Is Alan Pardew in an untenable position?

Pardew speaks again...
Pardew isn't the bad lad!
I’ve read a lot of comments over the last few weeks about our manager Alan Pardew. Yes, that’s right. Like it or not Alan Pardew IS our manager.

Personally I feel that a lot of the criticism he has been on the end of has been harsh and has had nothing to do with his actual job – managing the team.

I mean results wise we could have probably been better off, and we would have been but for a flukey deflection at the Stadium of Light, a lapse in concentration at the death against Tottenham and a complete collapse and surrender of a three goal lead against West Brom on the final day of last season. In fact it would have been enough to grab 8th place had we held on to even two of those leads.

I mean can a manager really do much when his players on the pitch switch off or get caught out? Shouldn’t that have been the job of Captain Tugboat (Kevin Nolan for those who don’t know) as our leader on the pitch to keep his troops focussed? Just a thought…

Despite the fact we ended up slightly lower than we were when Pardew took over from Chris Hughton I still feel that we played better football under him and, for some unknown reason, just felt that little bit more professional. It was like we actually had a manager and not a coach pretending to be a manager, which actually sounds harsh but I don’t mean it that way.

The facts and stats can be bent in many different directions and whilst people will point out that Chris Hughton’s winning percentage was better that Pardew’s it would be unbalanced to not mention the fact that Pardew actually picked up more points per game, and that was without the likes of Andy Carroll plus having to deal with Cheik Tiote being suspended for quite some time amongst other things.

The football, I believe, is better, but despite that, and perhaps rather amazingly, it’s not the actual football that many people have a problem with. They recognise that Pardew done well to keep things together in the second half of last season and that he had a weaker squad with which to deal with things, but it isn’t that which irks them.

To them it’s the lies, or misinformation or whatever you want to call it. To some it’s unbearable yet they keep on listening to it like a clapping seal waiting for a fish so they can just rip it apart. The “best fans in the land” are really showing just how “great” they are at “supporting”, or at least a section of them are anyway…

However there is a problem with that. A couple of problems in fact. At the end of the day why do people choose to continuously listen to someone they say lies all the time? Why not just ignore it? We all know someone who bullshits quite a lot. We all have that one person at work who has done everything you have ever done, bigger, better, quicker. What do you do to them? Well to be honest I just tend to ignore them…

Then there is the question of whether Alan Pardew is actually lying at all? I mean the evidence to back up the case that he actually not lying is pretty substantial – remember it was proven in a court that Mike Ashley and Co lied to the fans and to Kevin Keegan so why would they suddenly change?

Perhaps Pardew is just going off what he has been told? It’s probably the wrong call give the previous form of his employers but at the end of the day we do tend to listen to what a new employer says (I was promised x amount of perks at my last job which never materialised, for example) and I think his eagerness to impress us has lead to him replicating the false promises that he has been told. I also note that he is learning not to promise on things that he can’t actually deliver.

People will still not be convinced after all that though, so I’d like to ask who they would like as a manager? Perhaps a better way of putting it would be who they think would come to Newcastle and work under the restrictions that the board are placing on their managers?

At the end of the day the draw of Newcastle United manager is not what it used to be. Whether that be as a result of Freddie Shepherd’s managerial roundabout or Mike Ashley’s iron fist approach or a mix of the two is up for debate, but the job of gaffer at NUFC has turned into a poisoned chalice.

Big name managers have tried and failed to do anything at Newcastle. Ruud Gullit, Kenny Dalglish, Sam Allardyce (big in his own world) and Graeme Souness have all tried and failed at the club with the only big name success being Sir Bobby (Legend) Robson. Ironically it’s the inexperienced and lesser known guys who have done better with us. Keegan was nobody in managerial terms when he took over first time round, even Glenn Roeder did well for a time, and then we had Chris Hughton who did remarkably well. I’d put Pardew in the latter bracket in terms of his stature.

I just don’t know what people want, but I do know that I actually quite like Alan Pardew and, like it or not, he is here so will get my backing 100% until his results start to erode that. People need to separate what Alan Pardew says off the pitch and what he can produce on the pitch. Ultimately it’s the latter that will determine his future.

So position untenable? In the eyes of some it is, but for those who play that card I’d like them to have a look at the the questions posed and ask whether or not he is really that bad? Yes he talks too much and sometimes it’s on aspects that he has no influence over, but I’d be willing to bet he is just being a bit naive rather than trying to intentionally deceive.

I say give him a chance. Why not? Who else is going to give it a go?

Incidentally I’ve just had a bit of family crisis meaning that I won’t be around much today, but I will try and get another couple of articles out at some point today. Apologies in advance. Toonsy.

