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Name
Steve Robinson
Joined
September 27th, 2006
About
I am currently a student at university studying for a journalism PG Diploma. I write for a few websites as well as iBlog, mostly writing news articles. My aim is to build my experience and improve my writing style alongside my course. In my spare time I enjoy a variety of sports, notably football, but also skiing and tennis as well. I sometimes dabble in creative writing, from short stories to screenplays. I have become interested in photography in recent months, which could be useful for journalism in future. You can check out what else I've been up to and ready my own blog at my website, www.stever.co.uk.
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Allardyce leaves Newcastle in latest manager change
January 11th, 2008
Steve Robinson: When Sam Allardyce parted company with Newcastle United on Wednesday he became the eighth Premier League manager to lose their job in just five months of the current season. His removal has prompted outcries from the media and fellow managers alike that managers at Premier League clubs are under far too much pressure to produce results.
The trend began in earnest in September when legend Jose Mourinho shocked English football by leaving high-fliers Chelsea, with the media touting poor relations between the club’s owner Roman Abramovich to blame. In the following months, Tottenham parted company with Martin Jol, Billy Davies left struggling Derby, and Birmingham, Bolton, Fulham Wigan all lost their managers. This latest management change has left many fans wondering how many more displacements there might be in this turbulent season.
“If you were put into a job in the city, the first thing you would ask for is time. It takes a while to gel.
“In Sam’s few months at Newcastle he might not have even found out the correct strength of the reserve side. He might have players injured that he doesn’t know much about.
“But with football, it’s absolutely out of hand. It’s so crazy now.”Martin O’Neil, Aston Villa Manager, speaking to BBC Sport
Many have asked why football managers have been under so much pressure this year. With a massive surge in money from advertising and TV revenue this season, Premier League clubs are all keen to avoid relegation and continue to reap the benefits of the extra cash. Unfortunately, this added competitiveness has meant that teams are under extra pressure to perform. Inevitably, pressure builds on the manager, with whom the buck stops, it appears.
Allardyce took over from previous boss Glenn Roeder in May 2007, but saw a new regime in place within a month, as new owner Mike Ashley upped his stake and Freddy Shepherd stood down as Chairman. From then Allardyce was constantly under pressure from a new boss and from expectant Newcastle fans. However, Allardyce’s departure is a classic example of the lack of time now given to managers to settle into the role and develop the team. Allardyce was in charge for just 8 months and oversaw just 24 games, taking Newcastle to 11th in the division. Surely 8 months is not enough time to judge a manager?
The departure leaves Newcastle searching for their seventh manager in 11 years. Many toon fans will hope that former Newcastle player Alan Shearer gets the role, although he is reported to be happy with his job at Match of the Day. Whoever gets the nod, it will be a tall order to impress a club with such lofty expectations. Whether we have seen the last management casuality of the Premier League 2007/8 season, however, remains to be seen.
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Image: Wikipedia