Newcastle are out of Toon with reality

Yes, yes, I know, Newcastle United crashed to another defeat yesterday, 3-1 at Blackburn Rovers, despite leading and despite having as many chances to nick the three points. So United have only 1 point out of the last 15, and are now in real danger, lying in...eleventh place in the table.

Isn't this Newcastle's best start to a season since Bobby Robson managed them?

This time last season I watched on telly as Newcastle were humiliated by a 1-0 defeat at home to Watford and lay 19th. They were certainly more hopeless back then, yet Glenn Roeder was given to almost the end of last season. His predecessor, Graeme Souness, was given even more time to display his complete ineptitude and incompetence (can you tell I don't want him as Scotland coach?). And in both cases, while the fans turned on both eventually, they gave the benefit of the doubt for longer than most sets of supporters would.

So what's changed? Why is there a lynch mob baying for the blood of Sam Allardyce? Newcastle are going through a sticky patch, sure, and are struggling to hang onto the coat tails of the likes of Portsmouth and Everton, but there's still a cushion between them and the relegation fodder below. Is it simply because of this almost mythical belief that Big Sam's teams play long ball, dull footie, and the equally mythical belief that Newcastle fans deserve better?

Sorry, chaps, Bolton were never that boring, and just because Kevin Keegan played 4-2-4 and bought Tino Asprilla doesn't mean the rest have to follow his example. Do you think booing the players even before they touch the ball will improve their performance? Newcastle should be a top 6 team, I know, but the guy's only been there six months!

According to some papers, Mike Ashley, the new owner of Newcastle, may look to appease his disgruntled customers by chucking Allardyce his P45 this week. Note this though - only 2 of the teams ahead of them have changed manager in the last 12 months, and one of them is a Chelsea team that would be above Newcastle if I managed them. Stability is the watch word, for Pete's sake...

L.