Allardyce Must Evolve - Sir Bobby

[Thespence]

Former Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson believes current boss Sam Allardyce needs to adopt a more expansive style.

 

Allardyce has endured persistent speculation over his position in recent months following a disappointing start to the Premier League season.

 

Robson, who was sacked in August 2004, hopes Allardyce does not suffer the same fate but feels the ex-Bolton boss needs to encourage more attacking football.

 

Robson wrote in his column in the Mail on Sunday: "Let's make it clear, I don't think Sam deserves the sack. You should only sack bad managers or those that don't fit in.

 

"Sam certainly isn't in the first category and should be given more time to acclimatise to a new club and all the anticipation and expectations that surround it.

 

"The trouble for Sam is the style they [bolton] produced had an upper ceiling. What would be considered success for Bolton - slightly above halfway - is regarded as failure at Newcastle.

 

"To break into the top six, you need flair as well as method. Big Sam's challenge is how to become a top Newcastle manager, even if it means sacrificing some of the things that have made him successful in the past.

 

"Organisation and stability can take you so far but I don't think Newcastle fans can be satisfied without cheering on players that can attack and entertain."

 

Robson is also not sure how much of a balanced view club owner Mike Ashley is obtaining by sitting with fans each game.

 

Robson added: "It's because he's new to football and wants to see how the fans think.

 

"It's a great idea but, in my view, has probably served its usefulness now.

 

"It might be best for Mr Ashley to put on a suit, step back and start making strategic decisions detached from the groans of die-hard supporters."

 

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/07/12/30/SOCCER_Newcastle_Robson.html

 

[shido]

"It might be best for Mr Ashley to put on a suit, step back and start making strategic decisions detached from the groans of die-hard supporters."

 

Hmmm interesting.....i like seeing mike jumping up and down like a maniac in the stands.....plus would mort be making most of the strategic decisions anyways?

 

Totally sums up what sam needs to do tho in the long run........good old bobby.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

2 players would transform us from an average side to a decent side

 

I think the defence is ok, its will get us through to the summer. We have strength there now. The reason we are conceeding goals is that they are coming under too much pressure becasue we are not keeping the ball long enough up field.

 

A play maker similar to Elano and a forward similar to Anelka would allow us to have a potency up field.

[Guest paddy]

well said Sir Bob, spot on as always

[Newcastle Fan]

How old does you coaching style has to be in order for Bobby Robson to tell you that you must evolve?

 

Actually well said Sir Bobby..if only Allardyce can read that and actually give a fuck.

[Mowen]

2 players would transform us from an average side to a decent side

 

I think the defence is ok, its will get us through to the summer. We have strength there now. The reason we are conceeding goals is that they are coming under too much pressure becasue we are not keeping the ball long enough up field.

 

A play maker similar to Elano and a forward similar to Anelka would allow us to have a potency up field.

 

I agree. I can see similarities to the side that only needed Bellas and Robert to promote us well up the table.

[tmonkey]

Allardyce should take note from a manager who has not only been here and done it (and recently too), but was far superior to anything Big Sam is ever going to be. Unless he learns from his mistakes, that is.

 

Unfortunately, Allardyce is probably too stubborn to ever take advice from anyone on his methods and mistakes.

[Ally]

It doesn't really bother me that Ashley sits in the stands, its not his role to take strategic decisions is it? I thought the setup was basically Ashley owns the club and spends the money, but Chris Mort runs it. If it was Mort getting his belly out i'd be a bit worried but he's been very professional.

[Gallowgate End]

 

Robson wrote in his column in the Mail on Sunday:

 

"The trouble for Sam is the style they [bolton] produced had an upper ceiling. What would be considered success for Bolton - slightly above halfway - is regarded as failure at Newcastle.

 

"To break into the top six, you need flair as well as method. Big Sam's challenge is how to become a top Newcastle manager, even if it means sacrificing some of the things that have made him successful in the past.

