Sam Allardyce[Coach]

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce: Owen OK

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce was relieved to see Michael Owen come through international week unscathed.

Back on Tyneside, Allardyce was taking the view that no news is good news ahead of Monday night's Barclays Premier League clash with Tottenham at St James' Park.

He said: "I have not had a call, so it sounds like he's okay."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce delighted with Martins' Nigeria goals

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce was delighted to hear of Obafemi Martins' two goals for Nigeria in their friendly victory over Mexico this week.

Allardyce's decision to withdraw the former Inter Milan striker against Everton to send Michael Owen on was greeted by boos, and he may now have to choose between the two for the visit of Spurs.

The manager said: "It was great to see Oba score two goals in Mexico.

"Obviously the long trip to Central America was my main concern for him.

"He will be delighted to get two goals, but after trailing all of the way to Mexico and back, I am just glad he didn't have a game in midweek and it was over by the weekend.

"Scoring two will give him a lot of confidence because he missed a couple in recent games.

"Hopefully it will help him to improve that area of his game and his ratio of chances and goals increases. He would then be a major force in the Premier League."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce: Barton temperament just like Keane

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce is confident of getting the best from Joey Barton.

Barton will be on the bench for Monday's clash with Tottenham and Allardyce told The Times: "He is almost a nuisance, but the right sort of nuisance, if you see what I mean. He is training 24/7 and he is always bothering and pestering the staff about what else can he do to maintain his fitness and improve his chances of coming back as quickly as he can. He is actually so into getting back into football that he persists in badgering the staff."

The midfield player has also been cajoling his new teammates, attending away fixtures even when hampered by crutches. "While being hugely frustrated, he has also been chirpy as hell," Allardyce said. "He has shown tremendous commitment, especially in his support for the rest of the team. That builds a really good spirit - you only have to look at the England rugby team to see what that means."

Allardyce also revealed he is using the example of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's handling of Roy Keane to man-manage Barton.

"Like every top actor, every very top player has standards at this level which affects them and, for whatever reason, they can lose control. Occasionally, in his younger days, that is where there has been a problem.

"But I think he has taken a lot of advice and spoken to a lot of people about it and is moving along the right way in that area. You cannot take the devil out of top players too much. Sir Alex [Ferguson, the Manchester United manager] used to talk about Roy Keane in that way. He was just as volatile as Joey Barton, if not more. You are hoping, with years of maturity, he gets over that."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce not interested in making friends

Sam Allardyce has warned his Newcastle players he is prepared to clash with them and be disliked if it means bringing success to the club.

The boss will not shy away from a disagreement and admits every day some of his squad go home feeling annoyed with him.

Whatever hard decisions Allardyce makes, he told The Mirror: "Players at some stage will walk out of the training ground and they won't like me.

"Some players will be fine however you've dealt with them on that day. Whatever you've done, someone walks out of the training ground dissatisfied with you.

"It's all part of life as a manager because you have to make decisions some of the players don't like or don't agree with.

"They can come and discuss it like men and then get on with it.

"I wake up the next day and whatever's gone on has gone on. Basically most of the time it's the players fault not mine - they drop themselves."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce delighted with Cacapa signing

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce is delighted his gamble on Claudio Cacapa has proved correct.

Big Sam told the Evening Chronicle: "Cacapa has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. You can't beat experience and a player like him from Brazil, who has played across the world of football in his lifetime, is fantastic.

"He's just breezed into the Premier League like he's never been anywhere else, and that comes out of experience and from being a very intelligent footballer. This man knows where to stand and knows how to stand there before anyone else on the park.

"In fact, he can work his way into positions that other people have to run into. That's how far ahead he thinks. He never leaves himself exposed because he's always in the right starting position. That's why he looks so comfortable, and I'm so pleased to have him here.

"When we signed Cacapa, it was Claudio who? That's born out of the ignorance of this country. This lad has had five years at Lyon - and they were five years where he was captain and they won the title.

