed up now."