“Have you seen the thickness of my skin?” asked Sam Allardyce when it was put to him that he could face fearful taunting from Newcastle United fans during Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby.
Allardyce was regularly vilified by Geordies when he was manager of their club for 24 games in 2007 and 2008 so he is not expecting fond serenades from them now that he has taken charge of their closest rivals. But he has plenty of other things to worry about at the moment including, improbably, Sunderland’s recent derby success.
Sunderland have become habitual strugglers in the Premier League but they have repeatedly managed to preserve local pride by beating Newcastle in each of the teams’ last five meetings. Coincidentally, Sunday’s match will be the fourth time in four seasons that the derby falls on a new Sunderland manager’s second match in charge – Paolo Di Canio, Gus Poyet and Dick Advocaat all presided over Sunderland victories and Allardyce says that history increases the burden on him.
“I’ve got to make sure I keep the reputation of Sunderland up here,” said Allardyce. “The pressure’s on me more than on [Newcastle’s manager] Steve [McClaren] because we’ve won the last five so I don’t want to be the one that doesn’t win. Particularly with having managed both clubs. But only the players can make me smile when we play them.”
Those players were deployed by Allardyce for the first time here and fragments of hope could be detected amid the rubble of a defeat that left Sunderland with three points from nine games. Chiefly, the defence looked more secure – although it has to be said that they are unlikely to face many attacks as flimsy as Albion’s. The home team’s winning goal was scored by Saido Berahino after Costel Pantilimon dropped the ball at the striker’s feet – opinions differed about the challenge on the goalkeeper: Allardyce insisted it was a foul while the referee, Martin Atkinson, evidently thought otherwise. But Allardyce was, at least, satisfied that Sunderland, overall, did not look like conceding. He has made defensive solidity his priority since his appointment.
“We did a few visuals on responsibility and where we lie as a team,” said Allardyce. “I think if you show the team where they are in the Premier League on certain aspects of the game that we need to get better at, the evidence doesn’t lie. Let’s first and foremost stop conceding stupid goals. You can’t get anywhere if you continue to concede 18 goals in eight games. So that was one thing that was really pleasing [against West Brom] – what a compact and solid unit we were, playing away from home. We’ve lost 1-0 but I can’t really point at anyone and say, ‘You’re the reason why they scored.’
“I think and hope that the players are willing to listen and get better. I think hopefully with my experience at managing at this level and knowing what it takes to get out of this position, there’s only me to guide them and them to do it. They have to get over that white line and take on board what you need to get out of positions like this and hopefully then we’ll have enough ability – particularly in front of goal if we stay as resilient as we were against West Brom – to start turning performances into victories.”
The Football Association is awaiting Atkinson’s report on the match with interest, although it is believed that the referee will say that he did not see the incident after the final whistle that resulted in a brief on-pitch melee. The Irish midfielder James McClean was at the centre of it when, having being subjected to derision, including anti-IRA chants, by some travelling fans throughout the match, he celebrated the hosts’ victory in front of them.
Albion’s manager, Tony Pulis, did not see the kerfuffle either but said of McClean: “I honestly don’t know what goes through his mind. As a lad, he has been absolutely fantastic for us. He trains very well every week. He has loads of energy and a great relationship with the players in the dressing room. There is no edge or anything about him. He is just a lovely Celt.”
Man of the match Stéphane Sessègnon (West Bromwich Albion)
