SAM ALLARDYCE is a self-confessed pessimist and his first summer as Newcastle United manager has done little to convince him otherwise.

But despite a failure to land a couple of his top targets, namely Tal Ben Haim and Sylvain Distin, Allardyce has still successfully strengthened the Magpies squad this summer.

Joey Barton - provided he is not handed a jail sentence after being charged with assault and he recovers from a broken metatarsal - David Rozehnal, Geremi and Mark Viduka should prove to be four astute signings.

And all of his transfer market maneuverings have been completed during a difficult period of change at the top of St James' Park.

The change of ownership cost Allardyce on a number of fronts and even now, on the eve of the season, he would like to add to the squad he has built, so he will not be making wild predictions of European football.

His attitude is unlikely to change given that he has already suffered on the injury front. As well as Barton, the signing from Manchester City, Nicky Butt and Emre have all suffered in pre-season.

Allardyce remains unclear which of his squad will be available for the trip to his old club Bolton tomorrow.

Glenn Roeder and Graeme Souness made much of the Magpies' injury curse and Allardyce has quickly learned what their complaints were all about.

Despite drafting in his own sports science team and training methods, Allardyce has suggested his squad could continue to feel the affects of the past while the new techniques are installed.

Michael Owen, Shola Ameobi, Emre and Butt have all been struggling to make tomorrow's trip to Bolton and it is clear to Allardyce why they have had small parts in pre-season.

"I felt the players were deconditioned and it's been proven so we have been trying to train double sessions each day, which is what this club needs," said Allardyce.

"Some of the players have not been able to tolerate it, we have had to work them in other areas and other ways with the sports science and medical staff to keep up their fitness while they recover from niggles.

"We have had to give them three sessions in rehab terms to get over their injuries and keep them as fit as we can. It's going to be more expensive to implement the changes I want, but I have started the process.

"Our motto is we can always make the players and methods here better than what they were operating at before. Once we get the full backroom staff into position and functioning that won't be a problem, that's what we've been doing for the last seven years at Bolton."

One of Newcastle's biggest headaches in recent years has been the troubled defence but Allardyce has not been able to make the additions he wanted to his back four.

As well as Ben Haim, Marseille's Habib Beye, Reading's Nicky Shorey and Liverpool's Sami Hyypia have all been targeted without success.

But two recruits from the French League, Rozehnal and Lyon's Cacapa, have added much-needed experience.

Alan Smith's arrival should also prove to be valuable and his spending has not even topped £10m as yet.

That, Allardyce feels, is as much due to the takeover process as anything else and he hopes he will be given further funding to strengthen now that a few weeks have passed since Freddy Shepherd's departure.

"The changeover was the biggest problem," said Allardyce. "It was a very quick turnaround considering what's involved, but there's new people in, the old out and moving around the whole business and structure has changed.

"Trying to get to where you want to get has been a little bit difficult and I understand that because you've got to find everything out about the new business. But that's only because of the circumstances."

Chris Mort, a top London lawyer who has succeeded Shepherd as chairman, has had to tread carefully while he familiarises himself with management in football.

But Allardyce remains confident he can transform the club's ailing fortunes, and his former number two at Bolton Phil Brown is left in no doubt about his friend's chances of success on Tyneside - even if it leads him to the England job in a few years time.

"Sam will bring a strength of character, he never has a team that lies down or gives up and with financial backing he'll bring quality to the club," said Brown, now Hull City's manager.

"There's no doubt that with the backing he'll be the most successful Newcastle manager ever. He's ahead of the game, not getting the England job last summer was a similar situation to Brian Clough all those years ago.

"He's taken a different turning now but he still has England aspirations. He knows he has to be successful for three, four or five years to go for that England manager job, but first of all Sam must be successful at Newcastle."

It is the latter Newcastle's fanatical supporters are looking for, it is just a question of whether he will be given the time to do it.