Newcastle hardest job in game - Ferguson

Alex Ferguson described the Newcastle job as the hardest in football after his Manchester United side inflicting a 6-0 thrashing on the Magpies at Old Trafford.

The victory saw Ferguson’s side leapfrog Arsenal to the top of the Barclays Premier League on goal difference.

In contrast, Newcastle are 11th, 25 points behind the Red Devils, and still searching for a manager after Harry Redknapp turned down the chance to replace Sam Allardyce .

Ferguson feels the Newcastle hierarchy need to give whoever eventually replaces Allardyce a chance to turn the situation around.

Ferguson said: “I would say Newcastle are the most difficult club to manage in the game, gobbling up managers and spitting them out again with hardly a pause.

“If they regarded their managers as something more than ships that pass in the night they might achieve the stability and consistency that is the basis of success at any club.”

Cristiano Ronaldo struck his first Manchester United hat-trick with Carlos Tevez claiming a double and Rio Ferdinand also on target.

Caretaker boss Nigel Pearson refused to use the off-field activities as an excuse as the Magpies conceded all six goals in the second half before Alan Smith was sent off in the last minute.

He said: “I am not going to make excuses. It is plain for all to see the situation would be better served by being resolved quickly.

“The mood before the game was good. But the harsh reality is we have come up against a better side.”

Arsene Wenger was disappointed after Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Birmingham at the Emirates Stadium.

Emmanuel Adebayor’s penalty put Arsenal ahead but Gary O’Connor’s deflected header levelled matters and the visitors held on under late pressure.

Wenger said: “Every game is important so it’s hard to say which is the crucial month, but we lost two points we shouldn’t have lost.

“I’m confident the team will re-focus because they are very disappointed. The focus wasn’t good enough.”

Chelsea boss Avram Grant insists he could not have asked for any more from new £15m signing Nicolas Anelka.

Goals in each half from Juliano Belletti and Shaun Wright-Phillips saw the Blues claim a 2-0 victory over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Grant said: “He very quickly got into the style of the team and was part of the game. He hit the bar one time and the goalkeeper made a good save from him. So you cannot ask any more from his first performance. But we didn’t plan to use him.”

Fernando Torres came to Liverpool’s rescue with a long-range equaliser as they snatched a point at Middlesbrough.

Boro skipper George Boateng gave the home side the lead and Stewart Downing hit the post before Torres’ equaliser.

It was the Reds’ fourth successive draw which saw them fall eight points behind Chelsea who are one place above them in third.

Aston Villa moved into sixth with a 3-1 home win over Reading where Ashley Young, tipped to become a regular part of the England side under Fabio Capello, had a hand in the build-up to all three goals when John Carew (twice) and Martin Laursen were on target.

Another national team player, Joleon Lescott, scored the only goal as Everton edged out Manchester City at Goodison Park to go level on points with Liverpool.

Fellow England prospects Dean Ashton and Anton Ferdinand helped West Ham come back from a goal down to defeat Fulham 2-1.