If there is one place you don’t want to go in January it’s Stoke, but enough from the British Tourism Guide. The one place you really don’t want to go to when you are a Premier League manager under pressure after three successive league defeats is Stoke City.
Given that Stoke are the Championship’s equivalent of Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers - big, direct and physical - it would be ironic if a defeat at the Britannia Stadium brought an end to his time as Newcastle boss. A defeat against a team who model themselves on the team where Allardyce built his reputation would surely be too much for even him to take.
However, I must emphasise at this point that I do not want Newcastle to lose at Stoke and, even if they do, I will stick to my original argument that Big Sam has to be given an entire season, not half of one, to prove he is the right man for the job. I fear, however, that I may be shouting into the wind if Newcastle do suffer a defeat on Sunday.
The reason I say a defeat in the Potteries could be the end of Sam is because I fear it will simply be too much for large sections of the club’s support to take. Let’s face it, if Newcastle tumble out of the FA Cup in the Third Round the season is effectively over with four months left to play. Even Glenn Roeder managed rather more than that, if only because of the club’s involvement in the Uefa Cup.
The FA Cup defeat to Birmingham City in a FA Cup Third Round replay was the moment I decided Roeder was finished as Newcastle’s manager. I can’t see things being much different for Sam unless he clings on and dramatically changes United’s league form and mounts a late European challenge.
Okay, so Newcastle are unlikely to win the FA Cup - it’s been 12 years since anyone other than one of the Big Four managed that particular feat - but at least a cup run generates a bit of excitement and a bit of purpose.
As for the optimists, well someone outside of the Big Four has to win the competition again at some point, so why not Newcastle and why not this year? Erm, lack of ability, confidence-ravaged squad, manager struggling to convince sceptical supporters about style of football, four players leaving for the African Cup of Nations.... I’ll just end there I think!
But what will be gained by sacking another manager other than yet another expensive compensation bill and another squad rebuilding project? I suppose it would give the new man (Martin Jol or Alan Shearer perhaps) time to settle in and have a good look at his squad before the summer transfer window, but haven’t Newcastle been here before, far too many times?
So what will Stoke offer on Sunday? Well, I have a friend who is a Stoke fan and he informs me that, although Tony Pulis has successfully guided the clubs towards a promotion challenge, the fans are split on him because some despise the style of football he plays. Sound familiar?
There will be lots of high crosses into the area and, if former Sunderland full-back Rory Delap plays, you can also expect to see every throw inside Newcastle’s half heading into the penalty area. There will also be the threat of another former Sunderland player, Liam Lawrence, to contend with. you know, blonde one, thought he was David Beckham, liked making home movies with his teammates....
Certainly, Newcastle will have to make the most of whatever chances they create. I don’t necessarily prescribe to Allardyce’s view that the team have been creating lost of goalscoring opportunities during their poor run, but they have been creating enough to have ensured they fared rather better results wise.
Hopefully the return of Michael Owen will remedy this problem. I like Obafemi Martins, but his finishing has been terrible in recent weeks and, as an individual, he has missed more chances than anyone over the Festive period.
I know Michael also wasted a chance against Man City, but his track record shows there is not a more clinical finisher in English football. It really is about time Newcastle saw the prolonged benefits of that £17m investment, starting against Stoke.
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