West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce feels that Jose Kinnear's appointment as director of football could prove to be a "massive problem" at the Magpies.

Kinnear was appointed over the summer and immediately made a series of mistakes with the pronunciation of players' names at the club while giving interviews.

Former Toon boss Allardyce feels that the appointment is a strange one and thinks that it could eventually affect the harmony at the club.

"If the director of football is not promoting the players that [the manager] wants to buy but the players he wants — it's a massive problem," Allardyce is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail.

"I was very surprised when they appointed Joe. He obviously built up a good relationship with the owner the first time he was there. I know Joe has a huge amount of experience [but] he could have made life easier for himself if he had not made the public statements he made.

"I had a director of football at my first job at Blackpool, Billy Bingham, but I think it depends on the relationship you have or you build. It also depends on the relationship between you, the owner and the director of football. There can be Chinese whispers behind your back. If you start getting that scenario the director of football becomes a bigger obstacle than a help."

Newcastle entertain West Ham United this afternoon.