Allerdyce Gets the Boot

Sam Allerdyce has become the umpteenth managerial casualty of the season, as he has left the club by mutual consent. By mutual consent, we mean that the American Chairman told him that he was 'holding them back' and it was high time that he jogged on.

Allerdyce has been under fire for the last few months, having overseen a poor run of results, including three straight defeats over the Christmas period. Newcastle is a big club with big ambitions, having made the Champions League and having lead the Premiership in recent years, but sacking the big chap will not make any difference to the club's achievements in either the short or long term.

Allerdyce's sacking will inevitably harm the club more than it heals it, as he has brought in many of his men as assisstants, (with big contracts to boot) while signing a number of players that suit his style of play ahead of the beautiful game that Newcastle has been trying to present for the last ten years. Beye and Newcastle's captain Geremi are two prime examples of this, while Big Sam was lining up a bid for his old skipper and confidante Kevin Nolan, who would have admirably filled a Barton-shaped hole in central midfield. In lieu of these signings, a new manager will likely find this dodgy bunch surplus to requirements, along with the mediocre likes of Smith, Carr and the truly terrible Rozenhal, wasting millions of Dave Ashley's hard earned/spent cash in the process.

Since it sacked Bobby Robson after only four games in 2004, Newcastle seems like an adolescent child divorcing its parents for the second time in three and a half years. Maybe it feels that it's time to get rid of its leader after some bad arguments, but the club has snubbed the two managers of recent years who have given it the greatest chances of success. There is no clear replacement, as Big Al has ruled himself out, while other available managerial stars are either unlikely to be interested (Mourinho, Klinsmann) or no better than Sam Allerdyce himself (Martin Jol, Steve McClaren).

It's a bad day to be Geordie. On the other hand, it's a truly hilarious day to be a Mackem or a Smog.