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.
