Sam Allardyce Speaks

[ohhh_yeah 2991]

EXCLUSIVE: We hardly talked but Ashley still sacked me - Allardyce

 

Sam Allardyce is not feeling very big today. He’s talking about the demise of Newcastle United and the subject pains him.

‘Can they still be considered as a leading club? In terms of fan base, history and tradition, yes. In spending firepower and achievement, no. You have to say they are

nearer the bottom than the top,’ he insists.

‘To get up there, the modern game demands that a club will require in excess of £100million to spend on improving the playing staff. When you have another billionaire arriving, like at Manchester City this week, the task becomes harder.

‘Look at Sunderland, they’ve spent £85million in the last year. Niall Quinn and the owners have supported Roy Keane brilliantly. All they have asked for is progress.

‘At Newcastle, that’s not enough. They have demanding and passionate supporters who want success, they’ve waited long enough.

‘They are used to seeing the club in the top five spenders - even if some of the signings haven’t always been good - but that hasn’t happened, has it?’

 

Allardyce had the chance to do something about it and lasted eight months. ‘When you leave a job like that, the damage it does stays with you for the rest of your life. It’s there

every day - the questions. You ask why it happened, how it happened. I didn’t see it coming,’ he continues.

Kevin Keegan saw it coming and still couldn’t stop it: Michael Owen being hawked around on deadline day, James Milner sold despite earlier denials, a lack of investment in fresh signings.

Keegan clings to his job while the confused remuneration rumble heads for the courts.

 

Allardyce tries to explain what it’s like to work for Ashley. ‘I can’t say I know him, can’t say I worked closely with him. He didn’t talk a lot about football. I only met him a couple of times.

‘He expected others to do that side of things for him. He wasn’t full-time at the football club; he was happy in the background.’

In the background until he turned up in the stands wearing his black and white stripes, but a confidentiality clause signed on his departure restricts the questions Allardyce can answer.

‘Mike had the money to buy the club but not really to take it on from there. That’s how it seems from the outside. There’s a simple answer here - you cannot run a football club like a business.

‘Our relationship was okay. My relationship with the people he appointed was okay. Then, when results went against us, they bowed to the pressure. They’re not the first

to do that.’

Appointed by Freddy Shepherd, Allardyce didn’t have much of a chance to get to know his new employer before he was fired. Now it’s Keegan’s turn to feel the heat.

 

‘There seems to have been a breakdown in relationships there. From the outside, there is a problem between the manager and those responsible for the transfer policy.

They are different people in there from my time at the club, such as Dennis Wise and Tony Jiminez.

‘Partnerships and relationships are crucial; maybe that’s why the talk is about Guy Poyet coming in. He has a relationship with Dennis from their time at Chelsea and Leeds.’

After so much success at Bolton, failure is still an awkward subject for Sam. ‘I flew over the place in a helicopter when I arrived and some thought it was over the top. I wanted to take in the place from up high, to look for myself at the ground on the edge of the city.

 

 

‘The place that drew the supporters from their homes, from the bars and into their club to support the local team. It’s unique like that.

‘Some thought I was mad to leave Bolton, where I could have signed for another five years. We had signed top players with outstanding CV’s, like Nicolas Anelka.

‘Newcastle had Michael Owen and Nicky Butt but they didn’t have a very good football team. I got 12 out, brought a few in and set about changing things.

‘I reckon I did about 18 months work in six months, with a massive changeover of personnel. It’s clear now, in the modern game, developing an infrastructure at a club should be left to someone else.’

What would be his advice to anyone considering replacing Keegan?

‘As long as the relationships are right, if the investment is right, then it can be a special club. Jim Smith had his troubles there but told me he would go through it all again. It has a pull, a lure, you think that you can be the one.’

[bobbyshinton 59]

Good article. I hated fat Sam, never wanted him. Reading that I think he sounds like the right man for the job.

[Asprilla 96]

Good article. I hated fat Sam, never wanted him. Reading that I think he sounds like the right man for the job.

eh?

[Guest alex]

"Sam Allardyce is not feeling very big today."

 

Fuck off man. He'll be loving this.

[Fop 1]

Good article. I hated fat Sam, never wanted him. Reading that I think he sounds like the right man for the job.

 

He's speaking a lot of sense there, but I still think he'd have dabbled with relegation if he'd stayed for the season.

[ewerk 31221]

I didn’t see it coming,’ he continues.

 

I think that speaks volumes about his own arrogance.

[East Stander 0]

"Sam Allardyce is not feeling very big today."

 

Fuck off man. He'll be loving this.

 

Dead right

 

For someone who was sacked and paid off in full, he sure looked upset the next day when he was interviewed on his drive, the fat git couldn't stop smiling!!

[OTF 7496]

You can't say that Allardyce got the chance to fully realise his vision for Newcastle.

 

However you can say that the glimpses of it (and the general direction in which he was heading) were not very appealing. He always said that it would be a long term assignment, and people were happy enough to accept that at the time. With the new owner in, he was only given a very brief period to prove himself - and when the road became rocky they took the decision to axe him to bring in 'their own man'.

 

I'm completely indifferent about him now. I think his intentions were good, but he was out of his depth. I would never have him back at the club over Keegan (obviously).

[Guest alex]

Let's not do the analysis of Allardyce's reign again. Quite frankly, it doesn't deserve it

[OTF 7496]

I must admit that I am unfortunately keen to hear what he has to say - only because it seems our operation is such a cloak and daggers affair, and he must have slightly more of an insight to give. No doubt the juicy bits have been suppressed by the fat wad of cash that he sauntered out of Newcastle with.

[Ayatollah Hermione 14066]

Reasonable enough. Still a right twat though. If he gets the West Ham job, I can't see him doing much there either if they're in a similar situation to us.

[Kitman 2207]

He's always talked a good game has Fat Sam. Should stick to being a pundit.

[Acid 0]

During the Man U game he seemed very dissapointed Newcastle salvaged a point at Old Trafford and now he's writing articles about his experience. Bollocks

[Acid 0]

Agree with that Garth Crooks is better tbh

Edited September 4, 2008 by ChriszyD

[Park Life 71]

Might have been an idea to move Sam upstairs with all his backup ideas for players. At least KK would have had someone to touch base with.

 

 

*Tin hat ready*

[Guest alex]

Might have been an idea to move Sam upstairs with all his backup ideas for players. At least KK would have had someone to touch base with.

 

 

*Tin hat ready*

No.

[ewerk 31221]

Might have been an idea to move Sam upstairs with all his backup ideas for players. At least KK would have had someone to touch base with.

 

 

*Tin hat ready*

 

Couldn't think of a worse person for the job given Sam's over-generous belief in his own importance and ability.

[Park Life 71]

Might have been an idea to move Sam upstairs with all his backup ideas for players. At least KK would have had someone to touch base with.

 

 

*Tin hat ready*

 

Couldn't think of a worse person for the job given Sam's over-generous belief in his own importance and ability.

 

Think of all the ice cubes that big fridge thing could have made.