Sam Allardyce has spoken for the first time about his dismissal as Newcastle United manager, blaming the club’s owners, his players and the media for his departure last month from St James’ Park. “Looking back over that short period of time I don’t think any of it was particularly my fault,” Allardyce, who was replaced by Kevin Keegan, said.

Allardyce claimed that he arrived on Tyneside last summer expecting a significant budget for signings, which did not transpire in the wake of Mike Ashley’s takeover. “We didn’t have as much money as I expected,” he said. “I came to Newcastle to spend big.

“As a manager, you’re dependent on two sets of people - your owners and your players. Life is not in your hands. You’ve got to make the right decisions and I did so on the basis of my track record. I hope it hasn’t damaged my reputation. I told the owners we’d get stick at some point and obviously they haven’t been able to withstand that.”

Allardyce laughed off suggestions that, as a job, Newcastle was too big for him. “That’s an absolute load of rubbish,” the former Bolton Wanderers manager said. “I don’t think the fans didn’t like me, but it was the agitators who were the problem, the press and one or two of the ex-players. All the old managers that I’ve spoken to have said the same.”