The Sports
Psychology Blog
Today's Sports Psychology blog examines the challenge Sam Allardyce faces in reviving Newcastle United's fortunes.
Football: Newcastle United - Patience!
On the morning of today's game against Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle's Joey Barton is quoted as saying how vicious the St. James Park crowd were towards manager Sam Allardyce in the three goal defeat to Liverpool last week. Whether the crowd were vicious or not in their criticism, Barton's remarks serve as a reminder as to the enormity of the task facing Allardyce.
In some ways the problems facing Allardyce can be traced back to 1996. Then Newcastle were storming clear of the Premiership. Kevin Keegan's side were everyone's favourite second team. It looked as if they only had to hold their nerve to become Champions. But as we remember, Kevin Keegan lost his cool in a famous interview with Sky Sports's Richard Keyes. And with it went the title.
It was as if Newcastle were the victims of an act of self-sabotage. That somehow, the notion of being Premiership champions was in contradiction to another view. Another view, that maybe, deep down, they would prefer the adrenalin rush of the chase. The role of the lovable underdog. That maybe being Champions would carry too much pressure. That somehow, deep in their psychology, they just couldn't handle the title and status of Champions.
Either way, that 1996 shot in the foot, seems to have had long-term repercussions. As if it injected the football club with a lethal injection of self-doubt and uncertainty that still infects the Newcastle United DNA. As if coming so close again and failing, would be too much to bear. Better to settle for mediocrity. A place of no pain.
For Sam Allardyce to really make a difference will take time. Perhaps eighteen months to clear out the systems and build new habits and patterns. Then another eighteen months for his methods to bear real fruit on the pitch. Then another period of time for the DNA of the club to change.
Sure the long suffering fans need some evidence that things are moving forward. But for Newcastle to breakthrough into the top echelons of English football, the changes need to made deep in the heart of the football club. In how the football club thinks about itself. That is not a transition that can happen in one season. Allardyce's long-term vision and strategy needs to be fully supported and appreciated by the chairman. Anything less will simply negate the change process.
