The Times today speculated that the players have turned on Allardyce

[KaKa]

Don't think anyone spotted this from this mornings paper. Our recent performances are beginning to make more sense now ...

 

Unrest in the dressing-room adds to trouble for Sam Allardyce

 

Matt Dickinson, Chief Sports Correspondent

 

Sam Allardyce heads into a testing few weeks as the Newcastle United manager, yet to convince his own players that he can turn around the club’s fortunes. Senior members of his squad are known to be at odds with Allardyce, who has picked up just one Barclays Premier League point in nine before matches against Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal.

 

Allardyce’s tactics have already caused some disquiet among the club’s fans, but there is also unease in his dressing-room. The manager is aware of the unrest, which may explain why he recently spoke about needing three to five years to bring success to Newcastle.

 

It is a familiar story on Tyneside, where the club seem to be constantly on the brink of crisis. The picture is complicated by the fact that the owner, Mike Ashley, did not appoint Allardyce but inherited him after his takeover of the club in June.

 

Chris Mort, the chairman appointed by Ashley, has been critical of recent performances, which have included a 4-1 defeat at home to Portsmouth. The big question is whether Allardyce will get proper backing, and patience, from the board. Six months is no time at all to judge whether the methods that were so successful at Bolton Wanderers can work at St James’ Park but he will not be helped by the whispers of unrest.

 

Allardyce is trying to change the club at many levels, from a new gym and massage rooms to the style of play. His training methods are believed to be far more rigid than the previous regimes of Graeme Souness and Glenn Roeder. Allardyce would say that that is a good thing, but it seems to have come as an unpleasant shock to some of the players.

 

The manager admitted to teething problems in a recent interview. “I think the difficulty at the moment lies with everyone being so new,” he said. “I don’t think anyone realises that when you change so much it is difficult to get things right overnight.”

 

The board backed him recently in the recruitment of Paul Barron, one of the country’s outstanding goalkeeping coaches, from Middlesbrough, but they will want to see results improve. That is unlikely in the short-term as they face Liverpool today before the trip to Ewood Park and then the meeting with Arsenal.

 

Allardyce revealed the pressure he is under when he snapped at the local media last week. He accused them of whipping up supporter disenchantment with his direct style of football. “It is probably more volatile and more unacceptable than I expected here,” he said.

 

As Newcastle host Liverpool, it is a confrontation between managers who are not only uneasy at their clubs but also uncomfortable in each other’s company. Asked to describe his relationship with Rafael BenÍtez, Allardyce was pointed: “Average - a bad average I would say,” he said. “He doesn’t like me.”

 

Why? “Because we beat them. And Bolton were not supposed to beat a team like Liverpool. We played a different game with different rules, apparently. But I didn’t see any referee’s report saying we played outside the rules, so it was just a bit of self-protection [from BenÍtez].”

 

Newcastle will be without Michael Owen, who strained his thigh on international duty in England’s game against Austria. The forward’s bad luck with injuries is another cause of frustration on Tyneside.

 

Damien Duff has been another long-term absentee, but he is back in training. It remains to be seen how Allardyce intends to shape his team when everyone is available. He arrived at the club with plans for 4-3-3 but has been forced to chop and change.

 

He ruled himself out of the running for the England job this week, but he would not be in contention this time around. BenÍtez, though, has expressed an interest, which gives the rivals something to talk about in Allardyce’s office.

 

“I don’t see why I won’t be inviting him in for a glass of wine afterwards,” he said. “I went in for a glass of wine when Liverpool beat us 2-0 and he’d spoken about me in the papers the day before. I was big enough to walk in and test how good his red wine is.”

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article2933696.ece

 

Very worrying if this is the reason for the players apparent lack of effort. I think Sam has struggled and made a mess of things and I won't be sad to see him go, but for the players to be complaining about training being too hard?! The players certainly have to take some heat too. Quite unnacceptable.

 

 

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Shit stirring.  Nothing more

[madras]

i'd doubt the training regime is what is pissing the players off. shit tactics and formations are a more likely source. are the players man enough to take this up with allardyce ?

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Don't most players complain that training sessions have been too light when a new manager comes in and puts in extra sessions?

[Cronky]

There's way too much chopping and changing at the moment. Some of it is down to injuries, but some of it is Allardyce struggling to settle on his best eleven and his best formation. That's bound to be unsettling to the players.

[Decky]

Its probably the fat useless cunts who Sam said were unfit when he arrived and dont want to stop eating the pies.

 

IMO the manager comes first, if the players arnt up to changing for the new manager's set up they can fuck off tbh.

[KaKa]

So with the players disgruntled already and the fans carrying on like they did today is it going to be possible for Sam to weather the storm?

 

The players will only be more of a pain now as they will no doubt lose even more respect for the manager having seen the extent to which the crowd turned on him today.

[madras]

if it's due to the tactics and formations the players are right.

[Decky]

Its bollocks, if the players are acting like children then they can fuck off, would players get away with this at a top 4 club? Would they fuck, if we are to ever return to those heights we need to get rid of twats like that.

[madras]

Its bollocks, if the players are acting like children then they can f*** off, would players get away with this at a top 4 club? Would they f***, if we are to ever return to those heights we need to get rid of twats like that.

not behaving like children  but being disgruntled about a manager who doesn't appear to want to get the best from them.

[Rob]

if this is true then the players should be lined up and shot ... although i think this is crap because there are no quotes and most of the players today were his buys nd would have known what to expect

[Colos Short and Curlies]

If the players are en-masse disgruntled with tactics/training whatever then Sam would be a big headed baffoon not to listen to them.

