Allardyce slams Curbishley over Dyer farce

Curbishley criticised Newcastle officials for the way the deal collapsed at the 11th hour on Friday, insisting he had never seen anything like it in football after the price for the 28-year-old was pushed up late in negotiations.

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Billionaire Newcastle owner Mike Ashley increased the price for the troubled Dyer because he believed the player had spoken to West Ham before a fee had been agreed.

Allardyce blamed West Ham officials for the farce. 'If Curbs started it, then we are more upset than they are, that is a fact,' he said. 'Why? That is confidential. He is not as upset as we are about West Ham. In the end, we decided he was undervalued. We escalated the valuation to what we thought was realistic and West Ham did not want to roll with it.

'Kieron is back with us, a top player with a squad who are growing. Will it be difficult for Kieron? It's life, isn't it? He has got a contract. You sign it. The length of the contract means you are employed by an employer, somethin happens, it doesn't work, you come back and get on with it.

'If anything else happens in terms of West Ham increasing their offer, then great. If they don't, then clearly they don't value him as highly as we do.'

But Allardyce condemned the Newcastle supporters who vandalised Dyer's Tyneside home and attacked his car after last week's friendly with Juventus.

Harry Redknapp last night revealed an interest from Portsmouth but without a concrete offer for a player the Newcastle board now value at £8million, Dyer may have to start the season at St James' Park.

Allardyce's squad were strengthened at the weekend with the addition of two new defenders.

Brazilian Cacapa, 31, who was freed by Lyon in the summer, has joined on a two-year deal, while Spain Under 21 defender Jose Enrique Sanchez Diaz was at St James' Park yesterday to complete a £6m move from Villarreal.

Allardyce was able to watch with some sense of satisfaction against Sampdoria as two of his summer signings combined to give Newcastle a 1-0 victory on the eve of the new campaign.

Just before the hour mark, Geremi's left-wing corner was perfect for Alan Smith, arriving late and unmarked, to head past Antonio Mirante. It was an impressive debut for the former Manchester United and Leeds forward, who completed his £6m move on Friday.

But Shay Given, the most likely captain for next week's Premiership opener at Bolton, limped off after only 38 minutes with a repeat of the groin problem that so disrupted his campaign last season and will have a scan today.