 

"Organisation and stability can take you so far but I don't think Newcastle fans can be satisfied without cheering on players that can attack and entertain."

[/b]"

 

 

He needs to implement the strengths of his Bolton methods into a 4-4-2 system that will get the best out of our current squad.

 

Using the strengths of his Bolton side with the wealth of attacking talent our squad has is the key; implementing his Bolton methods of containing the opposition for long periods and high percentage of the second balls won into one that can also penetrate the opposition could produce a fine side.

 

Sam Allardyce succeeding at Newcastle United rests on him evolving tactically is absolutely spot on.

[mrmojorisin75]

anyone think allardyce just isn't half as smart as he thinks he is?  or half as good a coach as he thinks he is?

 

alls he has to do now is what Gallowgate End suggests, call it pandering to the fans if you like but send the team out to entertain a bit and score some goals playing to the strengths of the players he has

 

if, deep down, he truly believes that his style of play is the way to succeed then he could change things slowly and in the background so that in 3-4 years time we find ourselves in the champions league all praising big sam 'cause he was right all along

 

however sticking to the only system he appears to know with players he admits aren't good enough/can't/won't play it right now is nonsense

 

adapt or die...right now he's dying - is he a good enough coach to adapt?  it appears he's not

[Guest Knightrider]

Couldn't agree more with Sir Bobby, as ever he's bang on with his detached and common sense views. Big Sam should heed his advice.

[Mr. Snrub]

Spot on as usual from the man - regarding what Allardyce has to do asap, that is.

[Yorkie]

2 players would transform us from an average side to a decent side

 

I think the defence is ok, its will get us through to the summer. We have strength there now. The reason we are conceeding goals is that they are coming under too much pressure becasue we are not keeping the ball long enough up field.

 

A play maker similar to Elano and a forward similar to Anelka would allow us to have a potency up field.

 

I agree. I can see similarities to the side that only needed Bellas and Robert to promote us well up the table.

 

I was thining the exact same thing during the Chelsea game.

 

A right-winger and a centre-midfielder, i reckon. With N'Zogbia on the wing too.

[Guest Phil K]

"Must evolve" ?

When did Bobby ever evolve ?

Good manager, well past his sell by date by the end, much loved, but not up to it at the end. (Still at his worst, at LEAST on a par with whats happened since though)

[mrmojorisin75]

2 players would transform us from an average side to a decent side

 

I think the defence is ok, its will get us through to the summer. We have strength there now. The reason we are conceeding goals is that they are coming under too much pressure becasue we are not keeping the ball long enough up field.

 

A play maker similar to Elano and a forward similar to Anelka would allow us to have a potency up field.

 

I agree. I can see similarities to the side that only needed Bellas and Robert to promote us well up the table.

 

I was thining the exact same thing during the Chelsea game.

 

A right-winger and a centre-midfielder, i reckon. With N'Zogbia on the wing too.

 

think it simplies matters a bit - unless those two players plus the rest do a spontaneous hollywood style turnaround where they ignore the coach and play the beautiful game or some such shit....

 

you could put ronaldinho/kaka in that team but if allardyce is making him track back on 50 yard runs or mark midfielders what'll it acheive?

 

new players will have to combine with a new philosophy or there's no point spending the money

[Gallowgate End]

call it pandering to the fans if you like but send the team out to entertain a bit and score some goals playing to the strengths of the players he has.

 

Its not really about "entertaining the fans".

 

Its about Sam Allardyce producing a side that uses some of his methods that has been successful but using our squads attacking talent producing a side that can also contain but actually penetrate the opposition, stretch the opposition, getting our talented attacking players higher up the pitch in the right areas (N'Zogbia, Martins); creating partnerships in the side Viduka playing 12 yards off Martins, Mark linking the play Oba stretching the opposition; Ultimately I think Sam needs to make the opposition think about containing us if he is to get the balance right.

