Will Roeder And Allardyce Clash Again?
By Nu Mad
Updated Saturday, 7th July 2007
Glenn Roeder has finally completed his Uefa Pro-Licence course and, having received the qualifications that Sam Allardyce insisted he should have, is looking for a new club.
When Newcastle went 'cap in hand' to the Premiership clubs asking for votes so that Roeder could continue as Newcastle manager despite not having a Pro-Licence ... the one manager who was up in arms about it was then-Bolton boss Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce stood firm, insisting 'rules are rules', and even though Roeder's course had been abandoned when he was manager at West Ham because of his ill health caused by a brain tumour, Big Sam refused to budge.
That is something that Roeder is not quick to forget, and this week he laughed off Sam's hopes of patience from the Newcastle board with Allardyce saying "I need five years in the job to bring success".
A war of words between the two was inevitable, and now Roeder hopes to get back into management to show that he can be a winner.
Roeder: "It has been strange in the last four or five weeks, it hadn't hit home.
"Because I've been involved in football all my life, it hadn't hit home because anybody who is involved in football is away on holiday at this time of year. Now the clubs are starting pre-season training, it's sinking in that I'm not going to be part of the game I've been involved in all my life.
"I've always believed that in life - and I've had some bad experiences, particularly with the brain tumour - you can't fail as long as when you get knocked down to the canvas, you come out trading punches again. I haven't done anything aside from football since I left school at 16. I know there's life outside the game but for me football is everything.
"My passion is as strong as ever, it's just a question of being patient and waiting to see what turns up."
It remains to be seen if anyone will take a chance on Roeder. His record is not one to boast about - West Ham (relegated);
Watford (relegated);
Gillingham (92nd in league when he was sacked); Newcastle (sacked).
He will have to look further down the ladder, probably back to coaching, which many still think is his strength.
