COMMENT: Testing times for Ashley’s loyalty to under-fire Sam

When it comes to the Newcastle manager's ideal festive present, a P45 is unlikely to be at the top of his list.

Yet as the Magpies lurch from one crisis to the next in a manner that is all too familiar to their long-suffering fans, Ashley's desire to stand by Allardyce is being tested to the limit.

The Newcastle owner does not want to dismiss his manager, but if there are many more afternoons like Wednesday's, he could well decide that he has no other option.

Sitting in the away end at Wigan's JJB Stadium, Ashley found it difficult to concentrate on events unfolding on the pitch.

In part, that was a reflection of Newcastle's insipid performance against a side that started the day in 19th place in the table, but in the main it was due to the steady stream of Newcastle supporters who approached urging him to give Allardyce the sack.

The same thing is likely to happen at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, and the festering discontent could become mutinous if Newcastle fail to beat Championship promotion hopefuls Stoke in the FA Cup third round in eight days time.

As Newcastle's sole owner, Ashley is protected from supporter pressure in a way that former chairman Freddie Shepherd was not, but just as Shepherd tended to use the fans as a barometer, so Ashley will be unable to sail against the prevailing tide for too long.

Ultimately, the supporters' say will be final. And unless Allardyce can drastically improve both results and performances in the next fortnight or so, their message is likely to prove fatal to his reign.

Never a popular appointment thanks to his reputation for producing negative, attritional football during his time at Bolton, Allardyce's stock has crashed markedly during his four months at St James' Park.

The charge sheet is long and varied, but amid all the criticisms over his failed signings, unexciting style of play and propensity to play players out of position, one failing stands out.

Allardyce is not winning football matches, and if that continues, improvements anywhere else will be irrelevant.

A record of seven victories from 19 league games is simply not good enough, and for all that Allardyce can claim he needs time to impose his style and methodology on a squad that has proved hostile to many of his ways, he will not be given it if he is unable to instigate an improvement in the short term.

He will not be judged on what happens later today - Chelsea have, after all, gone 72 Premier League home games without defeat - but Wednesday's home game with Manchester City and next weekend's cup tie at Stoke look crucial.

Lose them and he is likely to lose his job as well.

The City game comes 24 hours after the opening of the transfer window and, while January is a notoriously difficult month in which to do business, Ashley's judgement will be affected by the need to make further investment.

If he genuinely believes Allardyce's job is safe in the "medium to long term" - as suggested by chairman Chris Mort recently - he will surely have to provide whatever funds his manager demands.

Allardyce's transfer record since arriving on Tyneside has been chequered at best - fullback Jose Enrique has made just five Premier League starts despite costing the best part of £7m in the summer, and Joey Barton has hardly justified the considerable faith that was shown in him back in July - but Newcastle will lose four players to the African Nations Cup next month, and their squad already looks threadbare in a number of key areas.

If, however, Ashley has reservations about Allardyce's longevity, he would surely be better dismissing his manager now and keeping his transfer powder dry for the summer.

When Newcastle have sacked their manager in the past they have tended to do so just after he has been allowed to spend millions of pounds on new arrivals.

If they are to jump aboard the managerial merry-go-round again, this time it would be better to keep the disruption to a minimum.