Sam’s challenge in coming to Newcastle is to prove he can compete with the tactical nouse at the top level of the likes of Mourinho and Benitez.Well the Prozone stats already show us topping the Premier League direct football tables with 35% of passes classed as long balls
The doubts about Sam Allardyce coming to Newcastle and what probably cost him the England job are the concerns over the style of football he plays and the lack of tactical variety.
Sam likes playing 4-3-3 with a big man up front aka Kevin Davies to batter the opposition down. His 2 wide men and full backs deliver pin point crosses into the danger area for the big man to knock about and the midfield players to get forward and score aka Gary Speed, Kevin Nolan.
This is fine but if this does not work then what next ??
Also there are a number of offensive players he has inherited at Newcastle who just do not fit this system.
Big problem number 1 is the striking department. In Martins and Owen we have 2 very similar players, both out and out goal poachers who feed off a target man and contribute very little else to the team. Both cost a lot of money but neither of whom fit with Sam’s overall game plan.
He has his Nolan in so much as Joey Barton can do that role. Viduka is obviously the target man with Ameobi as his deputy. Smith can play a number of forward positions, Milner can be wide right or left as can Duff when he returns. Geremi can play right of the midfield 3, N’Zogbia left of the midfield 3, both hard working with good defensive qualities.
But he’s then left with an expensive set of offensive players who are struggling for a role in the side i.e. Martins, Owen, Luque, Emre. Also Solano seems to be out of favour and I guess he’s probably just not fit enough to play the system.
Thinking longer term once Allardyce has stabilised the sinking ship which I’m sure he will, we don’t want Newcastle to be another Bolton battering teams down with limited tactics and players.
The interesting point highlighted in the table below is that the big 4 have adapted their game to win the Champions League and the table shows that whilst Allardyce’s men sit at the top of the Prozone long ball league Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea sit at the bottom. If we want to be ambitious and compete/win the Champions League then there has to be a message there somewhere.
So, in summary Sam, you’re doing a great job so far but for you to be regarded as a top class coach and Newcastle to be regularly winning trophies we need to be thinking of some alternative tactics for next season and beyond.
