Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort today said he was always confident that Sam Allardyce was capable of getting Newcastle United back on track, and getting a result against Arsenal.
Chris Mort once again gave Big Sam his backing, and thanked the Newcastle fans for their fantastic support last night.
Chris Mort – Newcastle Chairman fully supports Big Sam
Mort told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle today:
“Sam and I met and we knew that we had to put things right.†“We were both very keen to go out and do well against Arsenal.â€
“Maybe it might not have happened last night but we knew that eventually it will turn round.†“We know it will turn eventually.â€
“But we were never going to isolate things on one game or say a time when we would do something.â€
Chris Mort again sat alongside both manager Sam Allardyce and Newcastle’s billionaire owner and number one fan, Mike Ashley, in the directors’ box. Mike was seen wearing an overcoat last night, but it was open and everybody could see his Newcastle shirt. While he’s obviously taken in the fans’ enthusiasm, he hasn’t yet got that hardiness that allows Newcastle fans to wear the shirt in all kinds of freezing weather. 😀
Talking about the great performance by the team last night Chris Mort said:
“We did exactly what we had to do and got in amongst them.†“We performed in a way that is incredibly satisfying for everybody connected with Newcastle United.â€â€œThe fans would have gone home happy with themselves.†“We are all thrilled with the performance. If anybody was going to win that game it was us.â€
“There were a series of corners at the end when it looked like we might get the winner.†“And if anyone was going to get that winner, it was us.â€
“The fans were perfect but that didn’t surprise me at all. We went 1-0 down and they absolutely supported their team. “And as we said throughout, the Newcastle fans can have a massive influence to what happens on the pitch. They did that.”
“They got behind us and the team responded accordingly.â€
Newcastle now have some games in the next few weeks that they can win, and they’ll have to capture 3 points in those games to start gathering together the points we will need, if we are to qualify for Europe next season. We’ve only taken 2 point from the last 6 games and we just must improve in the results department from now on.
But Chairman Mort is adamant that manager Allardyce is not being pressured to get things right at the club on any given time-scale. Chris continued:
“It would be wrong to judge the team on a particular fixture.†“I’m not going to ignore the fact we had some bad results lately.â€â€œLast night was a fabulous fixture. And the team is going to need time to get things right and we are going to give them time to get it right – we will get it right eventually.â€
“We started the season with the best start we’ve had in 10 years.†“We then had five games where we got one point.†“Then we played the top-of-the-table team and we deserved to beat them.â€
Mort also said that he and owner Mike Ashley were not at all surprised by all the hype that surrounded last night’s fixture, which was of course broadcast live around the world.
“We have an ambitious manager, an ambitious owner and ambitious chairman, and we all want to head in the right direction.â€
“Mike loved it last night and he had a great night.â€
Mike was seen last night grinning from ear to ear after the game. The icing on the cake would have been a late Newcastle winner which would have given us another couple of points. But it was not to be.
We’ll have to ensure we can get the win against Birmingham on Saturday. That’s a game we should be winning, especially after showing the form of last night. Hopefully we’ll now be able to climb that league again, and it would be great to be back in Europe next season, that’s for sure.
Comments always welcome.
23 comments so far
Indian toon
Dec 6, 2007 at 2:03 PM
Comment #1sure would ahv danced in the bar with his belly out lol. and yeah free drinks for everyone
bennit3b
Dec 6, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Comment #2Really enjoyed it, great stuff. Still think that Zog should be playing left mid and milner right though
wsq
Dec 6, 2007 at 2:50 PM
Comment #3i’m ok with zog playing right and milner playing left. providing they’re practising to get better at it, both feet.
Southside Jordy
Dec 6, 2007 at 2:59 PM
Comment #4Belly’s gunna get ya!
As Yazz once said “the only way is up” ……let’s prove her right ay lad’s!! 🙂
bennit3b
Dec 6, 2007 at 3:16 PM
Comment #5wsq – zog has been playing left back
Rich
Dec 6, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Comment #6Ye i agree that Zog should be on the left and Milner on the right, Geremi was decent last night but again there was no right side of play, think if we can have 2 wings flying then we can cause all sorts of problems
STEPHEN 14
Dec 6, 2007 at 3:49 PM
Comment #7Why wouldn’t Ashley enjoy last night? It was the best atmosphere at SJP for at least the last 2 seasons, prpoer hairs on the back of my neck stuff. Only change I wud make to the team for sat is drop Geremi for Enrique and play N’zogbia and Milner on the wings.
AltaBatalJoneN
Dec 6, 2007 at 4:23 PM
Comment #8From what I’ve seen of Zog in left midfield this year, he looks a little lost. He stands back when we attack, rather than try to strecht the defence and explore rooms behind it.. He looks more comfortable playing with someone in front of him, and comming from behind..
