After finishing fifth last season optimism was high and the hope was that we would build on that this season.
We didn’t and now the heat is most definitely on Alan Pardew as fans vent their frustration. The article from Stardust yesterday hit the nail on the head for a lot of people, but I’m wondering if there are any mitigating circumstances that could be at least party to blame for our rotten season. We all know that the squad wasn’t strengthened enough last summer, that we’ve suffered injuries, that we’ve been playing in the Europa League, but did any of these set us up for our downfall? I believe that our season can be split into three sections.
Phase 1 – Instability
At the start of the season I was mildly optimistic. Fair enough we hadn’t strengthened enough but we had a good team and a European campaign to look forward to. I was expecting to finish 6thto 8th or somewhere in that region. I, like most people, if asked to name our strongest team would have said: Krul; Simpson, Coloccini, Taylor, Santon; Jonas, Tiote, Cabaye, HBA; Ba and Cisse. A team that never played together this season.
The first ten games saw us win three, draw five and lose two. We were 10thin the table with 14 points. Not as good as expected, but we used 17 players in those ten games such was our instability. By now even I was bemoaning our failure to strengthen in the summer. And we hadn’t seemed to solve the Ba/Cisse conundrum up front.
In goal Tim Krul played six times, winning two and drawing three whilst in the middle of that Steve Harper made four appearance, winning one and drawing two. The defence was even more unstable. Granted Davide Santon played all ten, but Danny Simpson only played five with James Perch making four appearances and Shane Ferguson making one. I central defence we had the Taylor/Coloccini partnership which played three times (D2, L1), then Taylor/Williamson for three games (W1, D2), Coloccini/Williamson were paired together twice (W1, D1) whilst Perch played once with Steven Taylor which we won and once with Mike Williamson where we lost.
In midfield We had Yohan Cabaye partnered by Vurnon Anita five times (W1, D3 L1), Cheik Tiote three times (W1, D1, L1) and even James Perch once which we won. Finally we had Cheik Tiote and Gael Bigirimana playing together in one game which we drew.
Now I know we didn’t play 4-4-2, but we had Jonas and Hatem Ben Arfa available for all those games with Cisse and Ba starting seven of them (W2, D3, L2). The other times we had Ba and Shola starting twice (W1, D1) and Cisse and Marveaux getting a draw from their game.
Phase 2 – Meltdown
Phase 1 ended with a win against West Brom where Cheik Tiote got sent off and a draw against Liverpool where Fabricio Coloccini got sent off. To top it off the first game of this phase, a loss against West Ham, was Cabaye’s last game before missing 11. These 13 games saw us win only two games and draw one other. The answer why lies in our midfield.
Tim Krul and Davide Santon played all 13 games. Danny Simpson played the first ten with Mathieu Debuchy stepping on for the last two and James Perch playing in the other. In central defence we had Mike Williamson playing 12 – nine of those with Coloccini and three with Steven Taylor. The other game saw Coloccini and Perch paired together. Up front Ba played all ten before he left, partnering Cisse for nine of them and Shola once. After he left we had Cisse and Shola twice and Cisse with Obertan once.
We used nine midfield players in those 13 games. Vurnon Anita played 11, Jonas played nine as did Cheik Tiote but only six times together. James Perch managed five games while Sylvain Marveaux played in six of those games. Yohan Cabaye only managed the first and last game, Hatem Ben Arfa managed three, which meant Ferguson (three times) Gael Bigirimana (twice) and Gabriel Obertan (also twice) were also called on in midfield. Given the enforced changes that meant we only played same four in midfield three times: Anita, Tiote, Jonas and Perch.
So by the end of this we were 16th with 21 points, a goal difference of -13 and only two points above relegation. It shows how important Cabaye is to us.
Phase 3 – Survival
The January transfer window brought five new players. We had had the benefit of Debuchy for two games but the rest only turned up towards the end of the window. But they made an immediate impact. Suddenly we had stability and we won two games on the bounce for the first and only time this season. And then the loss away to Spurs was followed by another win. Also we saw the emergence of Elliott as decent back up for Krul.
In defence Steven Taylor was just about ever-present partnering Coloccini or Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Debuchy settled in and Simpson provided cover. The left-back slot was a bit more problematical towards the end of the season but midfield was much more settled. Yohan Cabaye played nearly every game as did Jonas Gutierrez and Moussa Sissoko. James Perch or Cheik Tiote filled the defensive midfield position and Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan even made appearances. Papiss Cisse and Yoan Gouffran played just about every game.
This strengthening and stability helped, but the pressures of the drop didn’t. Still we played 15, won six, drew two, lost seven and ended up with us safe at last. From the tone of this article you can conclude that the lack of team stability was a major factor in our difficult season.
I also looked at who started how many games and what results we got with them. This is a bit simplistic but nevertheless an interesting indicator. After all it is a team game. Very few players actually played much of the season. