Success At A Pace - Is Not The Allardyce Way

Last updated : 14 June 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

When Allardyce said at his signing: "I'd like to bring the same success to Newcastle that I brought to Bolton", he had many of us concerned. His "success" at Bolton was missing out on relegation on the last day of the season two years running, and qualifying fot the UEFA Cup a couple of times.


Now we have been saying we have been starved of success of late, but Hell's Bells ... we've done better than that!

The Magpies boss is fully aware that Mike Ashley will not tolerate failure after spending a fortune to take over the club, and it is the worst kept secret in football that he sees Arsene Wenger as the man to transform Newcastle.

So the pressure is on Allardyce, without a doubt, even more so now that Wenger has made it known this could well be his last season at Arsenal. 

Big Sam has said he would expect the sack if he does not turn things around at St James' Park, and he is suddenly realising just what it means to be manager of Newcastle United.

Allardyce: "Everyone wants instant success but this is a recipe for disaster. In fact, the club has been a disaster in terms of success in the last 10 seasons, and if you want that you aren't going to get that from me.

"There is too much to do to have instant success here, even if we spent £100million.

"We have to put in completely new ideas and a complete new structure behind the scenes and then you have to sell at this to the players which takes time.

"My job relies on winning football matches at first-team level.

"So I will adjust everything accordingly to make sure every game we go out and play and give myself enough time.

"The only time I will get is by winning football matches, not losing them - I know that I won't get any time if I lose them.

"I will then be a casualty like everybody else has been a casualty over the past few years. I know the responsibility and I know the only way to make the time I need is to get the results everyone wants as quickly as we can.

"But it cannot always happen. The long-term and the growth of the club is what needs to be tackled now."

His first year at Bolton they finished 6th in the old Second Division. The following year they were 14 points short of champions Fulham but qualified for promotion by winning the play-off final. Then two relegation fights that he managed to win ... just.

Instant success is not the Big Sam way ... and only time (so set your watch) will tell if he succeeds on Tyneside.