The sack? Don’t be so stupid, rages Allardyce at critics

The former Bolton boss said it is disgraceful that successive defeats should undermine his position at St James' Park.

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Less than 48 hours before the derby clash with Sunderland, a furious Allardyce said: "Am I angry about the speculation? I am hardly happy about it, am I?

"The speculative rubbish stirs the s*** up to make your life difficult. I understand that. It is probably more volatile and more unacceptable than I expected here.

"You don't speculate about someone taking over someone else's job when you lose two games on the trot. It goes with the territory, unfortunately."

Allardyce pointed a damning finger at the club's history, insisting he is fighting 50 years of failure in his attempts to turn round one of England's most consistently underachieving clubs.

He called for increased patience from Newcastle supporters and warned them not to expect instant success.

"I still think it will take three to five years to get this club to where I want it to be. I will get that time if I win football matches. That is the bottom line — keep winning and you keep getting there.

"Over the last three to four years this club has not done much anyway. It is not as if I am starting from getting the club into a position where it was before or used to be when I first started. It is about progress.

"Some fans want it to be instant but it cannot be. Instant is not sustainable. Instant goes to bankruptcy in business.

"You have instant success in business then nine times out of 10 that business goes bankrupt. You make instant success in football, nine times out of 10 you fail.

"I have waved the magic wand before but I'm not so sure I can wave the magic wand as quickly as they would like here."

Allardyce admits he is feeling the pressure of running a club with the expectations of Newcastle, but says he has forged a strong relationship with owner Mike Ashley and chairman Chris Mort.

"My long term is only going to be long term if I get results," he added. "I know as well as Mike and Chris that, if I don't get results, there is going to be a huge demand and pressure put on them, never mind me.

"I have to build, or help them build, something from the bottom to the top.

"I can only do that by making sure the top is right results wise, and then put all the stuff that needs to be put into place to make this club fundamentally sound to sustain success, which it hasn't done for 50 years — apart from brief periods under Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson.

"Sustainability is everything you need in the game today. You have got to give yourself enough time to build that sustainability. I am my own man. I don't copy people or follow other managers.

"I'll do my job the way I think it should be done. Luckily enough for me, I must have some talent because you don't stay as long as I have in this volatile world without it. I haven't been sacked since 1996 at Blackpool and I don't want to be sacked again.

"It is important I keep getting results and keep winning football matches. My fears have already been realised.

"Four managers have gone in the Premier League already — four sacked. There is massive pressure with the extra money and there is very little reality going around at the minute."

Sunderland manager Roy Keane admits he could not have shown the same courage as his former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra if he had been asked to join Liverpool or Glasgow Rangers.

Chopra, the son of a Tyneside newsagent, scored his first and only goal in Newcastle's 4-0 win on Wearside two seasons ago and in the summer joined Sunderland for £5million from Cardiff, a year after leaving Tyneside for a 10th of that fee.

But Keane said: "I have not even thought about his past. I have seen players move to clubs involved in derbies and Real Madrid players, for example, who have gone to Barcelona. I know he is from the area and it might drive him on a bit more.

"It is brave, without a doubt. I admire players who go against the grain. It is his career and, once we had spoken to Cardiff, he couldn't get up here quick enough.

"It was a positive step in his career and we are delighted to have him. If he plays it wouldn't surprise me if he scores, that's the way things go in football.

"I still believe, come the end of the season, he has a great chance of being our top scorer, although you might say that is not going to be difficult and he won't have to score many."