Newcastle Form and Big Sam

[Guest Harry-Norway]

Taxi for Sam-get in Jose Mourinho sooner then later please

[Mick]

How many points did we have after 13 games last season and where were we in the league?  Send the taxi away, it's not needed at this time.

[Skirge]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11678_2922023,00.html

 

Allardyce unfazed by booing

Magpies boss has no problem with fans' frustrations

Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce says he is not bothered by the negative reaction from fans.

 

While some supporters were heading for the exit doors in Saturday's comprehensive defeat to Liverpool, others chose to barrack the former Bolton boss.

 

The Magpies chief acknowledges he will not be popular as the team struggles, but he will not begrudge the fans their opinions.

 

Allardyce is still backing his ability to turn around the side's fortunes on the pitch, although he has called for supporters to have realistic expectations.

 

"You're not popular when you're not doing well," he told the Daily Mirror. "If people don't like me, it's up to them. But it doesn't bother me.

 

"The fans have a right to vent their opinions. Their reaction doesn't surprise me.

 

"The supporters want it so much and they want it so soon. It's difficult to give them what they want all the time.

 

Realistic

 

"It's years since Newcastle won something and that doesn't help. We've got to remain realistic.

 

"I could have sat comfortably where I was, picked up my money and stayed at Bolton. I didn't want to do that.

 

"I wanted a bigger challenge and this is one. I'm good enough and big enough for it.

 

"I've got to keep the players' spirits up. I have to keep the pressure off them.

 

"We've only just come together and I never said to them that it would be it would be easy."

[UV]

How many points did we have after 13 games last season and where were we in the league?  Send the taxi away, it's not needed at this time.

 

I'll repeat what I said in another thread - we have less points and have conceded far more goals this season than from the equivalent fixtures last season. We're in a deceptively high position simply because of the relative ease of our early fixtures.

 

I'm not calling for Sam's head, but sticking your own in the sand and pretending we're okay serves no purpose other than to increase the disappointment and panic when we start dropping down the table which we will do unless performances improve dramatically.

[jep]

I'll repeat what I said in another thread - we have less points and have conceded far more goals this season than from the equivalent fixtures last season. We're in a deceptively high position simply because of the relative ease of our early fixtures.

 

 

This season: 19-21 GD, 18 pts.

Last season: 21-14 GD, 25 pts.

 

Definitely a noticeable difference. However, statistics like that doesn't tell you when the games were played, or injuries, stuff like that.

 

I think this is being blown out of proportion, really. It's not like we haven't had good games this season. And this season, prior to the pompey-game at least, I think our defence has looked rather good. Definitely less cringeworthy than that of previous seasons.

[Martin Lol]

I'll repeat what I said in another thread - we have less points and have conceded far more goals this season than from the equivalent fixtures last season. We're in a deceptively high position simply because of the relative ease of our early fixtures.

 

 

This season: 19-21 GD, 18 pts.

Last season: 21-14 GD, 25 pts.

 

Definitely a noticeable difference. However, statistics like that doesn't tell you when the games were played, or injuries, stuff like that.

 

I think this is being blown out of proportion, really. It's not like we haven't had good games this season. And this season, prior to the pompey-game at least, I think our defence has looked rather good. Definitely less cringeworthy than that of previous seasons.

 

I can see a lot of similarities already between Allardyce/Newcastle and Jol/Spurs.  Two people whose tactical credentials aren't as good as some would they have you believe, but both are very able at coming across well with the media.  So when the results start to go wrong, the fanbase is split down the middle, those that want him to stay, those that want him sacked.

 

Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of whether Allardyce should be sacked at this stage, the fact is that the press have now got their claws into the story and they won't stop shaking it around until SA is out on his ear.  New manager in place before the start of the January window imho.

[toonpete1892]

The performance on saturday reminded me of the performance down at derby ELEVEN weeks ago - 2nd balls not even being competed, lack of even off target shots, lack of movement from both midfield and the frontmen, the ability to pass to one another, no enthusiaism etc etc etc

 

I know it will take time for success to start showing but in this time we havnt improved one bit and have been lucky to get a result if any.  Despite BS having an army of back room staff that struggle to fit into a double decker bus, I'm still unsure to what goes on in training and how his support team have improved the mentallity, fitness and positive attributes of players.  As I say, it'll take time but surely some positives need to start showing soon otherwise player heads will drop (if not already) and then its one hell of an uphill struggle.

[Mick]

 

I'll repeat what I said in another thread - we have less points and have conceded far more goals this season than from the equivalent fixtures last season. We're in a deceptively high position simply because of the relative ease of our early fixtures.

 

I'm not calling for Sam's head, but sticking your own in the sand and pretending we're okay serves no purpose other than to increase the disappointment and panic when we start dropping down the table which we will do unless performances improve dramatically.

 

I don't think I've stuck my head in any sand and have been critical of Allardcye, I just think he's got time to turn things around and I also think we can still go on to have a reasonable season, Allardyce only needs to get a settled team with a formation that the players understand and we'll be OK.

