The Shields Gazette have reported on an interview that Sam Allardyce gave on Talk Sport.
Sam was the manager of Newcastle United when Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007. Allardyce was not Ashley’s preferred choice and after a poor run through Christmas was let go in early January 2008.
Allardyce will know all about what’s its like at Newcastle even though his tenure was short as he is also a former Sunderland manager.
This is what Big Sam had to say on Talk Sport:
“I think we all know the pitfalls of the Newcastle job but you don’t turn it down if it’s offered, if you have any ambition.
“I left Bolton to go to the next level. There has been a lack of real success for many, many years.
“The fans have turned to be more patient – they realise what the club has become.
“It was all about winning a cup competition or Europe when I was there.”
This is a very interesting series of comments by Allardyce. The “if you have any ambition” part sticks out sorely when talking about taking the Newcastle job. The owner has no ambition so why would any ambitious manager take it.
It is a job at a big club and will realistically will only be taken by a manager who could not get a job at any other top club.
He also mentions how the fans have turned more patient as they have come to learn “what the club has become.” Yet while he was here, he boasts it was all talk about winning something.
Well Sam, why do you think that is? It is because Mike Ashley has turned the club of Kevin Keegan and Bobby Robson into a middling advertisement for Sports Direct.
Sam does go on and actually give Rafa a compliment which is somewhat surprising as the two had a contentious relationship:
“Rafa did a fantastic job keeping in the PL.
“The hard thing for Mike Ashley is getting someone in to manage the club, what can a new manager achieve to take the club forward? That will difficult.”
Sam is spot on here that it is going to be difficult to replace Rafa Benitez. In fact, for Mike Ashley it will be impossible. For as long as he is the owner, any new manager will looked upon with suspicious eyes.
Sam finally says what every person is thinking when asked if he would consider taking the position:
“I don’t think so. In my time, I was between Freddy Shepherd and Mike taking it. Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan have gone back and not done as well as expected. It’s all hypothetical – I won’t be offered it.”
216 comments so far
Captain AmeriMag
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:24 PM
Comment #81BZG are coming to save the day!! They have to, or else Captain AmeriMag will lose all his super power of positivity!
Like if Mrs AmeriMag ran off with an exotic Mexican milk man, taking the Mini Mags with her it would be a devastating blow but with determination and brown ale I could learn to live again.
If the takeover falls through what would be the point?
SHEIKH KHALED WE NEED YOU!!
ITUNDERASHELL
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:27 PM
Comment #82CATHEDRAL ON THE HILL
It’s well worth posting this again because it is absolutely true
Cathedral on the hill
Jun 25, 2019 at 2:34 PM
Comment #43
Firstly not a new poster, used to post now and again under the name L toon.
Still hasn’t sank in yet feel like someone has ripped out my heart, stamped on it, urinated and excremented on it and then fed it back to me.
Welcome to Newcastle United, i cant say football club as there isnt a sporting institution out there ran less for sporting reasons than us, where you will have the best job and the worst job all at the same time. If you haven’t worked it out yet you will very quickly, your not a manger but a head coach. You will also discover the clubs aim and ambition of survival every single year and everything the club will do will be geared towards that. You will also have the unique opportunity to deal with 3 of the upmost ignorant, unqualified bloody idiots to run a club. You wont have a say in transfers, get what your given basically, but you will save yourself the time and effort of banging your head against a brick will continually being told the players you want are either too old, too expensive, too higer wages or the agent wants too much. Just try not to jump up and down too much when transfers take weeks and weeks to complete because they have to go through penfold and barnes before lardey can sign them off. Sorry if you were hoping for investment in the scouting and youth department but its just money wasted so we dont bother. Dont bother telling the club why they have wheelie bins as ice baths and a converted squash court as a fitness room because they wont listen to you and wont inprove the facilities anyway. You will be expected to coach and improve the players on a zero net spend as the club “has to live within its means”, so they can be sold for a vastly inorbitant fee in a few seasons. Its also club policy that cup runs are not tolerated and if you are successful dont expect the club to build on it as ambition just like cup runs isn’t tolerated. Anything else your not sure on go and talk to the bald bloke who pretends to look as though he knows what hes doing. Good luck.
The sad thing is it doesn’t matter who the manger is as long as that obese, greedy, gargantuan piece of excrement owns us we will always be a basket case of a club surviving relegation. Boycotts has to be the only way, Its not about trying to hit him in the pocket its about sending a message, a very powerful one that will resonate through the footballing world. 40,000 people standing outside the ground on the opening day, so if there ever was a picture is worth a thousand words that would be it.
Nostradamus " Mike Ashley The Clown "
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:27 PM
Comment #83Mr Benitez, you may or may not read a blog like this but hope you do, many thanks for standing strong and backing the club over the last three years, the fans without doubt know the reasons why we are back in the premiership and we know that the fans had an impact on your decision to stay.
We apologize for the total lack of support by an owner who acts like a spoilt child that can’t get his own way, trust me Rafa many people in football are scratching there heads thinking Mike Ashley is a complete idiot.
We can only hope that the club gets sold and you don’t have another job, I’m sure they would like to open up a discussion with you about making the club a club and finishing off your plan.
Hang tight Rafa don’t give up just yet.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:28 PM
Comment #84toon cat,
That article is just so true, I honestly don’t know how he hasn’t managed to totally destroy us with his folly.
magscar
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:29 PM
Comment #85Jail
CH would be a mistake as I believe he would sooner or later – lose the affection he is held in it’s a no win for him but I doubt Ashley is going to any former manager, WE have hit rock bottom before – twice in fact and he is still here.
