Newcastle United FC

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Sam hits back at fitness claims

06 Mar 2008 - 09:39:22

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Former Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce has hit back at suggestions that his players were not fit enough during his brief tenure at St James' Park.

Winger Damien Duff said last week that the players' fitness levels had improved since Kevin Keegan succeeded Allardyce, but the former Bolton boss has laughed off such claims.

He said: "There wasn't anything wrong with match fitness when I was there. That's a bit of an excuse. Sometimes fitness is a mental thing.

"The fear factor can drain an awful lot out of players so that may be the problem at the moment.

"There's also a lack of confidence and it can boil down to that, not a lack of match-fitness.

"Newcastle have experienced and talented players but they must get a result pretty soon.

"They have Birmingham and Fulham in the next few games and they could be the big matches - the turning point for Kevin and the team.

"I'd like to come back (to football management), if I had my way, in the summer. But we'll have to wait and see what turns up."