"To go with it, that's five years of Champions League football. It just shows the quality of the player that he is. We were the first to get in there with one of our scouts.

"We brought up the situation and I knew a little bit about him myself. We did a bit of checking, invited him over and he flew past every test we put in front of him. He could be a terrific boost this season.

"We captured him on a free transfer because he didn't want to stay at Lyon any longer due to his will to have a new challenge in the Premier League."

[Freddy Adu]

Gazza backs Allardyce for Newcastle success

Paul Gascoigne believes Sam Allardyce can bring the good times back to Newcastle United.

Before Toon's 3-1 defeat of Tottenham last night, Gazza told the Evening Chronicle: "The situation looks good at the moment for Newcastle.

"He has money to spend and he has to spend that wisely to strengthen the good squad here more than anything else.

"It isn't like we need a player for this position or that position we just need to get a good squad to back up what we have.

"Sam has the ability to do that."

[Freddy Adu]

Allardyce: My Newcastle ahead of schedule

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce admits his new-look side is 'well ahead of schedule'.

Allardyce has overhauled his team since taking charge of the St James' Park reins in the summer but saw them secure a 3-1 win over Tottenham on Monday night.

Six of Allardyce's close season recruits started the match - including the entire back four - to show they have settled well, but the Newcastle boss has warned that his side have sterner tests to come.

"If we can get something against Reading (on Saturday) - if we can actually beat Reading, then we would be well ahead of the schedule, I would say," Allardyce said.

"But we still have big teams to come. We have not played them yet, but where Tottenham have finished over the last two years, they are a big side and they have spent big, big money over the last four years and have big players, but we beat them comfortably 3-1."

[Freddy Adu]

Poor Defending Leaves Big Sam Bemused
Although his side reacted well to equalise in the Tyne-Wear derby, Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce lamented his side’s “silly defending” to concede in the first place.
Sunderland took the lead in a feisty lunchtime derby through another bout of poor defending from Newcastle, an on-going deficiency that Big Sam is eager to eradicate.

“We can’t keep making silly mistakes at the back”, admitted the Newcastle boss.

“It was a silly goal to give away. First a silly pass from one centre-half to the other, then we should have cleared the ball for a throw-in not a corner, and then we allow them to score from there.”

“Set-pieces decide most games and we were punished there.”

But inadequate defending aside, Big Sam was pleased with his side’s reaction to conceding a goal, and felt they deserved a point and maybe more.

“Yes, I don’t see why we don’t deserve a point because of the response from going a goal down. “We had a fear which pepped our game after conceding the goal, and we might have even won it at the end.

“But up until then Sunderland out-muscled us and it’s disappointing, but in a derby we expect that.”

Nevertheless, Allardyce understood the local importance of the result from this game and therefore remained pleased he side didn’t end up on the losing end.

“We haven’t lost which is very important.”

Goal.com - Newcastle - Poor Defending Leaves Big Sam Bemused

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce happy to end losing run

Newcastle boss Allardyce was delighted to end a run of two successive defeats and a three-game wait for a point on the road after their 1-1 draw at Sunderland.

He said: "I am not bothered whether we were fortunate or not. You just don't lose a derby and we haven't, which is very, very important indeed.

"Under the circumstances when our away form in our last two games was very poor, it was important to put that right, and we had to put it right in a game like this which we could not afford to lose.

"We came back from a goal down as well, which is the first time we have got back into a game from a goal down and got something out of the game away from home this season."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce: Given must get over injury mental block

Sam Allardyce believes Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given has become "uptight" about his nagging groin injury.

Given has started just four of the club's 12 Premier League games this season and sat out the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Saturday.

He has undergone further scans on the injury, but Allardyce has suggested that the Irishman needs to overcome a mental block regarding his fitness.

"The specialists say there should be no problem with it, but I think he's got uptight about it," said Allardyce in The People.

"That's disrupted his technique and put a lot of pressure on those areas.

