khay 10 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Newcastle United's recent history has been notable for delusions of grandeur followed by underachievement; three years ago when Freddy Shepherd described the manager's job as one of the top eight in world football, and they duly finished 14th that year. In the same time, Bolton Wanderers became synonymous with Sam Allardyce and enjoyed the consistent overachievement that four successive top-eight finishes implies. Now he is at St James' Park, posing the question: who changes, Sam Allardyce or Newcastle United? There will be one significant difference when Mike Ashley completes his takeover, removing Newcastle from the grasp of Shepherd and the Hall family. Given the prospective owner's reclusiveness, it is hard to determine what that means for Newcastle but, as he is already a billionaire, it is unlikely to include lesser spending for a club noted for its generosity in the transfer market. And Newcastle managers, still more so than their counterparts elsewhere, tend to be defined by their signings. It is especially brave, therefore, to make Joey Barton the first player purchased (after Mark Viduka's arrival on a free transfer) in a reign. It is also a show of confidence. Allardyce's success with diverse characters at the Reebok Stadium has equipped him with the belief that, despite Barton's self-destructive streak, he can harness the midfielder's dynamism and evident ability to Newcastle's benefit. The commensurate loss of Scott Parker, both captain and Newcastle's most reliable outfield performer, created a vacuum that Barton fills in midfield. Allardyce's choice of skipper, however, will be instructive. So, too, will the configuration of his attack. For critics of Allardyce's Bolton, the early addition of a target man scarcely counts as a shock, even if the delicacy of Viduka's touch and the precision of the finishing that brought him 19 goals last season means he counts as much more than just the stereotypical big bloke. Nonetheless, he enables the option of direct football by adding stature to a side that, under Glenn Roeder, ranked among the Premiership's smallest. He also endangers either Obafemi Martins, inheritor of Alan Shearer's No. 9 shirt and top scorer in his first season, if Allardyce's persuasive powers ensure another year on Tyneside for Michael Owen. And that is assuming he favours a two-man strike force. Allardyce's latter years at Bolton were characterised by the stifling rigidity of his 4-5-1 formation, though he proved admirably flexible in his approach in the immediate aftermath of promotion to the Premiership. However, such is the affinity of the Newcastle public with their goalscorers that it would amount to a huge gamble to only field one in a place where defensiveness is deplored. Nor is making any of his main trio of strikers an ersatz right-wing target man, following the conversion of Kevin Davies, an option. In this instance Allardyce, and not Newcastle, must change. But a dislike of defensive intent is heightened by practical experience on Tyneside, where a succession of porous back fours have undermined their cause. The wholehearted Steven Taylor apart, they were predictably substandard last season. In contrast, Allardyce's first move - the release of a quintet including Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Oguchi Onyewu and Olivier Bernard - was astute. It showed the scale of the problem as well as enabling wholescale rebuilding. Given his fondness for both free transfers, who constitute many of his best buys, and all things Bolton, there was an inevitability that Allardyce targeted Tal Ben Haim as a possible conduit to improvement. The Israeli has speed and versatility but, above all, the reliability that Allardyce craves. The Czech international David Rozehnal has also been mooted while a left-back has long been required. On the opposite flank, there has been the leftfield suggestion that Allardyce is considering using Kieron Dyer as an attack-minded right-back (though given Nolberto Solano's high-class delivery from the flank, he has effectively answered that description for much of the season). It hints at the elusiveness of Dyer's best when, at 28, his finest position is still a subject for debate. It is also pertinent that he has often been denied a regular place by injury. That has been a constant at Newcastle. Both Graeme Souness and Roeder long pleaded misfortune; Allardyce is more likely to replace suggestions the club is jinxed with a more scientific approach, aided by the probable recruitment of two of his Bolton backroom staff, Mike Forde and Mark Taylor. It is hard to imagine that tai chi has been on the agenda for Dyer and Barton in the past. It may be now. New-age methods transformed the fortunes of what appeared an old-school boss. However, man-management was another of Allardyce's strengths at Bolton; given the tradition of dissent at Newcastle, it will need to be. Recent malcontents have included Emre, Charles N'Zogbia and Albert Luque, perhaps Newcastle's most disastrous signings since Marcelino. It would be little surprise if they left, yet Allardyce has long been tempted by players with talent and a renaissance is far from impossible. The ability that each possesses could enable Allardyce, after two years of increasingly sterile football, to entertain, always a demand on Tyneside A more expansive style of play, designed with a pair of strikers in mind, could be the concessions Allardyce makes in his methods to placate the Newcastle faithful and reflect the greater ambitions of a bigger club. Yet if Newcastle's squad become noted for the infrequency of their spells on the treatment table, the dependability of defending characterised by regular clean sheets and their status as ever-presents in the upper half of the Premiership, the question will be answered. Sam Allardyce will have changed, but Newcastle United will have changed more. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story...mp;lid=tab2pos1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sima 0 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Calling N'Zogbia a disastrous signing is a bit of a fucking stretch tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khay 10 Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 Calling N'Zogbia a disastrous signing is a bit of a fucking stretch tbh Mong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sima 0 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 OMG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Carr's Gloves 4091 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 What a load of bollocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaser 1321 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Cant say I could disagree much with that article, although the comment about Parker is probably wide of the mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Cant say I could disagree much with that article, although the comment about Parker is probably wide of the mark. Are you Anal is disguise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skhwoody 0 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 i think re reading it, it only refered to luque Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammynb 3653 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 i think re reading it, it only refered to luque Nope you'd be wrong! Recent malcontents have included Emre, Charles N'Zogbia and Albert Luque, perhaps Newcastle's most disastrous signings since Marcelino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaser 1321 Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Cant say I could disagree much with that article, although the comment about Parker is probably wide of the mark. Are you Anal is disguise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyluke 2 Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Allardyce change Ashley takeover coaching diet regime 21st century blah blah blah blah Enough of these long overwinded pointless articles already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toondood 0 Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 couldn't think of a stupider thread if I tried Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gram 0 Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 couldn't think if I tried True Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Patrokles Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 i think re reading it, it only refered to luque Nope you'd be wrong! Recent malcontents have included Emre, Charles N'Zogbia and Albert Luque, perhaps Newcastle's most disastrous signings since Marcelino. More likely to be a typo, tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JawD 99 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 On the heading... Aye! the fucking weather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 couldn't think of a stupider thread if I tried I find that hard to believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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