By Tyne-Talk
January 1 2008

Sam Allardyce has said he has no worries or concerns over his position as Newcastle United manager and is not worried about Alan Shearer replacing him any time soon. Sam has also said he is unsure whether he will start Owen against Manchester City but that the striker will not be going anywhere in the January transfer window.

The 52 year old said:

"I do not have any worries or concerns as far as they (Mort and Ashley) are concerned.

The pressure that has been put on them as well as me, they understand it is outside influences trying to exert pressure on them. It is all part of the game."

With regards to the constant stories about Alan Shearer he said: 

"It has always been there and it always will be. There is nothing more to say on the subject."

Big Sam has also insisted that Michael Owen is going no where despite recent rumours he will be teaming up with former international manager Sven Goran Eriksson at Manchester City, whom Newcastle play at home tomorrow.

"I will be seeing Sven-Goran Eriksson on Wednesday and that will be the first contact I have had with him since we played down there. There has been nothing from City to Newcastle about Michael.

We have no offers from anyone so it's a no at the moment.

Unless someone tells me they don't want to stay, then that is a different scenario and we'll take it from there."

Owen may or may not start tomorrows match, despite coming on as a substitute against Chelsea at the weekend, Allardyce is still concerned about his fitness, though he has no worries regarding his ability.

He Said: 

"We have had games where we have created a large number of chances and you have to wonder, if Michael had been there, we might have converted a higher proportion of our chances.

That would mean winning a few more games. We can only hope with no internationals coming up he is in-house and we can keep his training and work in-house and we can get him fit and scoring goals again.

Now all we have to do is look at prevention and marry that with day-to-day training and playing week in, week out.

His injury has been a massive disappointment. But he is now back and we can only hope that with no internationals coming up, and his training and fitness work (being) in-house, we can get him fit and scoring goals again."

The winter transfer window opened today and with clubs chopping and changing players over the next month there has been speculation over whether Mike Ashley is prepared to release funds to Big Sam, who spent over the summer.

Allardyce has confirmed he has made his interest in certain players clear to the board and that nobody will be leaving the club unless there is big money on the table.

"I am putting players forward to the chairman and decisions will be made from there,

The players that might be available and are available are being discussed on a regular basis, day to day.

I was never given an indication of a budget in the summer and it will be similar in this window.

It would have to be a very lucrative offer for anyone to move away from the club."

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