Premiership Football News: Managerial casualty list mounts, as Big Sam gets the Magpies boot

Andy Greeves

It was a case of new year, same story this week, as Sam Allardyce became the eighth manager of the season to leave a Premiership club. The former Bolton boss was sacked by perennial underachievers Newcastle United just eight months into a three year contract at St James' Park. It leaves the Tyneside club in a familiar position, looking for yet another manager to bring silver wear to a team who hasn't won a trophy of note since they lifted the FA Cup in 1955.

Since Kevin Keegan walked out of Newcastle just over ten years ago, having twice nearly brought the Premier League title to the club, the Magpies have had six permanent managers. Big names from the world of football, including Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson and Graham Souness, all tried and ultimately failed to bring the success the Toon faithful crave so badly. Allardyce is the latest manager to discover previous achievement counts for nothing in the pursuit of glory at St James' Park.

Throughout his short tenure at the club, his side struggled to fend off the deficiencies that dogged previous incumbents of the Newcastle United hot seat. Allardyce arrived having built a reputation as a defensive mastermind at Bolton Wanderers. Yet as manager of Newcastle, his side kept just three clean sheets in 21 matches, mirroring the type of problems experienced by Glenn Roeder and Graham Souness before him. Signings such as David Rozehnal and Cacapa have so far done nothing to address the complete lack of cohesion in the side's central defensive areas while big name additions to squad, including Joey Barton and Alan Smith, have failed to live up to expectation.

That said, most Premiership football fans will have been scratching their head with disbelief at the haste in which Newcastle have dispatched of Sam Allardyce. While results have been disappointing and the football not quite played in the style the St James' faithful might expect, ultimately what can the club expect?

Newcastle United's board have given their managers less and less time in recent years to turn round a club and squad that needs a massive restructuring. The club needs to adopt an organic transfer policy and look to attract the best youth talent to the North East and nurture these players. Far too often have Newcastle spent big money on big names and not got the return from their investments that would have expected.

Most importantly, a change of attitude at the higher echelons of the club is vital and a long term vision shared with the new manager, rather than just an empty cheque book. The new man will ideally need at least two or three seasons to develop them into a team capable of challenging the top eight positions in the league, let alone the top four.

The prominence Newcastle United's fan base had in Allardyce's sacking cannot be underestimated. Allardyce was never accepted by the vast majority of Newcastle fans and for owner Mike Ashley, so keen to be accepted by the Geordie nation as 'one of them', their feelings no doubt had a baring on his decision to axe him.

While Newcastle's fans are undoubtedly a passionate and committed bunch, sections of their support need a reality check the same as their board. For my money Manchester City, Aston Villa, Everton, Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur are all better equipped to finish in the league's top six at the present time than Newcastle. A position that won't be improved by Newcastle's constant pursuit of mercenary individuals with dubious personalities to wear the black and white shirts.

Speculation is rife regarding Allardyce's replacement and at the time of writing, Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth boss was favourite for the role. Also linked are Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, former Tottenham manager Martin Jol and of course ex-Newcastle forward and legend Alan Shearer (despite him saying he's happy in his current role as a TV pundit).

While the question of who Newcastle United appoint next in their pursuit of success will dominate the talk and thoughts of everyone on Tyneside in the coming weeks, of more pertinent concern is will both fans and club give the next manager time to prove his worth? Or will Newcastle's reputation as the Premiership's revolving door club continue, justifying recent British media likening of the club to a 'Madhouse' and 'Circus'?

Ultimately, nothing involving Newcastle United would surprise me or anyone else having observed their antics over the last ten years or so.

Andy Greeves

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