After interviewing six candidates, Blackburn Rovers are set to announce Mark Hughes’ replacement come the end of the week with Allardyce, Ince and McClaren the three front runners. The selected manager is crucial; David Bentley’s future amongst others is likely to rely on the decided appointment. So, Rovers fans…

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Mounting speculation concerning the vacant managerial post at Blackburn suggests Newcastle legend Alan Shearer is the front runner for the job. The former Rovers striker is one of a number of candidates for the position alongside the likes of MK Dons manager Paul Ince, Sam Allardyce and Steve McClaren.

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West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is the latest in a long line of Premier League managers to feel pressure from both his own fans and from the poisoned pens of the press after a string of poor results.

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So Harry Redknapp is the latest Toon target for what has become the poisoned chalice of the Premier League, the Newcastle United manager’s job. After so many recent failures would wheeling, dealing Harry be the right man for a job that arguably brings with it more pressure and expectation than any other Premier League club?

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There’s no escaping the current news of Allardyce’s departure from Newcastle ‘by mutual consent’. And despite his exit not coming as the biggest shock in the world, we have to ask how can you sack someone a mere 240 days into a job (and only 151 of those involved Premiership games and results)?

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Sir Alex Ferguson’s Premier League record for United against Newcastle makes ominous reading for the Toon this weekend. The away side have won just 3 times in 28 meetings with the Red Devils, losing a total of 16 times in the process. Newcastle’s record at Old Trafford is even poorer, the Theatre of Dreams has been more of a nightmare for the Geordies, as they have not won there for 36 years. Newcastle have now appointed 15 different permanent managers since Joe Harvey’s Magpies side last won at Old Trafford back in February 1972. Despite such damning statistics, Newcastle do possess a much maligned manager in Big Sam who has won twice at O.T. in his managerial career, oh wait a minute, no they don’t, Allardyce has gone after just 8 months and 8 wins in 24 games (all comps). After mounting criticism from the St James’ hordes, the former England managerial hopeful and ex-Bolton boss departed in the usual Premier League manner, by ‘mutual consent’ on Wednesday evening.

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This is the last match poor Sam Allardyce needs at the moment with mounting pressure building on him on Tyneside. The Toon have now seen their post Christmas celebrations dampened by 3 successive defeats and they now face a lively Stoke side sitting 4th in the Championship.

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Sven Goran Eriksson takes his City side to St James’ Park looking to end their poor away run of 8 matches without a win. The former England manager has seen his reputation soar as he’s revitalised the Eastlands club who sit fifth in the Premier League. The same cannot be said of Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce who was tipped to replace the Swede as England manager. Despite sitting comfortably in mid-table, Big Sam is feeling pressure from all directions as Newcastle lurch from one supposed crisis to another. Another home defeat would put incredible pressure on his over burdened shoulders and could make 2008 an annus horribilis for the former Bolton manager.

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Both sides enjoyed disappointing Boxing Day results but only one manager is under extreme pressure over the festive period, yes as usual it is poor old big Sam Allardyce at Newcastle. Chelsea may have slipped further behind the League leaders after a home draw with Villa but it is big Sam whose position is under threat after just 1 point this week from matches against the Premier League’s bottom 2. As pressure mounts on the former Bolton manager from the restless St James’ Park faithful you realise just why the Newcastle job is regarded as the Premier League’s poisoned chalice. Big Sam follows in a long line of high profile managers such as Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Ruud Gullit who struggled to cope with their massive expectations of the Toon.

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This was the shock of the weekend with 92% of you expecting revitalised Newcastle to pile more misery on the rock bottom Rams. However in the end the Toon were fortunate to earn a point. Derby only managed their first away goal of the season in their last away match at Old Trafford, on Sunday they doubled their season’s tally.

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