Roeder Faces Press

Glenn Roeder's appointment as Newcastle United manager was far from a happy affair.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce and Wigan's Paul Jewell were rumoured to have been in contention for the job, but chairman Freddy Shepherd dismissed their credentials and went for the man without the badge. But he backed his decision by making an amazing rebuke at the two Premiership managers who have knocked Roeder this weekend.

Shepherd: 'It's a bit rich that some of the ones that have been making the most noise are the ones that Newcastle turned down for the Newcastle United job. You can see how upset I am with these guys.'

Roeder, however, says he is thrilled to have landed the job of managing the club for which he made 193 appearances.

Roeder: 'This is an amazing achievement, to be asked to manage Newcastle. I think you will find this week three years ago, I was having an operation that would make what's happening today possible.

'What's happened today should give hope to everybody that the impossible does happen, because I feel I've made it happen. nWhen I was having that operation, it would never have crossed my mind. I was thinking of survival - a family with three children, I was thinking of survival for them.

'Once I'd got better and I've moved on over these last three years, the impossible has happened, so that gives everyone hope that, if you get knocked down, as long as you get up in life whatever business you are in, you cannot fail.

'It's only the people who stay down on the floor that you may accuse of failing. I've always believed as soon as you go down, you get back up and you come out swinging, and I think that's what I've done.'

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