Cut Out The Excuses Sam!
By Nu Mad
Updated Wednesday, 26th September 2007
One thing we are learning very quickly about Sam Allardyce is the man has an excuse for every occasion. He blames the fixture list for the defeat in the Carling Cup, just as he did for the horror show at Pride Park.
Yet we have an early kick-off at Manchester City on Saturday (and the Tuesday game will benefit that fixture), so whatever way you look at it, we have two games to play in a week ... the same as everyone else!
His excuse for the defeat at Derby was the international break. Yet we played on a Monday night, and the only two players (who played at Pride Park) involved in games the previous Wednesday were Michael Owen and Emre. So every player ... apart from those two ... had a full week off!
Allardyce yesterday slammed the fixture list after Newcastle crashed out of the Carling Cup at the hands of Arsenal.
Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson did the damage for Arsene Wenger's young guns at the Emirates Stadium, but Allardyce was furious at having to play so soon after Sunday's Premiership fixture against West Ham.
Allardyce: "I am more disappointed about being forced to play the game tonight.
"What we got in the end was a fatigued set of players who could not run any more or give any more, and Arsenal capitalised on that.
"We cannot control that. We are told to play and have to play. It is sad, but we had to try to deal with it.
"I do not know why we could not play on Wednesday night the same as Tottenham. I believe the police said we couldn't, but it happens in the north-west, and they have more police down here, don't they?"
"For Arsenal, it is fourth in the list this competition. For us, it is a high priority, to get as far as we can in the cup competitions.
"Drawing Arsenal away with the mood they are in at the moment was difficult enough, but to do it in these circumstances has contributed towards our defeat."
No excuses ... we were played off the park! And Sam didn't say one word about a fixture problem BEFORE the game in the press interview:
"Arsene's kids have a wealth of experience, and if you're good enough, you're old enough.
"The experiences they've gained over the last three or four years means that whatever side Arsene plays, they'll be all very experienced in either Carling Cup or Premier League matches.
"That's why they're the best team in the Premier League at the moment."
