LONDON • Newcastle manager Steve McClaren has warned his Sunderland counterpart Sam Allardyce to stay away from the England job as they prepare to go head-to-head in the derby.

McClaren's side will look to halt a five-game losing streak against their north-east rivals in front of a 48,000 sell-out crowd at the Stadium of Light today.

It is the first home game in charge for new Sunderland boss Allardyce, who spent a seven-month spell as Newcastle manager before his dismissal in 2008.

In his recently-published autobiography, Allardyce claims he should have been made England manager in 2006, when McClaren was chosen to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson, heralding an unsuccessful 18 months as national coach which saw England fail to qualify for the European Championship in 2008.

McClaren refused to be drawn on Allardyce's assertion that he was the best man for the job at the time. But the future of current coach Roy Hodgson is expected to come under scrutiny if England fail to impress at next year's European Championship in France.

Allardyce still harbours ambitions of leading his country, but McClaren said: "I'm sure when the England job becomes available next, Sam will be put forward for it. I don't think he is especially concentrating on that, and I certainly wouldn't recommend to actually do it. That's just a personal opinion.

"Whether he has the credentials to be a future England manager, I wouldn't like to comment. Sam's a great club manager as he's proved wherever he's gone. I think he'll do a good job at Sunderland."

Sunderland, bottom of the table, are still looking for a first victory of the season in the Premier League.

A win would put the Black Cats level on points with their neighbours, who climbed to 18th thanks to a resounding 6-2 win over Norwich last week.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

SUNDERLAND V NEWCASTLE

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