No Europe Or League Cup - Perhaps Sam Will Be Happy Now!
Last updated : 28 September 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
Sam Allardyce has once again blamed the fixture list for a defeat.
At Pride Park we put in a horror show and he blamed the international break, even though the Derby fixture was played on a Monday evening and no player had played for a week apart from Michael Owen (England) and Emre (Turkey) the previous Wednesday ... five days previous.
At Arsenal he said the Tuesday fixture was too early, and I'm sure he will have something to say about travelling to Manchester for the Saturday game, even though his players have had a day rest more than those that played on the Wednesday.
Two games a week is nothing new! That has been the way for generations since the start of European football in the 1950s.
When there were 22 teams in the top flight ... not 20; League Cup ties had two-legs AND replays; and the FA Cup ties went on and on until someone won ... not penalties.
Not only did we have the World Cup and European Championship (called the Nations Cup back then), but we also had the Home Internationals with England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
And top players were on £200 a week ... not (in the case of Michael Owen) £103,000 a week.
But still Big Sam has a moan about Newcastle's "gruelling run of fixtures" ... two games a week.
Allardyce: "It is a constant battle for the big four, so just listen to what they say and you will know exactly what I am saying.
"It's not an excuse, it's a fact. It's a reality that we have to live with.
"We had 14 players all over the world playing two games, Friday-Tuesday if it was Under-21s, or Saturday-Wednesday, and then tripping all the way back over here.
"I used to look at the fixtures when I was at Bolton and used to pray that when we got the big boys, it was either between international fixtures or between Champions League fixtures and I could set out the stall.
"Very few of my players would be away on international duty or we were not playing in Europe and we would have a full squad ready to match them in the physical areas - in fact, be better than them because of their fatigue.
"That often brought us very good results - when you win at Old Trafford twice on the trot, you have got to stand up and listen to what I am saying."
Ironically, Tuesday's defeat at the Emirates Stadium means Newcastle's fixture list will be less busy now. It's ONE game a week from now on!
Saturday 29th September 2007
Man City v Newcastle 12.45
Sunday 07th October 2007
Newcastle v Everton 15.00
Monday 22nd October 2007
Newcastle v Tottenham 20.00
Saturday 27th October 2007
Reading v Newcastle 15.00
Saturday 03rd November 2007
Newcastle v Portsmouth 15.00
Saturday 10th November 2007
Sunderland v Newcastle 12.45
Saturday 24th November 2007
Newcastle v Liverpool 12.45