Allardyce reign ends at Newcastle


Newcastle have ended Sam Allardyce's managerial reign after eight months.
The club, currently 11th in the Premier League, said the decision had been reached "by mutual agreement".

Allardyce, who was in charge for just 24 games, said: "I am disappointed to be leaving Newcastle but I wish the club all the best for the future."

Former captain Alan Shearer has been strongly linked with the post but chairman Chris Mort said: "A new manager has not yet been appointed."

First-team coach Nigel Pearson will take charge of the team for Saturday's Premier League meeting with Manchester United.

Earlier on Wednesday, Allardyce had attended a news conference ahead of that game but gave no hint that his time at the club might be coming to an end.

Indeed, the 53-year-old had spoken at length about his plans for the January transfer window.

However, shortly afterwards, Newcastle announced news of his departure with a statement on their official website.

Allardyce took over in May, following Glenn Roeder's resignation, after eight years in charge at Bolton.

He was quickly working under a new regime at St James' Park after billionaire Mike Ashley completed his takeover, and long-standing chairman Freddy Shepherd left the club.

The new manager signed nine players during the summer at a total investment of around £26m, with Joey Barton (£5.8m), David Rozehnal (£2.9m) and Alan Smith (£6m) among the new arrivals.

The Magpies began the season with a 3-1 win at the Reebok Stadium but he soon came under fire from fans unhappy with the team's style of play.

The pressure built with a run of three straight league defeats over the festive period - although midfielder Nicky Butt was among those who urged the club to keep faith with Allardyce.

"It was an open secret that he was under pressure after making such a mediocre start - but the timing of his leaving was still unexpected," said BBC Radio 5 Live's chief football correspondent Mike Ingham.

"But Newcastle's problems stretch back over 30 years - not half a season. Managers have been hired and fired far too quickly.

"When will the penny finally drop that stability and continuity are the main ingredients needed to achieve success?"

Former Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson said the news of Allardyce's departure had come as a great shock to him.

"I was very surprised and stunned when I heard the news," Robson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"That's the eighth Premier League manager we've lost this season already. The pressure is too much now in the Premier League.

"The dismissals of manager are coming fast and frequent and it's rather sad for the game in many respects."

Allardyce's last game in charge was a 0-0 draw at Championship side Stoke in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

He becomes the eighth Premier League managerial casualty this season, leaving with an overall record of eight wins, six draws and 10 defeats.

Since Kevin Keegan left 11 years ago, six permanent managers have now come and gone at St James' Park, while it has been 39 years since the club claimed a major trophy.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Newcastle United | Allardyce reign ends at Newcastle

Proof that there is a club in the land that knows how to make an even bigger mess of managerial appointments and removals than Spurs, and we're pretty good at it. Read somewhere that Allardyce actually heard the news from Sky Sports News journos, rather than from the board. Be a brave man who takes that one on.

Latest on Shearer (via FiveLive) is that he, like the computer, says no.

Newcastle fans are too impatient.

Allardyce could of done a good job for them. Newcastle have not been a top side for a while now, yet they expected Allardyce to work magic in such a short period of time.


The only area I feel he messed up on was the defence. Newcastle have been leaking goals like Spurs for a number of years now.

True, though it was the Board that sacked him. Sam's problem was that he was installed by the Freddy Shepherd regime, and the current crowd are doing everything they can to remove all traces of that era. Unless he hit the ground running (which he clearly didn't), it was always a matter of time. You could also call buying Joey Barton a matter of questionable judgement - that and woeful performances provided the rope for hanging.

Too many managers have to live in the fantasy land of instant success, and for the most part it just doesn't work that way. No accident that the Prem's most successful managers are also the longest serving, though that hasn't stopped 8 of the 20 clubs changing their managers this season. Complete madness.

No I think it is because Sam wanted the team to be more defensive minded and it took a while for that to occur even at Bolton. Newcastle wants to be an attacking club and like Spurs thinks they should always be in the top 4 when their squad and play do not warrant it.

As long as they were not relegated, he should have been allowed to stay for two seasons regardless as it takes 3 to normally get anything going the way you want it being that you have to get players in that you want and the length of time it takes said players to play your style.

Man City got lucky in that Sven found Elano and Petrov and the fact that he walked into Richards and Dunne. He had a backline a decent keeper and recruited two good attacking midfielders. three if you count Giovanii or what ever his name is.

Still Dunne and Richards were solid last year and now witn Hamann in front of them protecting the line they are a solid defense unit and can afford to attack more.

NewCastle had the 4 stooges in Bramble, Carr, Ramage, and I forget the other. Shay Given works harder than any other keeper in the league. They have run him down after leaving him uncovered for so long. He used to have more saves than all of the other keepers in the league. There are just so many diving saves a keeper can make on the hard ground in the winter and now to me he is paying the price.

NC will get their just desserts now as the team will really struggle since they have their new boy Barton who will produce more media on his arrests than on the field. LOL