"He's just got to forget about it, the specialist has told him to just keep doing his prevention work, his goalkeeping work, but not to overdo it.

"I think he's overdone it by the will of wanting to get better and better."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce: Ameobi stays

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce won't consider selling Shola Ameobi in January.

"Shola is going absolutely nowhere," Allardyce said. "He remains very much a part of my plans and we are not interested in selling him in January. He is a very talented player who has an important role to play in the squad. He has been frustrated because he has not really had a chance to show me what he can do, but I know what he is capable of."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce seeking to buy in January

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce admits he'll be active in the winter market.

He said: "We'd like to bring some players in to strengthen the squad, but, like every manager, the January transfer window is the most difficult time to do any business.

"It's great for the media because they get lots to speculate about, but it's a nightmare for managers. However, if there is any business to be done, if we can get the right players in, rest assured, we will do that."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Allardyce furious with Owen injury

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce is furious after Michael Owen suffered a thigh strain on Friday in action for England.

"I don't like having a go at Steve (McClaren) because he's a mate of mine but I just didn't see the need to pick Michael against Austria," said Allardyce.

"It wasn't a question of assessing the lad's fitness because he had proved himself playing for Newcastle. Michael had fully recovered from his hernia after missing only one match and had really worked hard building up his fitness. But now this is something entirely new - an injury that couldn't have come at a worse time for Newcastle or England."

He added: "I appreciate Steve is under a lot of pressure, but it hasn't got any less now that Michael will miss what could be a crucial game against Croatia on Wednesday.

"But it hasn't made my job any easier either. I appreciate players can pick up injuries in any game and this could have happened next Wednesday. But he wasn't really needed on Friday and that's not being wise after the event."

[Freddy Adu]

Allardyce: Newcastle gutted over Owen injury

Sam Allardyce admits Newcastle United have been left "gutted" by Michael Owen's thigh strain.

Newcastle fear Owen could be out of action for six weeks with his latest injury problem and Allardyce has questioned Steve McClaren's decision to pick the striker in the meaningless friendly.

"While we do not want to prejudge how long Michael while be out, our assessment is four to six weeks and it is so disappointing it has left us gutted," bemoaned Allardyce.

"This assessment is after our people were in touch with the England medical team.

"To tell the truth, it looks about six weeks but we will be hoping to get this speeded up a bit.

"We have told England we want Michael back here as soon as possible so he can have his scan and start his treatment."

[Freddy Adu]

Allardyce: Newcastle MUST finish top Northeast club

Newcastle United must finish the season as the Northeast's top club, insists manager Sam Allardyce.

"You know when you start the season that you've got to be North East top dog," said Big Sam, whose men currently lie eight points clear of Sunderland and Middlesbrough, to the Sunday Sun.

"That's one of the first competitions you've got to win."

He added: "This club is supported much better than the others, so that means it's a bigger club than the others.

"You've got to make sure that the fans are happy with you, and you do that by winning derby matches."

Asked whether those fans are right to expect to dominate their regional rivals, Allardyce said: "Absolutely, that's justified on the size of the club, the support that it gets and the money that's been spent over the years to try and get it to where it wants to go.

"It's got a big, big status, in terms of overall revenue and turnover, as well as in terms of its fans."

But the Newcastle boss admitted: "It's really good to have three teams in the area competing in the Premier League.

"In this country, the North East represents the third biggest area for Premier League football. You've got seven in London, seven in the North West and two in the Midlands - three if you count Derby.

"So there's big representation in the Premier League in this area.

"The ultimate achievement, obviously, is to win more matches than those two (Sunderland and Boro) and then make sure you get to where you want to go for the future, and that's a team that can sustain success."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle continue Shearer talks over Allardyce job

Alan Shearer is in line to succeed Sam Allardyce - if the Newcastle United manager is offered Steve McClaren's England job.

