Sam Allardyce is so short of players in his injury hit Newcastle squad that yesterday he fielded London-bound Kieron Dyer.  Allardyce says:

We used him because we were short and he played very well.  But I don’t think we can keep him, for the reasons I gave last week.

Whatever your opinions of the man, you can’t help but feel for Allardyce as he picks up the pieces of years of profligacy and appalling decision making by the previous regimes.  Newcastle have spent millions of pounds in wages on players who were very rarely fit: Dyer himself is a prime example.

Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi both missed the friendly win over Juventus, Mark Viduka is yet to play for the club since signing from Middlesbrough.  Another summer acquisition, Joey Barton, is already out for the start of the season with a broken foot.

New chairman, new manager, but same old injury problems.