Sir Les Claims Martins Is Causing Sam A Headache!

Last Updated : 16-Dec-2007 by
"Sir Les", as he is known on Tyneside, scored 50 goals in two seasons at Newcastle.

Which is incredible when you consider Michael Owen has made only 20 starts in two-and-a-half seasons!

Les Ferdinand "I think every time we have watched Newcastle use 4-3-3 it hasn't worked, because of the simple reason that Martins is not comfortable playing out there and if you are going to play that system your players have to be very comfortable and disciplined, and Martins is not.

"He is drifting inside all the time, so when you want your spaces out wide and leave the man down the centre and join him, he is there too early.

"Sam Allardyce has not got the personnel to play 4-3-3 at the moment, not the way he wants to play and with the players he has got. Maybe in the January transfer window he will look to change that.

"They have grafted in the last few games, and if you graft eventually your quality will come out. Okay, we didn't see too much of it today, but they were away from home and their away record has been pretty poor, so what they had to do was graft out a result today, sometimes you have to.

"Newcastle a month ago would have lost that game, or they wouldn't have carried on until the 90th minute when they got the penalty, and I think that is the difference, that is the positive thing he will get out of it.

"The team are looking a lot fitter now, he has got the likes of Joey Barton back, Michael Owen to come back, Viduka, and it is all about getting time on the pitch.

"He is still struggling with injuries because he has lost Taylor now for a few weeks, he has had to rush Cacapa back, but the rest of the team are getting some time on the pitch and the training ground."