Robert Martinez is happy to be facing Blackburn at full strength on Boxing Day – and that includes Sam Allardyce.
A health scare saw the Rovers boss take a back seat for a few weeks but he is back at the coal face now and 36-year-old rookie boss Martinez admits it is hard to turn off from the pressures of management.
The Wigan boss carved out a real name for himself at Swansea and was head hunted by the Latics this summer where he is gradually making his mark in Lancashire.
This is a crunch clash for both sides with the old adage of a ‘six pointer’ never more apt as Givemefootball prepares for the packed festive programme.
Q: Can you understand why Sam Allardyce came back so quickly?
A: It's like bullfighter fever. He has been caught by the bull but he can't wait until he gets in there to get his own back on the next bull. You get that desire and passion in management, so he would want back in as soon as possible.
Q: Is it easy to switch off as a Premier League manager?
A: If you don't feel the pressure then you are in the wrong job. It is intense and of course it is going to affect your health. We all know we are a bit crazy accepting being a football manager. But if you do not love it with that intensity, that is the moment you are not doing it seriously.
Because you are judged by results and performances it is going to affect your health. But I am 36 and I am not ready to collapse, I don't need to get away from it all. I don't feel I need to switch off. It's difficult to see my life without football.
I can remember from the age of two being around football with my dad. The biggest pressure you have is the pressure from yourself, it does not matter if you are in the bottom division or the top.
If you are a perfectionist you want to win every game. You can't control everything, but you can control the majority of things.
Q: Were you pleased to be given your chance at such a young age?
A: You look at the situation in Spain, Italy and France it is exactly the same. It is hard to get into any top league. The owners are the people who have invested money so they earn the right to make those decisions.
Football is a very competitive business, not just in the Premier League but in the best leagues in world football. It becomes harder and harder for young people to get into the top level. Hopefully that will change.
Q: Talking about pressure, you have repeatedly watched your 9-1 defeat at Tottenham on DVD haven't you?
A: It's the way it should be. The moment you don't like it that way you can move out of football. It is a passion and not a job; it takes over your life.
