Sparks

It doesn't, we are a fair way ahead of Villa in 6th.

Could only dream of our club being run like Schalke.

Who do people think will now stay at the club with Allardyce taking over? One of Allardyce qualities is his ability to rejuvenate players who have lost their way, so which of the many players who have underachieved here will now stay? One of Souness's great failings was his inability to understand what had failed before him and he would endlessly try things that had not worked before under SBR. Ala dropping Robert and wondering why we were not creating anything or playing Shearer and Ameobi upfront together. This is potentially something that concerns me with Allardyce, the likes of Carr, Babayaro, Bramble, Luque, Gooch and Moore were history under Roeder yet now they could start next season not only still in our squad but in our first team.

I can't believe people would be happy with a top 10 finish, thats just 3 more victories than this season or 49 points. 49 points in a season ffs, that's awful.

Top 6 should definetly be the target. With the exception of Spurs, the rest of the teams outside the top 4 are very ordinary.

He has been on about Allardyce for years now, you just need to check all the posts about Allardyce pre April this year, and HTT is all over them.

"Big Sam" does sound a bit, village team amateurish. - and yes that's now a new word.

I was waiting for the last two managers to fail as soon as they were appointed, the last two and a half years have been really misearable and depressing, Allardyce may not be my first or second choice but at least he offers some hope for the future. I don't want to be looking forward to the day he is fired like I was for the previous managers. The whole atmosphere around the fans has been one of virtual negativity for 3 years and that has transferred to the pitch and has been part of the reason why we have been so poor. Just for the sake of the team, the club and my personal enjoyment, I am going to back Allardyce and hope others do the same.

The Under 21 tournement that is taking place this June, was where Viana and the cheese man played 5 years ago, Viana looked fantastic in it as well.

I got 63 first time round without cheating, some of these are really really hard though.

Portsmouth and Blackburn above us is a joke.

Anyone else think one of the editors or other highly placed people at The Chronicle have had a word with him in past few weeks? He Just seems to have backed down slightly from some of his own thoughts in recently I've noticed.

Things must be bad if they have to ask us to and play.

All we need is a big banner in the away end calling for Shepherd to go, and it will be the perfect day.

Yep, he should win and be awarded a fair bit of money. The grounds for his dismissal were ridiculous.

Another new manager generally means another new chance for the "misunderstood" Dyer and it will be the same for a few others.

I don't even count that dickhead. Representative of absolutely no-one. Indeed but he is the most powerful and sadly influencial person in the local media.

HowaytheLads, can claim credit for that one.

Oliver mentioned it today.

Meh! He could be effective but people will have to get used to efficient football, the sort Daglish and Souness tried as well some dull post match interviews with excuses for poor results. I get the feeling once again, that people will easily turn against him despite initial optimism. I've long given up on us attracting one of Europe's best managers, so this is probably the best we can go.

Anyone think Same will try and make a move for Nolan now then?

Just get the feeling people will turn very quickly against Allardyce when things start to go just slightly wrong, he can be a very difficult character to like.

So does anybody think all the players who were going to leave under Roeder, Bramble, Moore, Gooch etc will now get an extra year to prove themselves under the new manager?

Yep Sky Sports now say he has resigned.

Sven, although I wouldn't exactly be over the moon with either appointment. Big Sam just leaves me completely muted, very ordinary appointment.