The surprise news yesterday that Sam Allardyce has resigned as manager of Bolton Wanderers will obviously stoke the fires of anticipation at Newcastle – who are yearning for success – under any manager – and are coming off a mediocre season.
Exactly why Allardyce has resigned – at such a crucial time in the season – when Bolton are pushing hard for a UEFA cup place is also strange. Allardyce has managed Bolton Wanderers for eight years and Sammy Lee will take over as care-taker manager with a view to becoming the new manager at Bolton.
Sam Allardyce at Chelsea on Saturday
Apparently Allardyce has had talks with Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, other senior Bolton officials and with his family and he states this is the time for him to leave.
In a statement, Allardyce said: “The decision to leave the football club, which has been my spiritual home for over 18 years, as both player and manager, is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life. It was mutually decided that I step down now rather than at the end of the season, to give my successor the ideal opportunity to experience the preparation and build-up of match day in readiness of next season.â€
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said: “I have reluctantly accepted the resignation of manager Sam Allardyce after eight years of unprecedented success at the club. I would like to thank Sam for his enormous contribution both as a player, but more importantly as a manager. He has given his reasons, which are private, and we respect that privacy.â€
It may well be that Sam is positioning himself for the England job – since he was very disappointed at not getting the job last year.
The performance of Steve McClaren – as England’s manager – has not been good and surely cannot go on for much longer – and if the England results don’t improve significantly – Allardyce will be there waiting in the wings for an offer.
When you look at the situation it looks a good time for Sam to take a break – he’s shown what he can do at Bolton over his eight years tenure – he done really well with very little transfer funds available – and he can sit back, relax and see what transpires over the next several months.
It’s clear that Sam didn’t think the Bolton club has the ambition he has – but certainly Newcastle United do.
When Sir Bobby Robson was sacked by Shepherd in August, 2004 Sam Allardyce was apparently Shepherd’s first choice – but Sam turned us down. Whether Shepherd and Newcastle will be interested in Allardyce again is obviously open to speculation – but Shepherd has already been turned down once and may be unlikely to offer him the job again.
However, if Newcastle are interested in Allardyce then now is the time to make their move – before players are signed in the summer.
We have to get past the stage that a manager is fired in August – having spent money on incoming players – who the new manager may not like nor want. It’s the very worst time to bring in a new manager – but Shepherd has already done that three times (Dalglish, Gullit and Bobby Robson).
Up to this point Shepherd has said he will go with Roeder next year – and last Friday the both met to discuss transfer targets for the summer. However, with the results having been disappointing this year he may have to give Sam Allardyce another look.
What do you think?
Would Sam be a good manager for Newcastle United?
7 responses so far ↓
1 Ed Harrison // Apr 30, 2007 at 9:00 AM
Here’s a Daily Mirror report that says his immediate resignation was caused by a blow-up with Gartside. hat’s a pity – if it’s true – it would have been much better to have seen out the season.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/tm_headline=go-now-sam%26method=full%26objectid=18987098%26siteid=89520-name_page.html
2 Neil // Apr 30, 2007 at 11:08 AM
I’m very surprised he didn’t see out the season. Shepard may be to much of a prick to offer Allardyce the job again.
3 Ahmed Bilal // Apr 30, 2007 at 2:23 PM
I doubt it was a blowup, Ed.
It could just be a general feeling that Sam couldn’t manage in the Champions League or manage England if he was at Bolton. He knows England are due a change, he knows that if he sits backs and waits, there are clubs who will come after him, and he just needs a popular club to get him to England.
4 W // Apr 30, 2007 at 9:20 PM
Get roeder out please, don’t believe what nigel pearson says. Ofcourse he’ll say that. We keep on saying every year to each manager we’ll sit and wait and give him another season and judge him, that’s what we said to this manager. What are we waiting for, are we blind, look at the way we play reading. Not the players fault, it all trickles down from the manager. I can analyse every single thing he did wrong from start to end, even when things were looking good for owen. How many years has it been since Sir Bobby? During his time even with our failing defence there were positives. How is it possible for a player who was playing well a week or so ago plays like an amateur this week? tell me. Do they just sit around the training groun at little benton thinking about their little winnies. I don’t remember we getting a set piece from the outfield today. Maybe my eyes were shut most of the time at the dismay of the appalling football. Dyer running around in the middle of the park – shouts “headless chicken”. Then he losses the ball. Frank Lampard can’t tackle but he makes sure he doesn’t lose the ball in the first place and he strides in the middle of the park no one sprints. So please, get someone decent, get some sense into the football please, no dash and flair that’s ok, but some sense would do me some good. Out with wrinkled forhead roeder in chewing gum sammy.
5 Ed Harrison // May 1, 2007 at 5:31 PM
W – I was very disappointed at our performance with Reading last night – their team was put together on a shoestring – and we just didn’t seem to be able to match them with any urgency in the second half – seemed to me it was OK for some of our guys to lose. That’s not good and I’m becoming a little disillusioned with Roeder – that he cannot get them to play with purpose and drive – which he did with much success last season.
Also not playing Gooch and playing Bramble instead completely mystifies me.
We need to play Gooch to give him a chance – isn’t that why we took him on loan?
6 rlw // Apr 9, 2008 at 2:48 AM
I pridiced the futer we hire him he gets sacked in january and we hire king kev his first win will be against fulham 2-0 viduka and owen scoring.
7 beyethegreat // Nov 22, 2008 at 2:42 PM
rlw
i predict that after king kev is hired so will dennis wise as director of football
then king kev will quit and there will be mass protests like the prem has never seen before then joe kinnear will be appointed innterim manager
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