Allardyce backed to make Newcastle post

Sam Allardyce would turn Newcastle into a “major force” if he lands the manager’s job at St James’ Park, according to former colleague Neil McDonald.

Allardyce, who quit Bolton last week after almost eight years in charge, is expected to hold talks with the Magpies with a view to replacing Glenn Roeder.

McDonald was Allardyce’s first-team coach for several years before leaving to become Carlisle boss but he has hinted he would be interested in a reunion at Newcastle.

Allardyce worked wonders under tight financial constraints at Bolton and McDonald told PA Sport: “In terms of getting the structure right, and signing the right players, he’s done it all on a shoestring budget.

“Can you imagine what he could do with a few quid to spend?

“There’s some great players at Newcastle now anyway but with the money he should have available then he’ll turn them into a major force.”

Some Newcastle fans are worried Allardyce will translate Bolton’s robust style onto his new side.

But McDonald insists such concerns are unfounded.

“It’s madness to say Bolton are a long-ball team,” he said.

“When you’ve got players like Youri Djorkaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha then you certainly can’t play long ball.

“We played winning football, scored some exciting goals and certainly scored more spectacular goals from open play than from set-pieces.

“Newcastle fans demand that they play good football, so it’s just finding the mix between the two.”

McDonald is expected to be one of a number of Allardyce disciples jostling for prized positions among his backroom staff.

Allardyce had one of the largest number of assistants at Bolton of any Premier League club, and would want at least as many at St James’ Park.

His former long-time assistant Phil Brown is in contention to move to Newcastle having kept Hull in the Coca-Cola Championship, especially as he has not yet signed a new deal with the Tigers.

McDonald, who has performed impressively in his first managerial post, said of his own prospects: “I speak to Sam on a regular basis for advice because I got on very well with him during my time working under him at Bolton as first-team coach.

“I class him as my mentor and if he gets the Newcastle job then that would be fantastic.

“But it’s up to him to decide who he wants to get in and I can’t really comment on it.”

Newcastle are likely to face a claim for compensation from Bolton as Allardyce still had two years left on his contract when he quit the club.

That should not prevent Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd clinching the deal with Allardyce, who is currently on holiday in Spain, next week, and nor should the fact that the Football Association are still investigating the bung allegations made by the BBC’s Panorama programme.

Allardyce strongly denied any wrongdoing and Shepherd should have sympathy with anyone hung out to dry by an undercover sting – he fell foul of the News of the World’s ’fake sheikh’ back in 1998 and was forced to resign before voting himself back onto the board.