I think that in a perfect world (?) we would play a superfit Duff left and Milner right, with Zog and Beye providing support from behind.
Zero Cool
Dec 6, 2007 at 4:41 PM
Comment #9I like how your thinking wsq…but lets be honest, we don’t have the time or points to wait on their testing out their weaker foot
teedub
Dec 6, 2007 at 5:29 PM
Comment #10AltaBatalJoneN I think you;re talking sense there. If Sam is actually looking at long term he may be looking at Enrique and Zog to compete for the left back slot with Duffman on the left of midfield/attack (and zog can deputise if needed). Could work well, and similar to how Chelsea use to play with Duff and Robben playing in those two positions around the central striker.
Cathal
Dec 6, 2007 at 5:34 PM
Comment #11thought rozehnal and taylor and beye were outstanding and deserve a lot of praise. the arsenal goal was outstanding and little could be done about it.
totally agree with STEPHEN 14 and Bennit3b. i think n’zogbia should be playin left mid, milner right mid, drop geremi and play enrique!!
craig chisholm
Dec 6, 2007 at 5:37 PM
Comment #12it was a good result and i think it demostrated that the team is together and that there are no rifts or at least nothing that can not be sorted out. we should get points from all of the next few fixtures which is what we need as the start of the new year is a tough one. all in all and at the end of the day, if that is the end of our mini slump we have not done too bad, we are still mid table and i imagine that we higher again in a week or so.
Eamonn
Dec 6, 2007 at 5:58 PM
Comment #13I watched the game on sopcast. Fantastic to see the players stand up and be counted to a man. Pride in the black & white shirt for a change. We had Arsenal rattled all through the game, they don’t like it up north! But I was suprised Tayls didn’t do another “Forrest Gump” run along the East Stand!!
leo
Dec 6, 2007 at 6:14 PM
Comment #14im glad ashley loved the match, didnt love it as much as i did. im still hoarse like
scott 9
Dec 6, 2007 at 8:37 PM
Comment #15i would agree with u stephen i would play zog on the left hes niot a good enough defender to play left bak and i would maybe play smudge and duke up front i think that would work well
Matt
Dec 6, 2007 at 10:02 PM
Comment #16Eamonn- the only reason we didnt get another Forest Gump run from Taylor, is because Martins was the one chasing him and caught him quick smart!
Frankieboy
Dec 7, 2007 at 12:12 AM
Comment #17Dunno why people have been giving Smithy a hard time ( especially the 3 Legends) cos last night proved what we will get out of him in his best position . He will always give 100% no matter where Sam decides to play him but up front is where he is most effective.
Habib Beye is the best full back we have had at this club in years.
Bren
Dec 7, 2007 at 12:21 AM
Comment #18Sam does have a reputation of bringing on foreign signings slowly. I hope that’s what he’s doing with Enrique, because Enrique looks a canny player and I’d like to see him starting regularly.
Len
Dec 7, 2007 at 1:57 AM
Comment #19Very entertaining match. Lots of positives. I would pick out Smith and Martins up front who looked so much better than Viduka and Owen. And they are the first line of defence which made a huge difference. Also Barton finally looked more like the player we thought we had bought.
Frankieboy
Dec 7, 2007 at 4:26 AM
Comment #20I agree. With those two up there we start to defend at the edge of the oppositions penalty area which has a knock on effect through the middle and at the back. More of the same from now on
PLEASE.
Glenn
Dec 7, 2007 at 5:23 AM
Comment #21WELL WELL WELL. WE CAN PLAY FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT STYLE OF PLAY, AS DOES EVERY OTHER NEWCASTLE FAN. BIG SAM CAN STAY FOR NOW IF WE PERFORM LIKE THAT!!!! BUT IF WE PLAY (or should I say forget to play) LIKE THE PORTSMOUTH, LIVERPOOL, SUNDERLAND games then we should bring in a new manager and a new team!!!!!!!!!
COME ON, HOWAY THE LADS
Doctapaul
Dec 7, 2007 at 6:20 AM
Comment #22Sam finally brought out his 3 sons of Bolton: “Hurry, Harry and Disrupt”.
Now he needs to find the 3 sons of Keegan that have gone missing a lot since Robson left:
“Pass, Cross and Score”.
ToonStoat
Dec 7, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Comment #23The Arsenal game is the best atmosphere for a home game I can remember for a LONG time. Only Shearer’s testimonial beats it and that hardly counts.
It’s about time we got back to doing that. I remember under Robson when we could sense the team was looking for a goal and we’d sing them on. Chants of Toon Toon – Black & White Army getting ever louder til the goal came.
THAT is how us Geordie’s should act, and Wednesday night is the type of team performance to get us there. Team and fans working together instead of everyone nervous and scared.
Bring on the Brum.