Allardyce is underplaying his hand, and is not playing to the club’s/squad’s strengths IMO. Given that we are not in any danger as such [of losing or winning anything!], now, for me, would be the time to gamble tactically by nurturing players like N’Zogbia in their best position and blooding Enrique so he can adapt to the league while nothing is riding on it.

Just one other thing: I don’t entirely understand the argument presented that the most successful clubs all have managers who have been there a long time. Both Liverpool and Chelsea chop and change [comparatively regularly], and Arsenal and Man Utd don’t change -because- they have top-class managers, not on principle! You stick with managers that evince a higher calibre of management. If a manager is still making poor tactical substitutions a year into his tenure, the only reason he shouldn’t be dealt with swiftly is if only Roeder or Souness are on the marker as replacement managers.

I understand stability and time is needed to gel, but an intransigent, idiotic tactician who is still an intransigent, idiotic tactician a year into his job [maybe even less] will still be holding the club back in 10, 15 or 20 years.

CL - re your first point, what you’re describing is what a relegation threatened team does - keep it tight at the back and nick a goal, and try to get up the table but not losing.

Personally I don’t mind us doing that against the better sides but teams at the bottom like Sunderland, Derby, Fulham etc? I think we should show more ambition than that against weaker opposition.

Also, I’d question Sam’s credentials as a man to deliver clean sheets. I haven’t looked at the stats but weren’t Bolton actually not that good at keeping out the opposition? That was my impression. In addition to which, if he persists on playing Butt and Geremi, I don’t think we’ve got the personnel to deliver clean sheets - our midfield regularly exposes our defence too much by giving the ball away and not getting back quick enough to cover. A better team than Fulham will punish us when our play breaks down. If we’re going to play this way we need to keep hold of the ball far better imo.

I follow your argument CL but I’m not sure if the strategy will work without better defensive midfielders than we have.

Second, I agree with you all that we need a creative player on the midfield. But I fully understand Chris Mort. Fat Freddie left the club with huge debts and i can understand that Mr. Ashley doesn´t want to spend more money than he already have on the club. So a big name I think is out of the question. And let´s face it, what good have big name signings done us in the past.
What we need to do is to find our own Elano. Someone who is a great player but isn´t a big name who comes for the big paycheck, because for what other reason would he come to Newcastle? Maybe because of the big games in Europe that we play so often. Come on let´s face it.

This area is somewhere I trust Big Sam. We all know that he has great insight in the transfer market and is extremly good at getting good players cheap. Maybe Arsahvin who knows but as Big Sam keep on saying we need quality players.

So my point is let´s give Sam some time and hopefully we manage to get a European spot for next season and if things are looking the same a year from now which hopefully they don´t. Then let´s get someone else!

It reads that Chris Mort has already cleared the ground for a January window of little activity on our behalf. That coupled with six weeks minus four first team regulars I think we are about as high as we are going to get. The worrying thing is all the teams around us seem to be prepared to continue investing in players which can only increase the gap between ourselves and the teams around and above us.

Personally I don’t think Sam is the right man for us but if we have to stick with him give him some kitty to compete for some class that we are desperate for.

1-0 on Saturday for me, 91st minute winner off someones hoop…

The problem with adopting a ‘winning is all that matters’ approach is what happens if you don’t win. Not winning something is bad, not winning something and playing garbage football is far worse.

We have a transitional period going on at the club, we are finally feeling we are moving in the correct direction.

Yes we need a playmaker in midfield and yes BSA has played some quite strange tactics, but not one person who watched our last 3 performances (before Fulham) and could not say that we look a far better ‘more up for it’ team than last season.

I just hope we give Sam time…all this chopping and changing has not worked. Look at Manure & TheArse (OK Wenger won trophies in his first season) but stability is what is needed right now, not bloody knee jerk reactions.

Boring football is not what we want to watch, but I’ll bloody put up with it if it means we win a trophy!

And isn’t Motta just an average anchor man who can’t get in Barce’s “B” team? Surely we have enough distinctly average centre midfielders.