The only consolation is that if it does happen it’s not hitting the bottom again that will make difference but the size and aceleration of the fall after Rafa – that is the only hope that this time will have different outcome.
Still waiting on a sale though and unless there is a massive spontaneous outcry which just keeps on rising and makes that difference ( as admittedly I have long expected when contemplating Rafa going) I think I would prefer the boom and bust cycle at this stage of my life.
Of course we are only talking preferences and not choices anyway so just idle thoughts
Tony Baloney
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:32 PM
Comment #86England only bat to 6 because Moeen cannot be trusted at the moment. 39% chance of winning is insane. Hope I am proved wrong. Lyon warming up as well.
magscar
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:35 PM
Comment #87Foggy
Cancelled as you say would be great – but feedback otherwise would be appreciated
Jail for Ashley
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:37 PM
Comment #88magscar,
Have you read that article toon cat posted, I’ve been saying it for years, there was once so little footballing nous at top level they appointed Steve McLaren to the board.
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:39 PM
Comment #89We’re going to need a good few years in the championship before fatso leaves sadly
supersholamackemslayer
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:40 PM
Comment #90From what I’ve been told and what I’ve seen, Ashley is hell bent on selling. BZG pushing but not the only party trying. Stavely not part of any bid. And finally BZG will try to get Rafa back.
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:40 PM
Comment #91TOON22 = mackem wum
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:40 PM
Comment #92Geordietom
It’s never MAs fault
😉
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:41 PM
Comment #93TOON22 = is not ageordie
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:42 PM
Comment #94TOON22 is a smoggie
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:42 PM
Comment #95A word to the wise
If you think your going to chase me away your sadly mistaken
At best I’ll just use you to bleet on about the usual stuff more
😉
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:42 PM
Comment #96TOON22 is a shill
Tony Baloney
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:43 PM
Comment #97Ashley always seems to go back to his former confidantes so I would expect him to consult Kinnear, Carr, Wise and Lliambas. I am serious here. He doesn’t know anybody else in football. He might even give Pards a call. Hopefully not to be manager.
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:43 PM
Comment #98Hiya
Who do you think he will pretend to sell us to next time?
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:43 PM
Comment #99TOON22 … no change there on your behalf is there
Tony Baloney
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:44 PM
Comment #100Sky computer with 39% England win when 26 for 3 FFS.
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:44 PM
Comment #101TOON22 works for mike ashley…
c-dog
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:45 PM
Comment #102Denis Wise and Nol Solano spotted together watching Peruvian street performers in London
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:45 PM
Comment #103TOON22 thinks all this rubbish going on with wor club is really good …
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:45 PM
Comment #104Lovin MAs skills at running a business
Causes utter turmoil
Go on holiday
Calls in people who made an utter ar2e of it last time to fix it
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:46 PM
Comment #105TOON22 … a word to the wise who do you think you are …
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:46 PM
Comment #106Geordietom
We all don’t love your mate MA and his cockney cronies
Hiya
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:47 PM
Comment #107Geordietom
Your boring lol
It’s never MAs fault
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:47 PM
Comment #108TOON22 IS IN HIS ELEMENT GLOATING …
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:48 PM
Comment #109How long do you think it’ll take for it all to blow over this time ?
Just like all the other times
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:48 PM
Comment #110I’m here till MA isn’t
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:48 PM
Comment #111TOON22 … you’ve bored the hell out of this blog for the past year … and i dont think your from Felling i know a couple of lads from there and they say ” THE FELLING ”
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:49 PM
Comment #112And ohh caps makes you look moronic
Are you Denis Wise in disguise ?
lochinvar
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:49 PM
Comment #113Newcastle United star Dwight Gayle says his Range Rover – which has the registration DWI6HT G – has been stolen.
The striker issued a Twitter appeal to find the luxury motor after claiming thieves in Essex took it.
EssexGB – are you on the case ?
The Registration plate is a clue.
If you see Dwight mention that Trackers are quite useful in these circumstances.
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:50 PM
Comment #114You think I might have moved when I was 4
Can you use that crystal ball to get the lotto numbers too ?
Tony Baloney
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:50 PM
Comment #115Lyon will get Stokes. Spinning a little bit and Lyon is very canny to a left hander.
geordietom
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:50 PM
Comment #116TOON22 = Ashley’s shill
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:51 PM
Comment #117You think Geordietoms just another JIB alt ?
Toon Cat
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:51 PM
Comment #118Jail @ 84 .. the worry is that total destruction is only a matter of time .. repeating the same mistakes snd expecting different results is not a recipe for success (or asin of sanity)..
magscar
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:51 PM
Comment #119Jail
I tend not to read links ( unless music) but on looking at headline ( as i also do on Newsnow) i didn’t bother. Hard enough catching up with posts these days and composing my articles 😉
Also sick of having to deal with cookie acceptances depending on which device I’m on 🙁
Could be wrong but I didn’t think it was going to tell me any thing new.
You will possibly recall as a long time poster that way back in my early days I used to speculate Ashley could be “acceptable/neutralised” if only he would bring in a true football man to act as a conduit between him and manager – often got pelters for that heresy 🙂
Still think it makes sense but we are way beyond that now as relations are probably in an irretrievable condition
Have to go out in this miserable weather but probaly diipping in later ( for some exciting news ) 🙂
toon22
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:51 PM
Comment #120Keep taking the meds mate theyll work eventually