The merry-go-round starts up again

So it's goodbye to another Newcastle United manager as Glenn Roeder bites the career dust. He had clearly 'lost the dressing room' and when that happens the end is in sight. That was allied during his non-caretaker reign to setting some unwelcome records that had stood for half a century or more, the latest being the longest home scoreless run for 56 years. He had always claimed that the arrival from injury of Owen and Ameobi would be some sort of silver bullet for the season of trouble, but that didn't address why the midfield and back four had frequently been dreadful. As it proved, the reappearance of Owen from the treatment room proved no magic solution and Newcastle continued to fail. I had reached the conclusion that Roeder wasn't right for the job several games before Owen made his comeback. The ex-manager claimed that there might not be European football this season, but there would next. The way Newcastle were going, there certainly wouldn't. At least he did the honest thing and fell on his professional sword, avoiding a large payout and the board ducking a decision they simply had to take, no matter how hard they had fought for him last summer. Intriguing the way the fans chanting for his head after the last game focused on his London roots as a source of attack. "Taxi for Roeder" is similar to what is chanted at Manchester United fans, namely "Taxi for London" - northerners can be just as smug and conceitedly disparaging towards the south as their southern counterparts can be concerning the north. Anyway, Roeder restored clarity to a collapsing team when he had taken over as caretaker in the middle of last season. Roeder got the basics right, but to stay at the top level you need more than that otherwise other managers get wise to you, as happened.
So who steps into his shoes? Sam Allardyce is the favourite, but Manchester City and possibly the Football Association may still have a say in where he goes. Interestingly, Roeder's last 16 league games are relegation form, but Bolton's last 16 games have accrued one point fewer. But then Newcastle often go through peaks and troughs of form, so maybe the ex-Bolton man is suited for the job. In a practice instituted in the season we finished third and repeated ever since with a permanent manager at the helm, Newcastle have a dreadful start to the season, somehow gee themselves up to get enough points to stay in the top-flight then fall away again at the end of the season. Ironically, Allardyce isn't even manager yet, but I can still see the time when his tenure ends and it will be acrimonious. But he's the best that's available right now. Sven Goran-Eriksson has made clear his interest and Gerard Houllier makes sounds from Lyon. However, the former, once a contender for the top job at Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid, ruined his reputation with his last two years with the England squad, culminating in stagnant World Cup performances. The latter made Liverpool super-boring which was tolerated by Scousers so long as it brought success but when it seemed Liverpool were going backwards, the board sacked him for getting fourth place so limply, on the back of the failure of others (including Newcastle). Moreover, these managers have come into clubs at the top end - Newcastle need a rebuilding job before they reach that status again. Felix Magath, who did the double double with Bayern Munich recently, is out of a job and probably Fabio Capello will be in the summer, but they will be awaiting developments at Chelsea than Newcastle (if Mourinho survives until August he will survive another season).

On a separate note, TV scheduling finally was sane. Last Monday, Charlton played Tottenham, two London clubs going against each other. That's far better than Newcastle playing Reading the previous Monday when the majority of the travelling Toon would have to take the afternoon or the whole day off work.
Alan Pardew couldn't quite save Charlton, but the reason they kept alive their hopes longer than Watford are down to his motivational skills (and a bit more team talent). They had been threatened since almost the start of the season and were sinking like a stone when he came in. He arrested that but it wasn't to be, as they blew the chance to pull clear in their final games, being indirectly relegated by Mr. Charlton, Alan Curbishley, who beat Bolton on the Saturday. Pardew says he sincerely hopes West Ham stay up, but it is not solely for affection for his former club. If West Ham get final day agony, then Pardew will be landed with the unwanted statistic of first manager to relegate two clubs in a single season in the Premiership and only the second in league history. Let's just hope Old Trafford is in relaxed, celebratory mood.
10/05/07 12.58pm