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

198 thoughts on “Is Alan Pardew in an untenable position?

  1. Batty,

    I very rarely have a go at people on the web.. I might poke some fun at folks and it’s up to them how they take it. If they want to get all arsey, then I’m quite prepared to have a go back if I can be bothered.

    Some people get very precious about it all… I can’t see anybody having a go at A Sim for his part in it?

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  2. For the correct reasons or not initially, I think Pardew could be a long serving manager for us as he was specifically installed by Ashley. The press conference yesterday was the first time I’ve seen him try to stamp any authority on a situation, which was pleasant to hear. Its hard for him, as so many descisions have already, or will be in the future, made for him. He’s only allowed to work with what he’s got, a thin squad in a mighty football club with big expectations, not easy. Hopefully he more than anyone would be able to get more penny’s out of Ashley & Co.

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  3. Johno 133

    Yeah obviously each deal is individual, and the better the player you get on a free, generally the bigger the signing on fee I would imagine. However, Ashley still said he wouldn’t be hoodwinked by agents, so let’s not start thinking that all of a sudden we are splashing out £10million on agents fees.

    This gives you a vague idea… The mega spending clubs are obviously the top spenders on agents fees.

    http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2234236,00.html

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  4. Hitzlsperger, Upson, McFadden, Carew all currently available for free,but can we afford them 😆 😆

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  5. I think the point is asim started with the ‘no girlfriend/boylove’ comments and nobody jumped in to give him a verbal spanking.

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  6. ML i dont think many have botherd too look at his comment @ 107 where he accuses you of liking boys

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  7. Asim shouldn’t do it either- he ust seems to have stopped posting.

    I think we all appreciate this blog because there is good banter about the club and doesn’t get overly childish. As I said, there is a place for that and it is over at Ed’s where it is tolerated.

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  8. PArdew only got the job cos he was in gambling debt to ashley. Means ashley gets a free manager and can put him in any situation and just pardew just has to take it.

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  9. “lads we are to sign defoe and warnock by end of week;”

    Can i have a couple of ounces of what your smoking… 😉

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  10. Good point. Didn’t see that @ 107. It works two ways asim. The pair of you pack it in.

    FFS I can’t even leave the site for a day to sort out family stuff without people acting responsibly.
    👿

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  11. Pardew probably isn’t anyone’s ideal (he’s a country mile better than Joe kinnear tho) realistically while Ashley runs the club this way we simply aren’t likely to attract a top manager.
    I doubt he is complicit in the lies. I think he is fed the same Bullshit as the rest of us.
    His recent press statements have appeared to reflect the acknowledgement that bullshitting the fans is not the best way for him to proceed with ‘never say never’ style caveats now following his pronouncements.
    I also think Ashleys ambition (or lack thereof) in the rest of the transfer window will dictate much of how well we do once the season starts. We can hardly expect much from Pardew if we start the season 3 players light of a decent squad.

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  12. CC – 😆 just trying to divert the attention of the blog to something positive!

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  13. A bit off topic but is Derek Llambias in the new film Rise of the Planet of the Apes? I hear he makes a magnificent stuntchimp. Oh no wait he is too busy doing a magnificent job on visas for Newcastle. And the recent amazing signings of Barnetta and Erdinc definitely show signs of his sticky fingers. Yes, with Derek overseeing the goings on at Newcastle I feel incredibly confident about the future.

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  14. Toonsy

    That’s the only reason I posted it because he took it to a different level at 107, so I though two could play at that game. I would have kept it at level 1 banter otherwise 🙂

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  15. Llambias has always reminded me of penfold off dangermouse he was an **** licker for his chief as well… 🙄

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  16. @173 Barnetta supposedly has a muscle injury that will keep him out for about 3 weeks. Sounds like his real agent??? is backtracking on that rant about the 40K a week offer from us being an insult. This still might have legs. Would love to see him as our RW.

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  17. ML – Fair enough. Being honest I never saw 107 as I’ve been busy all day and have only been on and off fleetingly.

    Just rise above it.

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  18. FSOTC- the quotes form barnetta’s ACTUAL agent:

    “It is unfortunate but Tranquillo picked up an injury this week, which means he is not even thinking about moving,”

    “It is a muscle injury which could rule him out for three weeks, so at the moment his only concern is about getting fit.”

    “Newcastle acted properly throughout, we know somebody was claiming things they should not have been, but we wanted to make sure everyone was aware that the club did everything they should.”

    “Newcastle, and other clubs we have been talking to, have been very good with us.”

