Sam Allardyce praised the versatility of Alan Smith since signing for United this summer. Since his first appearance in Black-and-White shirt, Smith has appeared in every position across the Magpies midfield. Today, Big Sam accepting that he is probably more suited to a forward role after an impressive display at Blackburn.

Alan Smith while still looking for his first competitive goal for Newcastlethis season, said he has no problem with filling in where needed, he is not interested in personal glory.

“I’m not here on a personal crusade – I’m merely part of a team that wants to do well.” Smith said, “I’ve played in a lot of positions for the good of the team, and I’ll continue to do that.”

Allardyce says that he knows exactly what he’ll get from the England ace no matter where Smith starts in every United game.

“Alan’s approach to the game is first class and he is a terrific example for others to follow,” said the United gaffer. “But, down at Blackburn, he did play very, very well. He put in a positive performance and gave us a lot of opportunities to attack the opposition because he unsettled their two defenders.”

Been shrugged off the booing during and after the Liverpool game, doesn’t worried him at all and Smith hopes there will be cheers rather than jeers against Arsenal.

“Hopefully, they’ll get behind us and we can give them something to cheer about against Arsenal. They (Toon Army) are the greatest supporters and they turn out every week.”

Smith added he would rather have 50,000 and more Toon Army booing the team than nobody there at all. He also mention Newcastle have a lot of players who want to go forward, and we’re still new together.

In the end Smith told tha Newcastle were doing well at the start of the season and he didn’t see any reason we can not have it back again. We have to stick together, the players, manager and Toon supporters. We will be hard to beat when we are really United.

From the TimesOnline, A delegation of three senior players approached Allardyce after Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat by Liverpool ten days ago, when concerns were expressed about recent developments. Shay Given, the goalkeeper, was one (Allardyce denied that Michael Owen was another) and there has been further disquiet at plans for the team to spend a significant part of the festive period away from their families.

Finally, the truth is about to reveal, who is the ‘bad guy’ in our current Newcastle United team. I said ‘Bad’ doesn’t referring to a negative thought, but more to rejection to leave the comfort zone.

It is normally happens when you have a change in your personal life, in this case to have a new manager on your team will cause a significant changes that sometimes uncomfortable for some.

Highly successful persons may routinely step outside their comfort zones, to accomplish what they wish. A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries that are not real.¹

We all gather a set of constricting habits around us—ones that trap us in a zone of supposed comfort, well below what our potential would allow us to attain. Pretty soon, such habits slip below the level of our consciousness, but they still determine what we think that we can and cannot do—and what we cannot even bring ourselves to try. As long as you let these habits rule you, you’ll be stuck in a rut.²

More from the Times article, Allardyce dismissed any suggestion of a confrontation or dispute, describing the discussions as routine rather than dramatic.

“Players are not happy about a lot of the stuff that I do because they are players and I’m the manager,” he said.

“I know what’s right for them and I know it more than they do. Today’s politically correct society believes it’s a disruption, but it’s an everyday occurrence as a manager.”

The basic discussion is (probably) about the plans from United’s coaching staff to head south rather than back to north after the Premier League fixture away to Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day.

United will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 29th which is their last fixtures of 2007. The plan is causing a discontent from several Newcastle’s senior players. Allardyce’s task is to convince his squad, that the plan is for the good of Newcastle United as a team and to reach that a sacrifice from all the players will be beneficial.

“When you start putting the right way forward, some of your players don’t like it, but it’s for the benefit of the team, not for one or two individuals,” Allardyce said. “Some of it sneaks in the papers and whoever did it might think it’s making a point, but it will only make me more resilient and stronger. You have to not be distracted by that and keep doing what’s right.”

Well, if this comfort zone that matter to Newcastle United recent slumps in Premier League, Big Sam task is to convince them that all of this has to be done for their own good and the team in general.

1) Wikipedia
2) Lifehack.org

The 27-year-old England international Alan Smith and his team-mates head for Blackburn Rovers tomorrow firmly under the spotlight after a run of four Barclays Premier League games without a victory.

He insists that the recent slumps are not just Big Sam mistake but admit is as the failure of Newcastle United players on the field.

Smith already know what it takes to taste relegation from the top flight with his home-town club Leeds United. Smith knows, not about to allow another unwanted addition to his curriculum vitae this season with Newcastle United.

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Damien Duff revealed how lucky he is to have the extent of the horror injury which at one point had threatened to curtail his football career. He said on the official site, “You should have seen me when I first found out in the surgeon’s office, I broke down in tears.”

The surgeon who found out later that Duff injury back in April when he play against Portsmouth was a dislocation in the middle of his foot which is something that he has never seen happen to a professional footballer.

Duff returned to full training with his Newcastle team-mates last week but says that it’s too early to talk of a specific comeback date.

“It’s great to be back training with the lads and I’ve started my second week,” he added. “You take things for granted and being out for so long has made me appreciate things an awful lot more.”

Other player who experienced the darkest period of his career was Newcastle United’s Claudio Cacapa for his poor outing against Portsmouth.

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Newcastle United’s midfielder Emre who has been under immense pressure in his homeland let his football do the talking in Oslo last weekend.

Emre, also known as the ‘Turkish David Beckham’ because of the media interest in him – has been at the centre of a storm from the Turk’s media for his country embarrassing set-backs in their European Championships qualification.

Turkey, just like the England national team situation, only got a drew with Moldova and lost at home to Greece in their last round of qualifiers. Last Saturday they need to win their final group game in Norway to secure the second qualification spot in Group C.

The former Inter Milan star swore at journalists after a game last month because of the criticism he has received. The 27-year-old even has been tempted to quit international football because of the pressure he has under his shoulder.

“I have had some problems with the journalists in national team games. It’s no problem, I will ignore it. I believe the people in Turkey know me. When I go, I don’t play for the journalists, I play for the Turkish people.” Emre said to the press as quoted from the Journal.

“We only have three or four players who play in Europe. There is me, Tunçay at Middlesbrough or Nihat in Villarreal who the people look up to.”

“Maybe in the last two or three games I have not played very well. But in Turkey, when we got third in the 2002 World Cup, when we won the Uefa Cup and the Super Cup [with Galatasaray] I played every time.”

Emre who has struggled to find his good run back after recovered from a thigh injury which forced him to miss Newcastle’s entire pre-season program. After making a comeback, he played an important role in United’s second-half fightback against Sunderland.

And to answer all the critism from his homeland press, Emre and the Turkish national football squad came from behind to beat Norway thus ensuring their qualifying hopes for the 2008 European Championships remain intact.

With the same circumstances as the England team, the Turlish side will have their final destination in Wednesday’s home game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Emre Belözoğlu equalizing goal for Turkey came in with a wonderful solo goal which set the Turks on the way to a vital win, after being a goal down against Norway by Erik Hagen’s bicycle kick in the 13th minute. Nihat Kahveci scored the match-winning goal in the 60th minute.