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Allardyce Urged To Buy Flair Players

Thu 27 Dec, 03:09 PM


Chris Waddle believes under-fire Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce can buy himself some valuable time by buying a couple of flair players in the January transfer window.

Disgruntled Newcastle fans voiced their frustration after the home draw with bottom club Derby and the Boxing Day defeat away to strugglers Wigan.

But former Newcastle and England winger Waddle thinks Allardyce has an opportunity to take the heat off himself by bringing in a couple of entertainers during the transfer window to excite the Geordie faithful.

"The fans are frustrated because they like their entertaining football and the football now is not entertaining," Waddle told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"When Kevin Keegan came back to the club he brought a lot of entertaining football and the fans thoroughly enjoyed what they were seeing.

"Now the football is not entertaining. They have not got creative players. On the whole they have not got players who entertain the crowd and the football is very direct at times.

"The fans will stick by them because they are so loyal to the club but I think it will be interesting in January if he (Allardyce) brings in a couple of flair players.

"He had flair players at Bolton - he had (Jay-Jay) Okocha, (Youri) Djorkaeff, (El-Hadji) Diouf, (Nicolas) Anelka - so he does like the flair players.

"If he can get a couple of players like that, who can do the job on the pitch but can also entertain, it may buy more time.

"I think the fans are just waiting to see who he signs in January before they start banging the drum."

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