    “But at the moment a deal is not in the offing, although in football you never know – it all depends on how quickly Tranquilo recovers, it could still happen – but we will have to wait and see.”

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  19. I take that to mean that if he is fit before the end of the window it could happen. The fact that the agent went out of his way to clear things up makes me believe he has some interest in us.

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  20. No wonder the other chimps don’t like him CC. Ashely a**-breath wow! Surely even Ashley can see by now Llambias is a waste of space? What would it take for Ashley to sack him? If we can’t even enquire about the state of people’s visas before going somewhere is there any hope at all? I realize the article is about Pardew but functioning within a clown show run by Llambias must be a nightmare. The club is now even having their wage offers discussed by the press. Barnetta offered 40K a week, Jose fined 2 weeks wages or 100K so therefore he is on 50K a week. We now even know the max for incoming players is about 40K a week. And people think Dafoe is going to come? No decent English player is going to come to us because wages for English players are obscene now. Even so the lack of a professional football man as managing director is killing us.

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  21. ML@145, your facts to support your argument is what are flawed.
    1) Barton WAS offered a 3xyear deal at £50k(not £60kas at present) in JAN,he admitted this in open forum at a dinner I attended and he wanted a 4xyear deal FACT!, he then said all bets are off till the club is safe. When he didn`t get what he wanted he publicly attacked the board, manager, new players and the kids.—-sorry, you just cannot have this disharmony especially when all he has got from the club in the past who saved his career and stood by him even when he was jailed.
    2) Unrest amongst the players, excuse me but who? All I see are players who have an axe to grind.ie Nolan–mercenary who could see writing on the wall and dropped a division to get the deal he wanted, takes him to 34 years old, Barton wanted to be captain and the main man and a deal upto 33 y.o. Enrique wants away so ****** him, not as good as he thinks he is.Routs, QPR didn`t think he`s worth £2mill or Prem class, enuff said.
    3)This is the way I look at it, Cabaye for Barton.
    Benny for Nolan(in the hole) Marv and Gos additions as is Ba! Happy, not forgetting Abeid/Vukic/Fergie coming thro`.
    Still gotover 3x weeks to get a Striker/LB(or 2) . Jonas on the right/ Tavs cover for Simps. Good shape.
    So off you go bonny lad and take your negativity with you, your thoughts are not constructive or welcome!!

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  22. Of course if Ashley surprises everyone and manages to get, let’s say, shame long, barnetta and a decent fullback (or two if Enrique leaves) then Pardew has no real excuse next season. In those circumstances, barring an injury ravaged season or ALL the new foreigners not settling, he should be expected to manage above 10th.
    Let’s see what the close of the transfer window brings, eh?

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  23. Pootle do you really think we have a chance to get Shane Long? Hasn’t there already been a 7M pound offer for him? Can’t see Ashley and crew offering above that. And is he worth it anyway? Could see him being a 10 goal a season man or less. The key is really Carr. Can he find a striker somewhere to really lift us? I think Ba will do well IF he can stay healthy but that is a big if. I would agree though if things go as you indicate we should definitely finish in the top 10 or Pardew should be out the door.

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  24. CT 180 – Not welcome to who? Do you speak on behalf of the whole board like? I thought this was a Newcastle United forum where people discussed how THEY felt about all things black and white. I didn’t realise reasonable freedom of speech was restricted on here.

    My thoughts don’t have to always be contructive to be realistic do they? Or is everything sugar coated around these parts?

    And what was wrong with offering Barton a 4 year deal anyway? Didn’t they give the clueless Pardew a 5 year deal? After all he did say he would agree to a pay cut. What other players voted player of the year do you think would offer to do that? Obviously because the board have said ‘no go’, you go along with that being the right decision, because all players these days are dead and buried by age 33 aren’t they? I’m sure Ferguson should’ve got rid of Scholes and Giggs 10years ago. Nolan’s is more understandable because his fitness was often in question.

    You think the players who aren’t being peddled are going to start singing from the rooftops, thereby proving that there can’t be unrest? I’m not sure there are enough clued up characters left there now to realise what’s going on anyway, and of those that are a bit more aware, Smith and Coloccini are on such high wages and at a stage of their career they won’t get within a mile of that again, so they’re not going to say anything.

    Have we just bought Gosling and Ben Arfa then? Oh yeah, they’re like new signings. A bit like Barton will be heralded as, if he doesn’t actually go.

    We ‘may’ have some decent players in. Cabaye souns very promising, but I’m ambivalent about the others. I see nothing to get the juices flowing…. yet.

