The Newcastle United Blog

Sam Allardyce has talked to Lee Ryder of the Evening Chronicle and discussed how he will use the reserve team fixtures next season.

One good thing is that the reserves will now rotate their Barclay’s Premier Reserve League home fixtures between St. James’ Park and Kingston Park. This will give our youngsters more of a taste of the big stage.

It will be interesting to see what size crowd will turn out for these games – since the team is likely to be quite strong.

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce whose Bolton Reserve team won the FA Premier Reserve League last term – told the Chronicle today:

“At Bolton players went into the reserve team for a limited time after a good, open and honest discussion with first-team members. “I would tell them that I really thought it was time they played a couple of reserve games.

“And that was because they hadn’t had as many first-team games as I would like, or they would have liked, so we would introduce a lot of senior players into the reserves in one go. “That made it a talented side who could win regularly.”

Sam is well known for his great man-management skills and very careful planning during his days at the Reebok Stadium, and he won’t allow established stars’ confidence to ebb by playing them too much in the second team.

Allardyce went on:

“The negative side of playing senior players in the reserves is that you are throwing them in with young players. “It can be better to train them in the afternoon instead. “They are already not happy because they aren’t in the first team. “And putting them into a reserve team that then doesn’t win can have a negative knock-on effect.

We calculate when is the right time to play them rather than train them.”

Sam was also at pains to point out that although some of the first teamers will be given a run out in the reserves there will also be plenty of room for youngsters to show him what they can do. That’s important because it looks like some of the youngsters will not be loaned out next season - so it’s becomes very important they get some games under their belts so they can progress and improve.

The United boss added:

“There is a time to leave them out and let youngsters develop. “In the end it was a perfect solution because we won the League.
“For a club like Bolton to win the reserve league is quite an achievement.”

It looks like reserve team manager and local boy Lee Clark will have some increased responsibility next year. Lee talked about the new reserve team plans today:

“It’s great to have some home games at St. James’ Park in the new season. “It’s great experience for the younger lads, but it’s also a great opportunity if we need to give one of the senior players a game as well.

I’m sure it will be a big help to us having matches at St. James’ Park. “We’ll still be playing games at Kingston Park as well, and I’m looking forward to those too because the ground has had a new pitch laid and it should be a good surface for us.”

Sam Allardyce continues to transform the Newcastle United club in good ways - and we think with the help of Chris Mort and Sam’s back-room staff - we’ll be one of the best run clubs in the land in a couple of years . Of course that wouldn’t mean much unless we are also up there challenging the top teams for the Premiership title.

Comments welcome.