Allardyce reveals Magpies angst

Former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce admits he is still "smarting" over his departure from the club and does not feel he was given a fair chance.

Allardyce parted company with the Magpies in January after just eight months in charge following a poor start to the season. But the ex Bolton boss, who was appointed by former chairman Freddy Shepherd before last summer's takeover, claims he was not given the backing he had been expecting when he took the job.

"I am smarting," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "I think that for me (given) the timing, and the few games I had, it was a massive shock when they said they were going to make a change."

He added: "At the start of the season we had a short window with the new owners to work with. We had not as much money as I expected.

"I didn't really come for that, I came to spend big money, which is what Freddy did - he was obviously the man that employed me.

"That was obviously the bottom line to make life difficult at some stage.

"I explained that to the new owners and said somewhere down the line we'd get a bit of stick, and they haven't been able to withstand that by the looks of it. I'm a casualty of that.

"I don't think in any way, looking back, any of that was my fault.

"At the time I considered myself to have a chance but since I've left things have been said that I was never their man."