Allardyce's long ball football is famous because it is successful.  The reality is most clubs outside the top sides do it, but badly, just sam nearly/did become a top side using it.  We played long ball under souness and roeder, so it would be stupid if we complained now.  If the balls to martins v man city and spurs are 'long balls', more please

In recent years, Greece won Euro 2004, Liverpool won the Champions League, Valencia won La Liga, Chelsea won the Premier League and Italy won the world cup all with a defensive mindset. There has certainly been a trend towards this kind of coaching and tactics in recent years. The increasing amount of money in the game has raised the stakes and as a result many have set their teams up more cautiously.

However, we have to remember that since the Premier League began it has been won almost exclusively by very attacking teams, while Brazil have won more world cups than anybody by playing a very open game.

People look at the success of Greece, they see how Everton and Osasuna qualified for the Champions League, and they figure that a defensive set-up, often with only 1 up front, is the safer approach. But for every Everton or Osasuna, there is a Newcastle (under Robson), a Villarreal or a Sevilla who do it by playing attacking, open football. I don't think the Allardyce/Benitez/Mourinho football offers any more security than the Wenger/Ferguson football. If anything, history suggests otherwise.

i think the main thing sam has given us is defensive stability, something we... well, havent had for the last 10 years or so!
now he needs to shapen up the offencive part! wich i recon wont be so long until he has that one figured out! remember, new players, new positions!
the main problem now is delivery from defense to wingers, and a main man linking up midfield and attack!
still, i enjoy watching newcastle matches now (as under the days of Sou, Roe, i werent!)
becouse the players look like they want to play! and enjoy it!
theyr happy!, im happy they want to fight for the ball!

 Despite the risk of sounding totally original, i'm going out on a limb here and saying that Lawro is a tool

If we were Liverpool or Chelsea then i'd be concerned in the football we play.

But were not them, and winning is a nice feeling we haven't had in many years, and that will do me for now, and for the next couple of seasons at least.

Nice one Lawro.

i dont care about the style of football, i care about the effectiveness of it. if Allardyce tried this 'go for 0-0' football against the top teams and we came away with a point i'd be glad. it's troubling when he tries playing it at derby and reading tho.

Spot on, that.

i say we play a boring kind of football,we are good as a home team,but 4 aways lost in a row will never get us up in top 6

a few years ago the called Arsenal for boring Arsenal,now its boring Newcastle

Got to hand it to Lawro, he was spot on with his prediction

Sam needs to resign before he is sacked, simply not good enough for NUFC.

There's actually an element of truth about it, however far-fetched it may sound right now. Sam's coaching at the highest level here, allegedly, and if he can't see the pressure he puts the defence under by playing with no width he must be in the wrong job. The players clearly have a different mind-set away from home also, they look less self-assured and more prone to mistakes. Clearly the psychologist isn't earning his pay either. Lose at Sunderland like that and there's many that will never forgive him.

So how come we let 2  in away from home?