Allardyce And Keegan Set For War Of Words!

Last Updated : 11-Mar-2008 by
Allardyce was very 'touchy' on Sunday on SKY TV when it was suggested Keegan's plight was something he took over when he was appointed manager.

Big Sam tried to distance himself from the current problems, saying the side was in mid-table when he was sacked.

He has hit out at Keegan's "excuses", saying the side he left was good enough for Premiership survival, and is suggesting Keegan could be the problem because the confidence of the squad is very low.

Allardyce: "There was nothing wrong with the match fitness when I was there, so I think that's a little bit of an excuse to be quite honest with you.

"Sometimes fitness is a mental thing and mental fatigue can hit the players more than anything else.

"That's when it looks like they're not trying or running as much as they possibly can do. The fear factor can drain an awful lot out of the players.

"So that may be the problem at the moment - the lack of confidence.

"They've obviously got enough not to go down.

"It's a good squad when everyone is fit. They've got talented and experienced players but they must get a result pretty soon."