The Sunday Sun says with McClaren still in danger of the sack, the Magpies are aware that Allardyce will feature on the FA's shortlist of potential replacements.

And, having already met with Shearer in the summer and discussed the prospects of him entering the United dug-out in future years, Newcastle's new regime will offer him the manager's job if Big Sam gets the call of his country.

[Freddy Adu]

Allardyce: Newcastle backroom staff will prove value

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce insists his enlarged backroom team will bring success to St James' Park.

"I know what I am doing," Allardyce told the People. "I know what staff to select and how to get that staff to produce their maximum.

"There are people out there who are better at certain areas of the job than I am. I am not frightened to bring in someone who is better than me at doing something. Other managers might be, but I am not because I am not a megalomaniac.

"I believe having a good staff helps to bring success and it works for me because I am good at it.

"You start to progress by finishing a lot higher than we finished last season. It's all about getting back into the top end of the Premier League, which Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson did.

"Since then there's been a lot of decline in the club and we've got to build it back up again."

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"We have hit rock-bottom at the minute and we have got to get ourselves out of it. There's only us who can do it by sticking together and trying to get as many players fit as we possibly can and showing a lot more grit and determination to acquire that result."
- Sam Allardyce

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle assistant boss Nigel Pearson:
"It was a poor performance from us but I thought they were exceptional and we have to put matters right.

"We have to work hard and stay with each other and it will happen, there is no place to hide and we don't plan to.

"We must put these kind of performances behind us because they are not up to the standard we expect from ourselves."

[Freddy Adu]

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce on recent speculation surrounding his future:

"I'm experienced enough to handle whatever comes my way because I have been in it so long.

"You know you are a good manager and you know what you are doing. You do not let the distractions put you off.

"When you do, or when the players do, that's when you get poor performances and poor results."

[Freddy Adu]

Viduka wants to be Newcastle first choice


Written by: AFP

	Veteran striker Mark Viduka, seen here in action in September 2007, hopes his two-goal salvo against Derby will convince Newcastle boss Sam Allarydce that he should be a regular starter in the struggling Premier League side.

NEWCASTLE, England (AFP) - Veteran striker Mark Viduka hopes his two-goal salvo against Derby will convince Newcastle boss Sam Allarydce that he should be a regular starter in the struggling Premier League side.

The 32-year-old Australian took his season's tally to five from just nine starts with his brace in the 2-2 draw with Derby and now he wants to keep his place having been out of the side since November's home loss to Liverpool.

"Every player wants to play and it's been hard being out of the side," said Viduka.

"But I've been working hard in training and I know my qualities. I've been round long enough and I think everyone knows what I can do.

"I love playing football and I want to do well for the club and win back my place in the team," Viduka told the club's official website.

Newcastle are currently ninth in the Premier League and face second-from-bottom Wigan on Wednesday desperately needing three points after being booed off St James's Park on Saturday.

"After the game the dressing room was like we had lost the game," said Viduka whose goals were his first since the win against West Ham in September.

"Everybody was disappointed and even though we got the draw in the end we were disappointed because we should be winning games like that.

"Derby went out and played very well. They've been struggling for confidence but they were excellent. But if we want to be a top side we have to win games like that."

[Freddy Adu]

Christmas jeers for Allardyce as Wigan escape drop zone


Written by: AFP

	Newcastle were booed off the pitch by their own supporters after a 1-0 defeat by Wigan that piles the pressure back on to under-fire manager Sam Allardyce, seen here in November 2007.

WIGAN, England (AFP) - Newcastle were booed off the pitch by their own supporters after a 1-0 defeat by Wigan that piles the pressure back on to under-fire manager Sam Allardyce.

For the second successive season a superb free-kick by Ryan Taylor, just after the hour mark, settled the encounter as Wigan moved out of the relegation zone.

The win has capped a revival in Wigan's fortunes since Steve Bruce took over as manager last month, the Latics having now taken eight points from the five matches that the former Birmingham boss has been in charge.

