SAM Allardyce has admitted that the frenzied reaction to Monday's 1-0 defeat at Derby made him question the wisdom of swapping "the safest job in football" for "the most volatile".

But having left Bolton's Reebok Stadium in search of a fresh challenge this summer, the Newcastle manager is determined to overcome his first real setback since taking over at St James' Park.

While Monday's miserable performance at Pride Park saw Newcastle outplayed by a Derby side that had shipped six goals at Liverpool on its last outing, the subsequent defeat represented the club's first reverse of the campaign.

One defeat in five is hardly a bad record, but the result has still elicited a feverish response in which the effectiveness of Allardyce's entire summer overhaul has been called into question.

The Magpies manager admits he is still getting used to the unique demands of Newcastle's 'goldfish bowl' environment.

But after turning down the option of an easier life in Lancashire, the 52-year-old is determined to ride out the first rough patch of his reign.

"I had the safest job in football at Bolton," said Allardyce, ahead of tomorrow's Premier League home game with West Ham. "The safest manager's job you could get.

"I could have signed another long-term contract, but it was time to challenge myself somewhere else. I picked Newcastle because of the size and capabilities of the club, and that meant I put myself on the line.

"When I came, the Newcastle job was the most insecure one in the Premiership because of the number of managers that were sacked in a short period of time. I've come here to try to change that, although sometimes I feel like I'm mad.

"This week has all been doom and gloom and that's a challenge. But I enjoy a challenge and I realise the fans are desperate for success. Nowadays, that success has to be quicker than ever before, but that's the task we have to meet head on."

As if dealing with the fall-out from Monday's defeat has not been difficult enough, Allardyce has also had to contend with mounting speculation over the state of Michael Owen's groin.

The Newcastle boss expected a certain level of debate after the England international was withdrawn after just 56 minutes of Monday's game.

What he did not expect, however, was the minutiae of Owen's groin strain to dominate the national news agenda for the best part of three days.

"Michael picks up a bit of a groin niggle and the world seems to stop for a few days," said Allardyce. "It's strange, but I suppose I'm getting used to it now.

"When I first came here, I was saying 'What's all the fuss about', but I've come to learn that it's about the size of the player. He's bigger than just about anyone else in the country. He deals with that, and I'm having to do the same on a week-to-week basis. At least I'm getting to understand what it's all about."

Owen's fitness continues to be a source of debate in the build-up to tomorrow's game, although the striker is expected to start against the Hammers after coming through a full training session with the rest of the Newcastle squad yesterday.

He continues to feel sporadic discomfort in his groin, a niggling problem that has led some to speculate that a hernia operation is inevitable within the next two months.

Allardyce admits that the nature of certain groin injuries makes it impossible to rule out the need for future surgery.

But with a carefully-monitored training and recovery programme, the Newcastle boss continues to insist that it should be possible to nurse Owen back to full fitness without the need for a lengthy lay-off.

"The simple fact is that you can't know whether he'll need an operation or not," said Allardyce, who is expected to partner Owen with the fit-again Mark Viduka tomorrow. "At the moment, it's all speculation.

"Anyone can get a tight groin and then it lead to a hernia, so you can't say anything categorically. But what you can do is make sure you manage the problem so it doesn't turn into one.

"We can certainly do a lot of prevention work in terms of that scenario, but it doesn't mean that it won't eventually end up there (in an operation).

"It can do, but this week's scan was all-clear and the player is confident he'll be fit for Sunday. After that, we obviously hope he'll have a clean bill of health, but you never know what might happen in football."

Allardyce came close to reading the riot act after Monday night's dismal display at Derby, but after his players performed impressively in their opening five matches of the season, he opted to give them the benefit of the doubt.

With the likes of David Rozehnal, Claudio Cacapa and Habib Beye acclimatising to life in the Premier League, Allardyce accepts it will take time for his squad to gel. Another performance like Monday's and his patience will be at snapping point.

"I was probably middle of the road in my reaction to the Derby defeat," he explained. "Sometimes, you have to be careful about damaging confidence."