 

Robson listened to the England squad in 86 and 90

Woodward let the players have influence in 2003

Ashton similar this year.

 

Souness didn't listen to anyone

Seems like Sam doesn't either

[KaKa]

Its probably the fat useless c***s who Sam said were unfit when he arrived and dont want to stop eating the pies.

 

IMO the manager comes first, if the players arnt up to changing for the new manager's set up they can f*** off tbh.

 

We really do have to clear out all the left over players from before. They are all losers and their attitudes stink. I have no doubt it is the likes of Duff and Carr who were clearly way out of shape last season who are now having a moan. It's quite disgusting really.

[Decky]

if it's due to the tactics and formations the players are right.

 

Regardless of tactics and formations the players should put in 100% every week, if it isnt working then fine, on the managers head be it, but how do we know the managers tactics arnt working if the players dont perform? Players turning on the manager and making the fans sit through non performances like today is unacceptable and the players should be ashamed.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Thread title a bit misleading........ confirmed??

[Cronky]

So with the players disgruntled already and the fans carrying on like they did today is it going to be possible for Sam to weather the storm?

 

The players will only be more of a pain now as they will no doubt lose even more respect for the manager having seen the extent to which the crowd turned on him today.

 

Which is why the attitude of the crowd was so destructive today. It's worrying, because there's something self-fulfilling about it. The players lose heart and the manager's job becomes even more difficult.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Its probably the fat useless c***s who Sam said were unfit when he arrived and dont want to stop eating the pies.

 

IMO the manager comes first, if the players arnt up to changing for the new manager's set up they can f*** off tbh.

 

We really do have to clear out all the left over players from before. They are all losers and their attitudes stink. I have no doubt it is the likes of Duff and Carr who were clearly way out of shape last season who are now having a moan. It's quite disgusting really.

 

Bit unfair on Duff, he only started training this week after 7 months out with injury

[madras]

if this is true then the players should be lined up and shot ... although i think this is crap because there are no quotes and most of the players today were his buys nd would have known what to expect

all it says is the players are disgruntled...if you were a player in his team would you be disgruntled at his formations,team selections and tactics ?

[madras]

if it's due to the tactics and formations the players are right.

 

Regardless of tactics and formations the players should put in 100% every week, if it isnt working then fine, on the managers head be it, but how do we know the managers tactics arnt working if the players dont perform? Players turning on the manager and making the fans sit through non performances like today is unacceptable and the players should be ashamed.

it's not effort,players can give 100% but if they don't feel right it doesn't come off,no lack of effort involved.

 

alan smith gave 100% today

[Decky]

if it's due to the tactics and formations the players are right.

 

Regardless of tactics and formations the players should put in 100% every week, if it isnt working then fine, on the managers head be it, but how do we know the managers tactics arnt working if the players dont perform? Players turning on the manager and making the fans sit through non performances like today is unacceptable and the players should be ashamed.

it's not effort,players can give 100% but if they don't feel right it doesn't come off,no lack of effort involved.

 

alan smith gave 100% today

 

You have to agree though mate, apart from Smith, Martins and Given, no one played like they wanted to be there today, as for Smith and Martins, they may have scored had they got even any service at all, we hadnt even had a shot on target today

[Karjala]

Really hope he fucks off, didnt like him before he came and he's done nothing to change my mind, just reinforce it.

[Cronky]

In the pre-match interview, Allardyce really looked like a man on edge. Normally he's relaxed, but he was sweaty and a bit nervy. He knew he was fielding a shit defence against a good side, and he knew what was likely to happen. He also knew that he was going to get no sympathy. He looked like a condemned man. It's very difficult to inspire a team from that position.

 

The big problem is that a lot of fans seem to think that we're a good team in disguise, and it would be much better if only the manager selected the right 'tactics', or this, that or the other player. That's crap. We're a mid-table side at best and when we're hit by injuries we're worse than that.

[madras]

if it's due to the tactics and formations the players are right.

 

Regardless of tactics and formations the players should put in 100% every week, if it isnt working then fine, on the managers head be it, but how do we know the managers tactics arnt working if the players dont perform? Players turning on the manager and making the fans sit through non performances like today is unacceptable and the players should be ashamed.

it's not effort,players can give 100% but if they don't feel right it doesn't come off,no lack of effort involved.

 

alan smith gave 100% today

 

You have to agree though mate, apart from Smith, Martins and Given, no one played like they wanted to be there today, as for Smith and Martins, they may have scored had they got even any service at all, we hadnt even had a shot on target today

butt gave everything and beye till swamped.

 

it does get to you,in any walk of life when you're being pissed around like that,you can still put the effort in but the results aren't great.

[Karjala]

if it's due to the tactics and formations the players are right.

 

Regardless of tactics and formations the players should put in 100% every week, if it isnt working then fine, on the managers head be it, but how do we know the managers tactics arnt working if the players dont perform? Players turning on the manager and making the fans sit through non performances like today is unacceptable and the players should be ashamed.

it's not effort,players can give 100% but if they don't feel right it doesn't come off,no lack of effort involved.

 

alan smith gave 100% today

Smith can give 100% every week, and he'll contribute fuck all apart from bookings. He's a championship player now, and we paid £6m for him. Wonder if Fergie doesnt like Allardyce to make that one go thru.

[Guest Mantis]

if this is true then the players should be lined up and shot ... although i think this is crap because there are no quotes and most of the players today were his buys nd would have known what to expect

all it says is the players are disgruntled...if you were a player in his team would you be disgruntled at his formations,team selections and tactics ?

 

Nothing more to be said really.  If he had Ronaldo, he'd play him at right back.