The Impossible Job: Newcastle United Search for another New Manager

This will probably be one of many articles written on the sacking of Sam Allardyce, but I would like to add my views on the subject.

On the 31st of December, chairman Chris Mort categorically denied any truth in the rumours that Allardyce would be sacked and claimed his job was safe.

Yet barely a week later, Allardyce has lost his job, proving that no manager is safe regardless of what the chairman says.

Since Mike Ashley took over at Newcastle, he has sat with the fans and seen first-hand what it is like to be a Geordie, week in, week out. He has had to put up with some pitiful displays of football, such as home drubbings by Portsmouth and Liverpool.

The fans in the North East deserve better. As a Sunderland fan my views may not be that strong on Newcastle, but I certainly know that the time to sack your manager is not during a transfer period—especially at a club where there is money to spend and already a decent squad to build on.

Maybe he wasn't getting the best out of his buys and the players at his disposal, but Big Sam needed time. He wasn't going to do a great job immediately, but after only eight months of his supposed five-year plan, he has been removed from his position.

Sam knew there was potential in this squad, but some of his tactics were bemusing—such as picking Charlie N'Zogbia, a left winger, at left back when he paid £6.5 million for Jose Enrique, who has subsequently seen himself sat on the bench.

N'Zogbia was probably there best player at Stoke when deployed in a left wing role, and surely convinced Allardyce that he was playing the lad out of position—but Allardyce wasn't been given enough time to realise this, because the last match was the last straw.

From day one the fans have been skeptical of Allardyce's tactics. He didn't help this by choosing Geremi as club captain, a summer buy from Chelsea whose apparent qualifications for captain was the fact that he is bilingual—not a good enough reason when players with the leadership qualities of Shay Given and Steven Taylor reside in the team.

Of the players Allardyce brought in, the Newcastle faithful have yet to be convinced that they can reach their potential. For instance Joey Barton's row with the fans, followed by being locked up for a scuffle in Liverpool Town Centre, was not the best way to endear himelf to his new fans.

Supporter pressure has taken its toll, and the demand for success is unbelievable, considering the clear lack of it since the Fairs Cup win in 1969. But the trophy cabinet at SJP will remain empty if the board continues to make hasty decisons such as this one.

The fans believe that Shearer is the right man for the job—yet he ruled himself out as soon as it became available, because he doesn't want to tarnish his reputation by not being able to immediately give the fans what they want.

Harry Redknapp is a strong contender for the job, and his price has been slashed—but who in the right mind would consider taking this job? It's almost as challenging as the England job.

The demand for success is so intense that the new manager must make an impact immediately, or Newcastle's fans will never be back on side—and then what will the board do?

They consider themselves to be a big club but sacking there manager, who is possibly one of the brightest English managers around, may lead to more and more problems