CHRIS Mort last night laughed off suggestions that Sam Allardyce's position was in jeopardy following back-to-back defeats to Reading and Portsmouth, and claimed the Magpies manager was absolutely integral to Mike Ashley's long-term vision for Newcastle United.

Allardyce moved to Tyneside only in May, yet five defeats in his opening 13 matches have still led to increased speculation over his position.

Weekend reports linked Newcastle with a possible move for Blackburn manager Mark Hughes, a suggestion that was quickly dismissed out of hand within the corridors of power at St James' Park.

The voracity of the recent speculation underlines the depth of the mood swings that tend to engulf Newcastle during the course of a season, creating a knee-jerk culture whereby no Magpies manager is ever more than two games away from a crisis.

The club have gone through six permanent managers in the last ten seasons, and Mort feels an accompanying lack of silverware during that time confirms that instability is a barrier to success.

The Newcastle chairman was as disappointed as anyone in the wake of last weekend's three-goal home defeat to Portsmouth, but insists short-term setbacks must not be allowed to dictate his long-term planning.

Ashley has entrusted him with the task of securing the club's development over the next four or five years, and Allardyce will remain a key constituent in that process.

"We are like any supporter, we lurch from one result to the next and we are affected by each game and how well we do," said Mort. "But, from our perspective, we have to take a more long-term to medium-term view.

"We are not going to leap to any rash decisions. We are not going to entertain stories like the one we had on Sunday saying that we were going to get rid of Sam because we have lost two games on the trot. We're not going to get into that mindset.

"Chopping and changing managers here hasn't worked and the success stories at other clubs are usually connected with longevity. Absolutely."

Longevity, however, is hardly a concept that has dictated Premier League policy this season.

When Chris Hutchings lost his job as Wigan manager earlier this week, he became the fourth top-flight manager to depart in the opening three months of the campaign.

With relegation to the Championship costing at least £30m, and failure to qualify for Europe proving more and more expensive each season, the pressure on a Premier League manager has never been greater.

To Mort, though, the high number of departures merely underlines how easy it is to prioritise short-term improvement over long-term stability.

"I can't believe that four managers have lost their job by the start of November," he said. "There seems to be a real short-term thinking in the football business that we want to resist.

"We absolutely want to hear what the fans have to say, but we still take a medium and long-term view and we will not be swayed from that by two defeats on the trot.

"We're from a business background so we appreciate we have to take a long-term view. It doesn't make accepting defeats any easier, especially when it's a 4-1 home defeat, but we have to look beyond immediate results and think to ourselves, 'Are we still heading in the right direction?' We won't get knocked off what we feel we need to do by short-term considerations."

In part, the continued speculation over Allardyce's position stems from his appointment by Mort's predecessor, Freddie Shepherd.

Having previously attempted to recruit Allardyce before he approached Graeme Souness in 2004, Shepherd's admiration for the former Bolton manager's achievements and methods was well known.

Ashley and Mort's opinion, on the other hand, is harder to gauge, and removing Allardyce would not be interpreted as the same admission of defeat it might have been had the current management team appointed the 53-year-old.

Nevertheless, Mort, who sat alongside Allardyce as Newcastle conceded three goals in the opening 12 minutes last weekend, insists his relationship with his manager could hardly be stronger.

And while Ashley could undoubtedly afford to install his own successor to the Midlander, Newcastle's ebullient owner remains equally committed to making the current arrangement work.

"I think I can say I've got a close relationship with Sam,"

said Mort. "We've got a very good working relationship.

"The fact that Sam wasn't our appointment and that Mike has lots of money doesn't create any kind of problem for me. Sam is doing a great job and he's developed a strong team around him.

"It's more about us managing public expectation and press expectation, rather than us running the business differently.

"If clubs had been looking around for a new manager to recruit in the summer, I'm sure we'd all have said that Sam was one of the best you could get."

■ Wigan caretaker manager Frank Barlow is not interested in taking the role on a permanent basis.

The veteran coach will take charge of the side against Tottenham on Sunday at White Hart Lane following the dismissal of Chris Hutchings.

Asked if he would throw his hat into the ring, Barlow, 61, said: Definitely not. I do not like doing this part (media interviews).

Chris asked me to come so I am fully aware of my position. I will just take what comes.

I am not on my own at the moment. The backroom staff here are one of the main assets of the club. They are very much together."