Sam blasts sack talk
09 Nov 2007 - 09:16:08
Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce has hit out at recent media reports suggesting he is close to losing his job.
Allardyce left Bolton Wanderers towards the end of last season after spending more than seven year at the Reebok Stadium and was appointed Magpies boss in the summer.
A steady start to the season came to a sudden halt last weekend when Allardyce's side slumped to a 4-1 defeat to Portsmouth at St James' Park, and that result saw the knives come out on Tyneside.
Allardyce has blasted the speculation though, saying in the build-up to the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland: "The stories are probably more volatile and more unacceptable than I expected here.
"You don't speculate about someone taking over someone else's job when you lose two games.
"I know if I don't get results huge pressure will be put on (owner) Mike (Ashley) and (chairman) Chris (Mort), let alone on me.
"It's started by the media - they train the public how to react. I'm hardly happy about it but it goes with the territory.
"I still think it will take me three to five years to get this club where I want it to be.
"This club hasn't had any sustained success for 50 years and fundamental things need to be put in place.
"I think the difficulty at the moment lies with everyone being so new. I don't think anyone realises that when you change so much it's difficult to get things right overnight.
"I haven't been sacked since 1995 at Blackpool, and I don't want to be sacked again."