Et godt innlegg:
3rd time lucky for Freddy & United? I think so
« on: Today at 05:56:21 PM »
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Well, it appears we will soon have a new manager - Sam Allardyce. Can I be the first to say f****** get in before I get to the actual points I'd like to discuss.
Some points...
Dalglish and Gullit failed, but Sir Bobby didn't. Souness and Roeder did... but Big Sam, a man we have courted twice before - 3rd time lucky? I think so. I will state here and now that I think he will be to this NUFC what KK was to the '92 version - a catalyst.
I've rated him for a long time and for my money (which it is as I'll now be purchasing a season ticket next year) he may not exactly be the best man for Newcastle, but certainly the right man.
And here is why...
Off the pitch I think everyone knows we are a mess, the infrastructure to target and sustain success just doesn't exist. Where Bolton had an army of qualified coaches under Sam, we had just two and neither are vastly experienced - Nigel Pearson and Lee Clark. Where Bolton have a scouting network - we have one main scout, something Roeder recently admitted to. No club with such a piss poor support network can ever hope to achieve anything or hope to sustain any success that does come our way and this often overlooked aspect of a football club is partly to blame for many of our recent woes such as our appaling injury and fitness record, our recklessness in the transfer market and a distinct backwards progression in talent and player development. All things that have hindered the last 2 managers and things that eventually saw off Sir Bobby Robson.
Having taken us as far as he could by using his experience and man management and also by buying good players, Sir Bobby was let down by the lack off support network once his team reached their peak. In short when the wheels fell off his wagon, there was no AA to call for assistance, i.e. a scouting network to look for new and exciting talent that Sir Bobby could mould and develop using his vast experience and man management skills or when funds weren't as forthcoming, an academy brimming with talent to call on in injury crisis or again when funds weren't as forthcoming as was the case towards the end, coaching staff who could bring in new ideas and turn underperforming players' games around and of course fitness specialists who could get important players off the treatment table and back onto the pitch and actually keep them there.
People talked about Houllier, Sven and others like Scolari and while all very good managers in their own right, I think the club have been wise for once to look beyond the obvious for a moment and actually look more closer to home, in more ways than one. Appointing any of the aforementioned names would repersent a gamble for United off the pitch as neither has shown themselves to be able to identify problematic off-field areas that have affected our club much less an ability to address them in a positive and ultimately fruitful manner.
Well Big Sam not only has the ability to identify these hot spots but also the skills and experience (and indeed proof) to problem solve them, i.e. to turn such aspects to his favour and the club's, maxamising resources to benefit the first-team to the full. Like he did at Bolton.
Just for these reasons alone, Big Sam stands out ahead of other candidtates. But there is more...
Money will not be as plentyful as it was for previous managers, as a quick look at our finances will show and who better than Big Sam to get the very best out of players already on the books, make use of the loan and freebies market to supliment the squad and actually spot unheard of talent and turn them into gems to improve the playing side? No-one. People talk about Wenger and his wheeling and dealing for Arsenal but he's had millions to spend where as Big Sam hasn't, the most he has had bought Anelka, a striker most here would consider a very good signing for £8m (makes the money we paid for Owen even more laughable). He has taken Bolton up via the playoffs, staved off relegation in his debut Premiership season and slowly improved their position not only in the league but also as a club on a budget of nothing effectively to the point that up to his resignation, Bolton were fighting it out for a 4th place finish, THIS DESPITE ONLY ONE WIN IN THEIR LAST 16 GAMES. Now consider the money that has been wasted at United and it shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone that we could do with a manager so adept with budgets at this critical time, no? I think so and the board obviously do, the first step in recovering from potential financial meltdown which in itself is also a good sign because we can not carry on throwing good money after bad.
Something else that excites me, nay, make that astonishes me is that the board, in appointing Big Sam, must surely have accepted the need for change throughout, top to bottom, end to end? I think so otherwise they'd never have appointed Big Sam and the man himself most certainly wouldn't accept the job if he even thought there was a chance that full control of affairs would not come his way. This is something we've been banging on about for years, for the board to wake up and accept that you can't get by just on Geordie blood and by outspending rivals or paying massive wages for players. This thing doesn't even seem to have been picked up on by anyone but for me it's more than a statement of intent from the board it's an admission of sorts and an acceptance that NUFC is run badly off the pitch and needs to be overhauled to stand a chance of succeeding on it. I just prey they keep to their word (whatever they've promised Big Sam) and keep firmly out of things and within reason, back their man to the hilt when it comes to off pitch matters like backroom staff, scouting and transfer policy. Within reasons means not be silly like say, if Sam wanted to scrap the reserves, the board back him. (Not that he would)
For the first time since it was sickingly revealed that Graeme Souness was to be Sir Bobby Robson's successor I actually have some hope for our future and right now feel very positive about things. I'm delighted Allardyce will be our new manager and am very excited. He will need time of course and a huge degree of patience, on the pitch matters may have to take a back seat to off the pitch matters for the time being and there will of course be a few challenging moments for us fans that may test our patience and even support of Big Sam but I am 100% positive that should the board back him to the hilt off the pitch (on it is guaranteed if money is available) and we as fans are patient (may as well, been waiting over 50 years, why not a few more), he will bring our club into the new millenium off the pitch and on it, take us into the top 6 at least and give us a strong platform to go on from there, short and long term.
Welcome to Toon Sam!
Woo hoo :-)
http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=39951.0