[mrmojorisin75]

call it pandering to the fans if you like but send the team out to entertain a bit and score some goals playing to the strengths of the players he has.

 

Its not really about "entertaining the fans".

 

Its about Sam Allardyce producing a side that uses some of his methods that has been successful but using our squads attacking talent producing a side that can also contain but actually penetrate the opposition, stretch the opposition, getting our talented attacking players higher up the pitch in the right areas (N'Zogbia, Martins); creating partnerships in the side Viduka playing 12 yards off Martins, Mark linking the play Oba stretching the opposition; Ultimately I think Sam needs to make the opposition think about containing us if he is to get the balance right.

 

i'm not suggesting it is pandering to the fans but i'm suggesting it's presumably how allardyce would view it now

 

how else to explain his vehement adherence to something that clearly doesn't work when the people who pay his wages are crying out, literally, for something else?

 

it must be a losing face issue with him now, no other explanation

[Guest Edd]

Tactically there wasn't a huge difference between Sams Bolton and the Chelsea team that won the league recently so, while I'm not a fan of that style of football, it's wrong to say that it can't be successful.  It's the quality of player in the system that makes the difference.

[mrmojorisin75]

Tactically there wasn't a huge difference between Sams Bolton and the Chelsea team that won the league recently so, while I'm not a fan of that style of football, it's wrong to say that it can't be successful.  It's the quality of player in the system that makes the difference.

 

perhaps not even the quality, more the suitability for that system is the key

 

it's alright saying good players should be able to play any system but virtually reversing a players football education is not gonna work...if you began life as a workmanlike player and then developed more skill then the bolton/chelski system would suit you...the other way around and it's a lot harder

 

the successes/failures so far under sam bear that out

[Guest Edd]

Tactically there wasn't a huge difference between Sams Bolton and the Chelsea team that won the league recently so, while I'm not a fan of that style of football, it's wrong to say that it can't be successful.  It's the quality of player in the system that makes the difference.

 

perhaps not even the quality, more the suitability for that system is the key

 

it's alright saying good players should be able to play any system but virtually reversing a players football education is not gonna work...if you began life as a workmanlike player and then developed more skill then the bolton/chelski system would suit you...the other way around and it's a lot harder

 

the successes/failures so far under sam bear that out

So should Sam play a system he's not happy with because we have some players who suit that system (although I'd argue that's debatable anyway after their performances playing that way for the last 3 or 4 years) or should Sam be given time to bring in players that can play his preferred system and we accept this season is a transition period?

[Parky]

It's as much the poor squad as it is the various variations on the system.

[Beezeri]

We're way too counter attacking side at the moment. It works great against better teams but it's so frustrating to see us playing against worse teams as we're not even trying to control the games. Martins fits perfectly for Sam's direct style but he's just so isolated when he gets the ball...

 

Sam's really need to evolve and try some attacking tactics but I don't think it's going to happen

 

I'd really like to know what would the table look like if the games against like TOP10 teams is counted

[mrmojorisin75]

well we can't decide that can we?  he's had 6 months trying it his way and we're as bad as we've been in recent times, right?  if not worse

 

so either the system doesn't work (not true), the players we have can not play the system (perhaps) or they're simply bad players (not true for all)

 

it's somewhere between 2 & 3 for me...some players can play his way some can't (and maybe some won't) so i'm suggesting he tread the middle ground until he can get the players he knows can do it....how longs that gonna take by the way?

 

players like butt/emre/barton/smith have all been brought up in footballing schools that teach the art of pass and move (man u, inter, man city, leeds) and now they're being asked to hoof the ball into open spaces and run around a lot...it's no wonder we never string two passes together

 

but yeah, let's stick with being played off our own pitch by derby, working well for everyone that

 

[Skeletor]

Finally someone says what we've all known all season. Well said Bobby.

[Guest Knightrider]

To flip the coin, we'll have to evolve as a club too, after all he is the manager and we must bend to his ways as well a little. A happy medium is needed.