http://tinyurl.com/2lkpur Sam Allardyce did fantastic things for Bolton Wanderers, and he did it his way. But I'm sure he's intelligent enough to realise that if he wants to make a success at Newcastle United, he will have to adapt as much to the club as they will to him. Yesterday's narrow defeat at Chelsea proved the spirit may not be quite as bad as people have suggested. If Newcastle had enjoyed a little bit of luck regarding Chelsea's controversial late winner, it would have been a job well done. Now the pressure will really be on for the home game against Manchester City this week, which I'm going to see. What I and 52,000 other fans will wish for is not just the right result but Newcastle playing the 'right' type of football, with plenty of wit, the ball being passed along the deck and creativity in midfield. As a frequent visitor and keen champion of all the Premier League clubs in the north-east, I'm obviously concerned at how the season has gone so far, although yesterday's games were definitely more encouraging. Even though Newcastle are above Middlesbrough and Sunderland in the table, they are considered the biggest club, so predictably Sam has taken even more flak than Gareth Southgate or Roy Keane. You can't fool the Geordie public and this season has been definitely disappointing, in terms of performances as much as results. There is a certain style and vibrancy associated with Newcastle and the fans feel let down if they turn up and don't see anything to thrill them. If you look at Newcastle players, you can't say that Geremi, Mark Viduka, Nicky Butt, Alan Smith or Joey Barton are individually bad players, but if you put them all in the same line-up, you've got a team short of legs, particularly against some of today's teams who are packed with athletes. Let's make it clear, I don't think Sam deserves the sack.You should only sack bad managers or those who don't fit in. Sam certainly isn't in the first category and should be given more time to prove he can acclimatise to a new club and all the anticipation and expectations that surround it. I wasn't one of those who criticised Sam at Bolton. I thought he did a marvellous job on limited resources. He brought in some top players from abroad like Jay-Jay Okocha, and developed a system based around Kevin Davies that helped Bolton punch above their weight. The trouble for Sam is the style they produced had an upper ceiling.What would be considered success for Bolton — slightly above halfway— is regarded as failure at Newcastle. To break into the top six, you need flair as well as method. Big Sam's challenge is how to become a top Newcastle manager, even if it means sacrificing some of the things that have made him successful in the past. Organisation and stability take you so far but I don't think Newcastle fans can be satisfied without cheering on players that can attack and entertain. Past Newcastle teams have been criticised for gambling too much.That was aimed at Kevin Keegan's side, and me as well. But it is preferable to thealternative of sterile football. Perhaps Sam has to take a more devil-may-care attitude, particularly at home. If he can trust his flair players like Emre, Charles N'Zogbia and James Milner, fans will forgive you if you don't win every week. It's a learning curve for Sam and likewise for owner Mike Ashley. He is hugely successful in business and I understand why he might stand among the fans in his black-and-white top. It's because he's new to football, and wants to see how the fans think. It's a great idea but, in my view, has probably served its usefulness now. Even Newcastle's great supporters would admit they are fickle. It's one of their perks! But as a club owner, you have to take a more responsible, long-term view than cheering a player one minute and jeering him the next. It might be best for Mr Ashley to put on a suit, step back and start making strategic decisions detached from the groans of die-hard supporters. The most important single decision is who to have as manager. I don't see an obviously better candidate around than Sam, even though he's under pressure with Barton remanded in custody and others reportedly unhappy. But Mr Ashley didn't appoint him, so that decision is his prerogative. I know Alan Shearer's appointment would be extremely popular but fans must realise he won't simply be able to come in and wave a magic wand to make everything all right. We all know Sam has the substance, now he's got to show he also has style. --

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