Toon boss feels for furious fans

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The 5,500 supporters who travelled to the JJB Stadium, and amongst them was owner Mike Ashley, made it clear about just how they felt after seeing the team conjure just one chance in 90 minutes.

Allardyce agreed as he said: "You expect a reaction, and I don't blame the fans. If I was them I would be singing because we're not good enough."

He added: "I'm a top man in my field and I know it's not good enough, so it doesn't take much for them to work out it's not good enough. They are not daft."

After scraping a 2-2 draw at home to rock-bottom Derby on Sunday, Allardyce is at a loss to understand just why his players are not performing.

But playing a creative player in Alan Smith in a holding role in front of the back four, leaving Mark Viduka on his own up front, was hardly conducive to a positive result.

Allardyce, though, accused his players, adding: "The level of form they have dropped to is unacceptable. Everyone can have an off day, but our off days are really off.

"Right now the only pressure on us is what we are putting on ourselves because we are performing at that level.

"We should be big enough and professional enough to cope with what is thrown our way.

"We are professional managers and players and we have to perform under pressure, whether it be good, bad or indifferent."