 

I have no idea if he's capable of doing that but I'm not ready to write him off just yet.

[jep]

I can see a lot of similarities already between Allardyce/Newcastle and Jol/Spurs.  Two people whose tactical credentials aren't as good as some would they have you believe, but both are very able at coming across well with the media.  So when the results start to go wrong, the fanbase is split down the middle, those that want him to stay, those that want him sacked.

 

Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of whether Allardyce should be sacked at this stage, the fact is that the press have now got their claws into the story and they won't stop shaking it around until SA is out on his ear.  New manager in place before the start of the January window imho.

 

 

I fear you're right on that account. The amount of muppets jumping on any bandwagon passing by is ludicrous. Basically, it doesn't take more than a handful of halfwit journalists to switch this club onto the wrong track, and half the fanbase will follow. So unbelievably frustrating.

 

About SA, yeah he might not be the genius tactician that so many make him out to be. But he has gotten things right before, and he has shown that he knows how to run a team properly. I don't believe for one second that he's lost the dressing room, he doesn't strike me as that kind of a manager - but as you point out, that might be because he knows how to use the media, making a good impression etc. Fact still remains, top clubs need stability, and I think sacking SA now would be an unwise decision in the long run.

[Northern Monkey]

How many points did we have after 13 games last season and where were we in the league?  Send the taxi away, it's not needed at this time.

 

Its not a comparison thing. He's had money, the chance to choose his own players, tactics and formations. And they've been wrong.

 

How can anyone think this is the man for us??

[Mick]

 

Its not a comparison thing. He's had money, the chance to choose his own players, tactics and formations. And they've been wrong.

 

How can anyone think this is the man for us??

 

Agreed but he can still turn things around very easily by changing tactics and formations and getting the best out of the players he has brought in, I'm not saying he will but it wouldn't take much to put things right on the pitch.  I still think we need some creativity though because even his best 11 has that missing, no matter who he picks or how he tries to play them.

 

Edit, I'm not sure he is the man for us, I'm also not sure that he isn't, yet.

[Northern Monkey]

 

Its not a comparison thing. He's had money, the chance to choose his own players, tactics and formations. And they've been wrong.

 

How can anyone think this is the man for us??

 

Agreed but he can still turn things around very easily by changing tactics and formations and getting the best out of the players he has brought in, I'm not saying he will but it wouldn't take much to put things right on the pitch.  I still think we need some creativity though because even his best 11 has that missing, no matter who he picks or how he tries to play them.

 

Edit, I'm not sure he is the man for us, I'm also not sure that he isn't, yet.

 

He doesn't seem capable of realising his own mistakes, though, regarding tactics, formation or player selection. He's bought Geremi and Smith, and he's damned well going to fit them into the team......

 

I cannot understand how anyone could look at the choices HE made against Pompey, Sun'lun and The Red Shite, and see a manager who is capable of learning from his own mistakes.

 

He's not a novice, he's not new to the league - and neither are some of his poorly performing recruits - he's just not that good.

[Skirge]

I wonder how long he will really have backing though, if we lose the nest two and there is a good chance we will, two hard games.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2007/11/26/no-panic-says-mort-72703-20162640/

No panic says Mort

Nov 26 2007 by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle

 

SAM ALLARDYCE still has the backing of owner Mike Ashley – even though the United boss found himself under fire from the fans during Saturday’s pathetic performance against Liverpool.

 

And his vote of confidence comes on the day when Rafa Benitez faces the sack at Anfield because he has fallen out with his Liverpool owners.

 

United fans chanted “You don’t know what you are doing” and “Big Sam for England” as they watched their side taken apart by Liverpool.

 

Ashley was at St James’s Park on Saturday and he will have seen and heard what a mess his football club is in.

 

Allardyce must know that he has a big job to get the fans back – and that the even bigger shadow of Alan Shearer will hang over him in the next few weeks.

 

However, when asked if Allardyce had Ashley’s full support, Mort said: “Yes, absolutely.

 

“Sam is a very experienced manager, and I am sure he will work hard with his coaching team to turn the team around.

 

“He’s working hard to get his best team, and how they can work together in the best way.

 

“Hopefully we’ll see that come together in the weeks to come.

 

“It certainly does not surprise me to have supporters voicing their concern.

 

“You pay decent money to watch a Premier League game these days, and if someone has paid their money to watch a game, then they’re entitled to voice their concern if it’s not going right.

 

“It was a disappointing display and a disappointing result.

 

“But we need to get the team together and move on.

 

“All games in the Premier League are clearly going to be tough games. It’s the toughest league in the world, and the next two games are going to be particularly tough.

 

“We have to gather the troops together, move on and go into Blackburn away and do the best we can there.

 

Meanwhile the ironic chants of “Big Sam for England” by the United supporters were intended to show their manager that they wanted rid of him.

 

But League Managers Association supremo John Barnwell believes that, despite ruling himself out on Thursday, Allardyce would be interested in managing England.

 

Barnwell, who has worked closely with Big Sam for years, said: “Sam can be persuaded, I’m sure of that.

