The favoured euphemism of football bigwigs was again employed to describe the sacking of Sam Allardyce. Newcastle, the perennial "underachievers "had dispensed with yet another manager by "Mutual Consent" after Eight Months in charge. I gave the board some credit, I thought the sacking wouldn't happen, but despite a change in ownership, the lunatics are still in charge of the asylum.
Mike Ashley, the billionaire owner of Newcastle United has gone on record saying that he is going to have a more hands-on approach at Newcastle following the parting of company with Allardyce and that he should have sacked him at the beginning of his tenure. "Big Sam" is a manager with a proven track record and turned Bolton from a Championship side to an established Premiership side, and the performance of his former club so far this season is testament to his achievements. Allardyce said he had a 5 year plan for Newcastle United, and this would mean stability for a club that has not achieved much since the days of Kevin Keegan, who is ironically being linked with a return to St James' Park. Ashley has been trying to court the Newcastle faithful since day one and this has ultimately meant that Newcastle have not progressed in that time. The fans who are still dellusioned, wanted Sam out and Ashley duly obliged.
The club have not won a major trophy since the 1969 Fairs cup and yet the fans still believe that they are a huge club. How can a club that has not won a league title since 1927 consider themselves such a big club? Newcastle is a one-club city and have fantastic support as a result. However having huge support does not make a team a major club. Clubs have to have on-field success in addition to huge gates to qualify as big a club as the fans seem to thing they are. Allardyce did not deliver instant success and while many fans did defend him, the enduring image of Allardyce's reign will perhaps be the fans shouting "You don't know what you're doing" at him. Ignored were the pledges of a five year plan when the fans called for Allardyce's head when the club sat at 11th, which was deemed unacceptable after the club finished 13th in 2007.
The fans expect too much and yet another manager has left the club, with Newcastle no nearer to achieving the dizzying heights that they reached in 1969. A dismal 6-0 thrashing at the hands on Man Utd yesterday summed up the situation perfectly. The previous board treated a legend and true gentlemen of the game, Sir Bobby Robson appaulingly and there were hopes that a combination of a new manager and regime would turn the tide for the Toon Army. However before they can do anything, the fans should lower their expectations. But if there is one positive to take from Allardyce's sacking, it is that Ashley has promised to put his replica shirt away.
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