Freddy: We'd be in top five with Sam

May 20 2007 By The Sunday Sun

Freddy Shepherd is convinced Newcastle would now be a top five club had he landed Sam Allardyce as manager three years ago.

United chairman Shepherd courted Allardyce after sacking Sir Bobby Robson in 2004, only to be foiled by Big Sam's contractual obligations to Bolton.

And the Magpies' supremo insists he is still counting the cost of failing to get his man first time around.

"I think we would have been in the top five now if Sam had come then," Shepherd told the Sunday Sun.

"We would have been in a lot better position than we are now.

"In 2004, because of the conditions and the clauses in his contract with Bolton, it was more or less impossible for him to leave.

"But I never stopped trying. He is the type of guy who has Newcastle manager written all over him."

And Shepherd added: "Sam has the whole summer to re-assess the whole team from top to bottom.

"That's what he did at Bolton . . . and that's what he will do at Newcastle."