The newly appointed Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce admitted in a recent press conference that his replacement at Newcastle United was a major setback for him, although it was "a long time ago."
"It was a blow to my career at the time," said the English coach, nevertheless retaining from criticizing his former club's decision. The 68-year-old manager pointed out that occurrences like that are inevitable when you take up to such a responsible job.
Sam Allardyce's tenure as Newcastle United manager ended abruptly on January 9, 2008, as the Magpies sacked the former Bolton boss after just eight months in charge. Newcastle fans had grown increasingly frustrated with Allardyce's style of play, and the club's poor results under his leadership, which saw them languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table.
Despite Allardyce's pedigree in the top flight and his impressive record with Bolton, Newcastle fans never warmed to the manager, who they saw as lacking ambition and style. The final straw came with a 4-1 defeat to Manchester United on January 1, which left Newcastle with just two wins from their previous eight league matches. The club's hierarchy felt that a change was needed to reinvigorate the side and push them towards a European spot, their stated aim at the start of the season. Allardyce was ultimately replaced by former Magpies player Kevin Keegan, who returned to St James' Park for his second spell in charge.
Leeds United's new head coach will supervise the team for the last four matches of the season. Currently, the Peacocks are in 19th spot in Premier League with 30 points. Allardyce's main task at Elland Road will be to avoid relegation.