Mort Defends His Position!
Last updated : 03 January 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
The future of Sam Allardyce is still unclear, what with owner Mike Ashley telling fans the position would be reviewed after the "Christmas period".
That "period" has passed, and Big Sam has yet to win over the fans, as his tactics once again fell short of that of Sven Goran Eriksson who out-thought him for the second time this season.
Mort has rejected suggestions that he and Ashley are looking to replace the former Bolton boss, but if results do not change soon, he could find himself the next target of the Boo Boys.
Mort: "One of the first tasks last summer was to strengthen the first-team squad.
"With the signings of Joey Barton, Habib Beye, Claudio Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi, David Rozehnal, Alan Smith and Mark Viduka, I am convinced we started the season with a much stronger squad of players than that with which we ended last season.
"The returns of Damien Duff, Shay Given and Michael Owen from long-term injuries, as a result of the hard work of the backroom staff and the players themselves, have also been very important to us.
"With these players added to some high-quality players already at the club, I think we all expected the team to be doing better on the pitch than it has been.
"While we have had some great results, such as the victories over Everton, Spurs and Bolton and the match against Arsenal, we have had too many disappointing results, such as the Derby games and the Boxing Day Wigan match."
Mort remains hopeful of an improvement, but Ashley knows the strong feelings of the fans first-hand. After all, he stands with them at matches.
Mort said last week the club would not be spending in the January transfer window; yet yesterday he would finance a couple of deals.
But Ashley wants to wait until after Sunday to see if the club still has hope of a throphy this season.
Defeat would be a disaster. A season of total NOTHINGNESS!
Out of the League Cup before it kicked into gear; not making the most of the easiest start to league campaign we could possibly have hoped for as regards fixtures (not playing any of the Top Four until winter); then out of the FA Cup to lower league opposition.
Unthinkable!
Mort: "With the strength we have in the squad, I am hopeful that the team will soon settle into a winning run that will push us back up the table to where we should be.
"I would expect us to make a couple of further additions to the squad in January, but like any other club, we would prefer to add players in the summer transfer window than in January so that players have a chance to settle into the team.
"And January is always a more difficult time to extract high-quality players from their current clubs."