Allardyce Set for Magpies
Ex Bolton boss to be named new manager at Newcastle United
With Sam Allardyce about to be appointed manager of Newcastle United, the question is asked is he the right man for the job?or will he end up like the others who failed.
Former Bolton Wanderers boss, Sam Allardyce, is set to be named as the new manager of Newcastle United later this week. Allardyce and his agent held weekend talks with Newcastle Chairman, Freddie Shepherd, and will sign a lucrative deal to take over the hot seat.
Sleeping Giants
Newcastle United are one of the sleeping giants of English Football and many view the managerial role as a poisoned chalice. Since 1991 seven managers, which have included famous names such as Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Bobby Robson and Ruud Gullit have all failed to bring the success demanded by Newcastle’s huge following. Newcastle’s last major trophy win was in 1969, when they won the old European Fairs Cup. Additionally their last major league title came in 1927 and FA Cup win in 1955.
Bolton on the up
In his eight years, at Bolton, Allardyce turned the side from a team struggling in the lower reaches of the, then, First Division to a Premiership side with European ambitions. He was tipped in some quarters for the England job following the resignation of Sven-Goran Eriksson. Allardyce unexpectedly quit Bolton on the 29th of April 2007 stating personal reasons but is now being widely quoted in the English Media, saying he needs to be at a club where he can win trophies.
Although this may bode well with Newcastle’s passionate followers, recent history shows that Allardyce will not have a great deal of time to change the clubs fortunes. Freddie Shepherd has invested heavily in the club over recent years and the steady flow of managers, in and out of St. James Park, highlight Shepherd’s desire to achieve imminent success for the club.
Right man for the job?
Opinion appears to be split, amongst the Newcastle faithful, as to whether Allardyce is the right man for the job. Under Allardyce, Bolton Wanderers had developed a reputation as a physical long ball team; a style of football not normally associated with Newcastle United in recent years. Quoted in the “Mail on Sunday,” Sammy Lee, Allardyce’s former number two and now successor at Bolton, feels this appraisal of Bolton and Allardyce is unfair saying “that Allardyce was only getting the best from the players at his disposal.”
Forward Thinker
Despite this, Allardyce appears to be one of the more forward thinking managers in the Premiership. His coaching philosophy, of having experts in every aspect of backroom support, is similar to the one that helped Sir Clive Woodward, and England, win the Rugby Union World Cup in 2003. At Bolton, Allardyce employed a support team of 28 staff, utilising methods that included the psychological profiling of players; this to establish whether or not they were mentally strong enough to compete in the Premiership.
Whatever his methods or reputation, if Allardyce brings silverware to St. James Park then he will achieve cult hero status alongside Tyneside legends like Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer; failure will add him to the ever-growing list of Newcastle United’s nearly men.
