You're Not At 'Little Bolton' Now Sam!

Now he believes he has been the victim of some unacceptable criticism this week, after recent performances have been unacceptable to the fans.

He was shouted out by a section of Newcatle fans during the Portsmouth match, and he seemed stunned by the power of feeling towards him. He didn't seem to replay, but you could see the shock in his face.

The fact is, we have a squad of fabulous players at this club ... of that there is no doubt ... but he openly admits he doesn't know his strongest team or strongest formation.

Half of them (probably more) have been played out of position, and I am not talking about times when the treatment room has been full.

It is when he has to pick and choose his players that it goes arse-over-tit.

Allardyce: "It is probably more volatile and more unacceptable than I expected.

"You don't speculate about someone taking over someone else's job when you lose two games on the trot.

"Am I angry about the speculation? I am hardly happy about it, am I, but it goes with the territory unfortunately.

"There is so much pressure in the Premier League. It is important I keep getting results and keep winning football matches.

"My fears have already been realised this season. Four managers have gone, four sacked. There is massive pressure with the extra money. There is very little reality going around at the minute.

"My long-term is only going to be long-term if I get results. I know, as good as Mike (Ashley) and Chris (Mort) the chairman are, if I don't get results there is going to be a huge pressure put on them, never mind me, so results are the name of the game for me.

"The longevity of my period at this football club is to make sure I build, or help them build, something from the bottom to the top. I can only do that by making sure the top is right first, results wise, and then putting all the stuff that needs to be put into place to make this club fundamentally sound to sustain success.

"It's not as if I'm starting from a position where I am trying to get the club back to where it was because this club has achieved very little in the last three or four years. It is about progress.

"Whereby some fans want it to be instant, it cannot be. Instant is not sustainable. Instant goes to bankruptcy in business.

"I don't think there is greater pressure for me at Newcastle than there was when I was living at the bottom of the Premiership with Bolton, going 10 games without a win and planning to go away and keep the score down if you can.

"The dark days then were much more pressured than the pressure at Newcastle United. There is a different pressure here by the expectation and the demand for quick success, but it isn't worse.

"What Sam Allardyce gives out is only what he wants to give out as a manager. I am my own man. I don't copy people or follow other managers. I do my job the way I think it should be done and, luckily enough for me, I must have some talent because you don't stay as long as I have in this volatile world without it.

"I haven't been sacked since 1995 at Blackpool and I don't want to be sacked again. Wherever I have been, a club has been more successful than when I took over and I hope that's going to be the case here.

"Am I angry about the speculation? I am hardly happy about it but it goes with the territory unfortunately."