 

“I’m also sure he could handle every aspect of the job. As he did at Bolton, he would analyse the whole thing and work out a structure. He would approach the job in a different manner.”

 

Speaking personally, while Allardyce came within a whisker of getting the nod ahead of Steve McClaren, I cannot believe after what has happened at Newcastle in the past couple of weeks that the FA will still be interested in him.

 

    * Allardyce presented the North East Football Writers’ Association’s Young Player of the Year to his own central defender Steven Taylor at their annual dinner at Durham’s Ramside Hall last night.

 

[Mick]

 

 

He doesn't seem capable of realising his own mistakes, though, regarding tactics, formation or player selection. He's bought Geremi and Smith, and he's damned well going to fit them into the team......

 

I cannot understand how anyone could look at the choices HE made against Pompey, Sun'lun and The Red s****, and see a manager who is capable of learning from his own mistakes.

 

He's not a novice, he's not new to the league - and neither are some of his poorly performing recruits - he's just not that good.

 

I couldn't argue with much of that, we'll just have to wait and see.

[Mick]

I wonder how long he will really have backing though, if we lose the nest two and there is a good chance we will, two hard games.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2007/11/26/no-panic-says-mort-72703-20162640/

Deleted Oliver s****

 

It looks like Oliver is getting ready to crawl out of the woodwork again, he's getting fed with nothing so no doubt Allardyce will see the wrath of a man who is totally spineless.

[Howaythelads]

I'm not sure why this is still such a big debate.

 

All you have to do is consider that Allardyce was not appointed by Ashley, which means he's under closer scrutiny than if he'd been Ashley's choice. Then put yourself in Ashley's shoes and ask yourself whether you've seen enough from Allardyce to believe it's worth allowing the bloke to spend a wad of potentially millions in January and maybe again next summer.

 

If he stays it can't be for anything he's doing that translates to performances in football matches, that's for sure.

[Martin Lol]

If I was convinced that the FA will definitely not offer the England job to Bent 'Arry, I would have a decent bet on him being your new manager before the start of next season.

[Rocker]

If I was convinced that the FA will definitely not offer the England job to Bent 'Arry, I would have a decent bet on him being your new manager before the start of next season.

 

Wor lass will be fuming if that happened, being a pompy fan. I'll be fuming if that happened, being a Newcastle fan, in all fairness. 

[Guest robertbobo]

How many points did we have after 13 games last season and where were we in the league?  Send the taxi away, it's not needed at this time.

 

I'll gladly pay for the taxi. I think I need treatment. Just heard Keane on BBC NE saying that he takes responsibility for picking the team and getting the tactics wrong on Saturday. Our CLOWN blames the players. We are worse than last season which I didn't think was possible, easpecially considering what he has spent. We are bloody awful - wake up - Berwick Rangers would have performed better away to Barcelona than we did on Saturday at home. Don't even get me started on the utter shite we have produced away from home. I used to think Souness was the worst manager I had witnessed tactically at St. James' Park. This is going nowhere, bloody nowhere, get him out now before even more money is wasted in the January transfer window.

[Guest JamesD]

 

Its not a comparison thing. He's had money, the chance to choose his own players, tactics and formations. And they've been wrong.

 

How can anyone think this is the man for us??

 

Agreed but he can still turn things around very easily by changing tactics and formations and getting the best out of the players he has brought in, I'm not saying he will but it wouldn't take much to put things right on the pitch.  I still think we need some creativity though because even his best 11 has that missing, no matter who he picks or how he tries to play them.

 

Edit, I'm not sure he is the man for us, I'm also not sure that he isn't, yet.

 

He doesn't seem capable of realising his own mistakes, though, regarding tactics, formation or player selection. He's bought Geremi and Smith, and he's damned well going to fit them into the team......

 

I cannot understand how anyone could look at the choices HE made against Pompey, Sun'lun and The Red s****, and see a manager who is capable of learning from his own mistakes.

 

He's not a novice, he's not new to the league - and neither are some of his poorly performing recruits - he's just not that good.

I must say NM, its very odd to agree with you, but i pretty much agree with everything you've said.

[indi]

God, I hope one day a manager comes along and provides this club with a team that the supporters don't deserve.

[Howaythelads]

God, I hope one day a manager comes along and provides this club with a team that the supporters don't deserve.

 

The dedication and faith I've had for this football club over nearly 4 decades now  means I don't have to feel bad about thinking Allardyce is out of his depth. I've seen worse teams but they were all under a regime that wasn't trying to win anything, it's different for this bloke. I feel well justified in my comments about Allardyce because frankly, the likes of Cox and Lee would have given a lot to have had even a fraction of the backing this bloke has had in his few months at the club. Both of these managers operated at a time when there was no chance of success yet both made a good fist at the attempt, making the most of what they had, unlike Allardyce. I'd take both of them as manager over this bloke any day of the week.

[indi]

Fair enough.

[Howaythelads]

Fair enough.

 

Not like you to be down to just two words....

[Guest K9]

Fair enough.

 

Not like you to be down to just two words....

 

Keegan spent that much money?!