Next stop for Allen Barcelona?

Some fans from his old club Barnet, angry at Allen's sudden departure to snap up the Brentford job rejected by former Spurs star Steve Perryman, now Director of Football at Exeter City, branded him a traitor'.

But Allen snapped: "This was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I'm motivated by success. If I can turn things round and the Brentford team goes on to do well one day I'll be leaving them and going to Barcelona!"

The 38-year-old former QPR, West Ham and Portsmouth midfielder has given an assurance he won't be taking Barnet's best players to Brentford with him - because he has made sure he can't afford them!

Allen, appointed last Thursday in place of the sacked Wally Downes, told me: "I won't be bringing Barnet's stars to Griffin Park with me. Over the past three or four months I signed the best players at Barnet on new two year contracts and they are beyond Brentford's price range. I was actually quoted as saying Giuliano Grazioli was available for £2 million because at the time he was the best goal scorer in Europe."

Money was not an issue with Allen. He revealed: "I haven't signed a contract for Brentford. I don't even know how much I'm going to be paid or for how long. I only know Brentford are giving me a car - mine's knackered. When I told my wife she nearly crashed it, but money is not a high priority."

Allen reckons sheer hard work can save Brentford from relegation. He declared: "The players will not be getting many days off - in fact, I can't see them getting any days off at all. They will have to work their socks off to get the points we need to climb out of the relegation zone.

"The squad is good enough to keep us in the Second Division. Whether I can impose my own style and bring success in the nine games left remains to be seen. But if I hadn't been confident of doing it I wouldn't have come."

Allen showed his ruthless side when he added: "Unfortunately I had to make a difficult decision. I had to relieve Garry Thompson of his duties. It's not a very nice thing to have to do, because he's a good coach and a very nice man. I'm also very disappointed that the previous manager had to leave this club, because I believe Wally Downes was also a good man."

Other people share that view and Downes was on the short list for the Plymouth manger's job as we went to press.

I asked Allen if, as a former QPR player, he feared there might be some resentment towards him just as there was when ex-Manchester United star Steve Coppell became manager of Manchester City. Speaking before Saturday's victory over Rushden, he replied: "No. Our supporters have not seen their club win for eight games. All Brentford supporters want is a win. As soon as that win comes, those desperate Brentford fans - and they must be desperate - will give a great ovation to all those people who achieve it."

Allen admitted: "I certainly won't put myself down as an expert football coach. My style, I'm sure some would say, is a little bit different. But there's a method in the madness and you can spark imagination."

Referring to chairman Eddie Rogers and director John McGlashan, the new manager said: "They've been brave to take the plunge on me after one very successful year in the Conference. They could have gone for past tried and tested. But they've gone for a young, ambitious, hungry, and determined man.

"People talk about this mad dog' image and taking people to my house for bonding. Taking people to your house does not win football matches. Coaching on football pitches does, and having good players to select and coach does.

"I aim to repay the directors whether I'm here for three months, 15 months, two years or 10 years."

But what if Brentford are relegated? Would he be content to build a winning team for promotion? Allen said: "Of course. I've had enough thunderbolts in my life. I've lost a cup final and I've been sacked from two good jobs, but once you've experienced those thunderbolts and dealt with them you become a better person."