Scottish Mag 3 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Sam Allardyce has criticised the organisers of the Amsterdam Tournament after Newcastle United's involvement in the prestigious pre-season event was cancelled at the last minute. United had been in an advanced stage of negotiation with hosts Ajax and the tournament's organisers International Event Partnership and were expected to line up alongside the Dutch giants, Italian outfit Lazio and Spanish side Atletico corr Madrid in Amsterdam in August. But the Magpies were shocked to learn last month the organisers had found another team to play in the tournament, with Newcastle's Premiership rivals Arsenal understood to have taken their place. The lateness of the decision has badly disrupted Newcastle's pre-season plans as Allardyce - who will implement a completely new approach to pre-season training at United this summer - looks to get his squad in shape for the start of his first season in charge. "We are trying to move our recruitment of players and staff along as quickly as we can, but we are also looking to tie off our pre-season plans as well," said Allardyce, who has distanced himself from reports suggesting he is interested in Manchester United defender Wes Brown. "We want to make sure we've got the right games at the right time. We're very disappointed to lose the Ajax tournament. We've been dealt a rather severe blow and basically we've been dumped on from a great height, but we can't do anything about that now. "It would have been a great tournament to be in for pre-season, but we have to focus on getting the right fixtures in place so that we deliver strength, conditioning and tactical scenarios throughout that. We want to build the players up right from a fitness point of view so that we don't get any injuries. "We'll keep building up their all-round ability and we will monitor each individual from day one. We won't even be training as a group, it will be individual programmes or small groups. Then we will start focusing on the team shape and how we want them to play." United are yet to finalise their pre-season fixtures with only two games - against Celtic and local neighbours Hartlepool United - confirmed following their failure to secure a place in the Amsterdam Tournament. But, while the pre-season games will be the first chance for supporters to see Allardyce's new-look side, he has already warned them results will not be important to him. He explained: "I'm really happy if we lose every single pre-season friendly. I've done that virtually every year at Bolton, certainly last year we hardly scored a goal and didn't win a game, but we ended up with 20 points from the first ten matches in the Premiership. "The fans have not got to get too worked up if we lose every pre-season game. It won't be a worry for me and it won't be a worry for the players. It's just about us doing the right things and getting ready for the most important thing, which is the whistle blowing on August 11 and winning that first Premiership game, not some meaningless pre-season friendlies." Allardyce has already declared his determination to shake things up behind the scenes at St James's Park and he may have caused a bit of a stir on Tyneside by suggesting the club's training ground, which was only built five years ago, is already out of date. He said: "While it's a massive football club, it's achievement has been minimal over the last few years. I'm here to try to change that and we are going to try to get as many things as we can in place for the start of what will be a very important first season for me. I want to make the training ground better. It isn't a place for professional footballers to work on a day-to-day basis. "This is a squash club converted. My vision in the long term is to create an all-encompassing building that would excite everybody who walks through the door every day. "The players will be in a rush to get here and they won't want to go home as quickly as they do now. "That's the long term and then there is the short term which is the most important at the moment." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 47251 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Leazes is seething at Allardyce dismissing what he sees as Shepherd's crowning glory - the "state of the art" training facilities. If he disses the new changing rooms at SJP there'll be nowt the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 31603 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 I've heard that before about our training ground, I was told that Arsenal's was far superior despite both being developed around the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Mag 3 Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 "This is a squash club converted....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 47251 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 From what I heard, Arsenal has entire departments dedicated to different types of injury. We just have "Kieron's bed" which we sometimes let other players use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammynb 3653 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 I'm amazed we haven't lobbied UEFA to let us defend our interbob cup crown! Worked for the bin dippers and it would fix big Sam's pre-season schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasepud 59 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 "This is a squash club converted....." Other than a lick of paint and a few cosmetic changes inside it is still basically the old DSS Darsley Park clubhouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 11090 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 I hate that he keeps saying exactly what I want to hear. Ditching friendlies if they'll achieve nothing Wanting to get the right balance of players and strategies Sorting out the Training ground Downplaying the importance of friendly results Individual and small group training regimes ... I'm in danger of losing my head and begin making far fethced predictions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Carr's Gloves 4090 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 I hate that he keeps saying exactly what I want to hear. Ditching friendlies if they'll achieve nothing Wanting to get the right balance of players and strategies Sorting out the Training ground Downplaying the importance of friendly results Individual and small group training regimes ... I'm in danger of losing my head and begin making far fethced predictions. Or even far fetched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 11090 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 bit bored are we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Carr's Gloves 4090 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 bit bored are we? Just a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 "This is a squash club converted....." Other than a lick of paint and a few cosmetic changes inside it is still basically the old DSS Darsley Park clubhouse. Aye. State of the art, eh? Done on the fucking cheap more like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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