But for Allardyce, who was reportedly close to the sack at the start of the month, there can only be fresh pressure with this dismal display coming in the wake of a home draw with bottom side Derby on Sunday.

Newcastle managed to conjure up only one shot on goal in the entire 90 minutes and they fully deserved to lose as a result of a free-kick conceded by Alan Smith, who had pulled down midfielder Michael Brown just outside the area.

Taylor, normally a right-sided defender but deployed on the left of midfield on Wednesday, stepped up to strike a dipping, right-foot shot over the wall and beyond the despairing dive of Newcastle keeper Shay Given.

It was only Taylor's second goal for the club -- the first also having come from a free-kick against Newcastle, in a 1-0 win back in February.

Wigan had enjoyed the only chance of the opening period, a long-range strike by Austrian midfielder Paul Scharner being held by Given after a deflection off Geremi.

Newcastle's only chance came seven minutes into the second half when Chris Kirkland was rushed into a clearance and sent the ball skywards.

Mark Viduka was waiting when it fell and the Australian striker sent an overhead kick goalkwards only to be denied by a goalline clearance by former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble.

[Freddy Adu]

Allardyce furious over Toon troubles


Written by: AFP

	Newcastle were booed off the pitch by their own supporters after a 1-0 defeat by Wigan that piles the pressure back on to under-fire manager Sam Allardyce, seen here in November 2007.

WIGAN, England (AFP) - Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce launched a furious attack on his own players who were booed off the pitch for the second successive match after losing 1-0 to struggling Wigan on Wednesday.

The loss came in the wake of a 2-2 draw at home to bottom club Derby on Saturday and left the north-east club marooned in mid-table in the English Premier League.

With a few minutes remaining at the JJB Stadium on Wednesday, the majority of the 5,500 travelling Newcastle fans sang: "We're ***** and we're sick of it."

Allardyce agreed with his success-starved supporters.

"If I was them I would be singing what they sang because we're not good enough," said the manager.

"I know it's not good enough, so it doesn't take much for them to work out it's not good enough. They are not daft."

Allardyce laid the blame for the display squarely at the feet of his team.

"The level of form they have dropped to is unacceptable," he said.

"Everyone can have an off day, but our off days are really off. Right now the only pressure on us is what we are putting on ourselves because we are performing at that level.

"We are professional managers and players and we have to perform under pressure, whether it be good, bad or indifferent.

"We have to accept that pressure and use it as a positive, not a negative, not shrivel and die.

"You have to roll your sleeves up, wear your heart on your sleeve and go and fight because that is what gets you out of difficult situations."

Newcastle carved out just one chance when Mark Viduka's overhead kick early in the second half was cleared off the line by former Toon centre-back Titus Bramble.

Wigan then clinched a win to lift themselves out of the bottom three when Ryan Taylor curled home a 22-yard free-kick.

[Freddy Adu]

Allardyce won´t rush Owen back


Written by: AFP

	Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce, seen here in November 2007, insists he won´t throw Michael Owen straight back into fray against Chelsea on Saturday despite his side´s recent struggles.

LONDON (AFP) - Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce insists he won't throw Michael Owen straight back into fray against Chelsea on Saturday despite his side's recent struggles.

Owen is close to returning after six weeks out with a hamstring injury sustained on England duty and Allardyce could have been forgiven for turning to the striker for help.

Allardyce is under pressure after Newcastle's dismal back-to-back displays against Derby and Wigan. But Owen's fragile fitness means he won't be risked from the start at Stamford Bridge.

Allardyce is erring on the side of caution largely due to Owen's lack of reserve team match action during a rehabilitation which has involved treatment from renowned German doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfhart to speed his recovery.

"Michael's not had enough match practice under his belt," insisted Allardyce, who is likely to restore Joey Barton to the side after the midfielder missed the 1-0 defeat at Wigan with an ankle injury.

The Newcastle manager added: "We want to make sure Joey's free from any pain, but he could have started at Wigan."