Sam Struggles With 'Big Time' Pressure!

Last updated : 07 January 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor

The BBC took the game expecting the Magpies to exit from the FA Cup at the Britannia Stadium, or so Allardyce claims. And he said the media were hoping for an upset.

It is obvious that the pressure is getting to the Toon boss, as he suddenly realises how big the club is compared to Bolton, where keeping the Trotters in the Premiership was a major achievement.

And he is doing himself no favours playing the "Blame Game" for every poor result. Now he claims his players are playing "too many games", even though they have no European fixtures to contest and were knocked out of the League Cup almost before it started!

The FA Cup is all we have to hang our hopes on, and we can count our lucky stars we have another crack at it after a 0-0 draw at Championship club Stoke.

Allardyce: "It would have been a shock if we had lost, that is for sure.

"But other people were putting more onto the result than they should have done.

"There is nothing I can do about that. I just have to keep my focus on the players and try to ensure they perform at their best.

"We need to put a few wins on the board and we need to find more of a cutting edge.

"The new lads here think it is crazy that everyone else has a break and we don't," reflected Allardyce.

"If they think we are crazy, then something must be wrong.

"It was our fifth game in two weeks. It is a ludicrous situation to be in. It is an over-demand on high-performing athletes, that is very dangerous indeed.

"It is too much to ask of players over the Christmas period. It would be nice to reach this point and have a two-week break, as we should do.

"Somewhere along the line, if not causing a serious injury because of fatigue, later on in life, professional players will have massive problems with hip, knee and ankle replacements and be crippled with arthritis. There is nothing more certain than that.

"You would not ask a racehorse to do what we do."