    Overall, I think we’re weaker as a team and squad. We may allegedly have more pacey players in (provided Marveaux and Ba aren’t on the treatment table all the time), but what about the spirit? Who’s going to instigate the comeback like against Arsenal? Those players are gone…

    And what about replacing Carroll? It’s taking some time this, and what with money not being that much of an issue it’s a bit puzzling we still don’t have our main striker in 8 days before the season starts.

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  25. and my team tomorrow is
    krul
    simpson taylor colo jose
    cabaye gosling
    jonas vuckic marveaux
    ba

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  26. The summer to date has been ridiculous though some of it due to bad luck ie. Ben Arfa’s new injury. But going to the States, playing poorly (I think ManU outscored better opposition than we had 18-2), now losing Tiote to visa problems, unable to even have the starting team work together because of the trip, Twitter nightmares, open disagreements between players and management. One of our problems in the past has been waiting until the last minute. We have had 3 months to get a LB in. One attempt to get an inexperienced, Championship level LB NTaylor for almost an entire summer? Ridiculous. One free agent striker when we need at least 2 highly skilled strikers? No replacement of Campbell? Barton should have been suspended after the Leeds game and he should be sold for a profit which should then be invested along with significant other money for new players! What is this **** spouted by Llambias about saving money for the January transfer window? Llambias has always said that players are over-priced in the January window. Now all of a sudden we are saving money for it? This smells like another lie to me. This management group deserves to be blasted by the supporters. I have some sympathy for Pardew but don’t really think we will ever win anything under his management mainly because of the clowns above him.

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  27. No to Bridge or Defoe. last thing we need is more bling bling innit attitude, and Bridge hasn’t come anywhere near his form of about three(?) years ago.

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  28. MICHAEL LAUDRUP – so you would be happy with shola or best than defoe?? we need a striker in quickly and i think defoe is a natural goalscorer what we need!!

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  29. Army – No of course I wouldn’t, but I didn’t realise those were the only two choices.

    We should ship out virtually every striker we have and get some decent players in. We have the biggest collection of garbage up front we’ve had for a long time.

    I just don’t like Defo as a person, and he’s quite in and out form wise. For what he would cost to buy and in wages I’d expect there are plenty more out there would be better value.

    We should go for Sturridge for sure. Sell Shola, Xisco, Lovenkrands and Best at a car boot sale and put it all towards the mighty Daniel’s air fare up here.

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  30. Although I was the same as everyone else when we appointed him I now think that if given time & support from us &them upstairs we might just have a canny manager on our hands.He is very professional in his interviews & I like his ideas on how he wants his team to play,did he not get good comments from fans of the other teams he managed.He has had the week from hell but the way he has handled it (under immense pressure) deserves credit.He does not deserve to be be called a liar & a puppet,he has had to face up to everything on his own since the first day he arrived here( where is Lamearse).if.& its a big if we can just give him time,and he gets the backing from those above we might just do very well,we have fallen so far behind (not his fault) it will take time to hopefully get back to where we think we should be,we need stability, we will get nowhere without it.Man u got relegated & changed their managers quite a lot, but since Fergie! well I would like some of that.lets give the man a chance,you never know

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  31. Benny is out at least 6 weeks ARMY69. I would guess we won’t see him in the first team until October. We are still woeful up front even with Ba. Finding this very frustrating. Same old bollocks from Pardew about being patient but waiting until the last minute usually leads to disaster for Newcastle. My guess is Jose will leave in the last 2 or 3 days of the window and then Pardew will say we had no time to get a replacement when the truth is they never intended to pay for a decent replacement. That’s why they went after NTaylor because they thought he was going to be a cheap fix.

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  32. No GeordieTwo.
    I dont think we will get Shane Long. I think Ashley wants to do everything on a shoestring budget. He will put the cheapness of the deal above the quality of the player every time.
    I haven’t seen enough of Shane Long to know what sort of a job he could do – although many people seem to think he may well be able to do a good enough job without really being the next Shearer!

    It was mainly just an example to say that if we get in 3 players (without losing Enrique, 4 if we do) of that sort of quality, I would expect us to challenge for 7th or 8th providing we dont have an injury ravaged season and the foreign players dont take too long to settle.
    If we finish in the bottom half of the table under those circumstances I would consider it to be a failure on Pardews behalf.

    I don’t think we will get that level of player, however. I think Ashley/Llambias will get in some cheap makeweights who arent as good as the players we already have in those positions so Pardew will struggle anyway as our squad will be too weak.
    Here’s hoping the serious threat of Barton and Enrique leaving shocks Dumb and Dumber into some getting us some decent quality players rather than makeweights.
    I wont be getting all excited until I see the evidence of it though – frankly they’ve given us too many false dawns already.

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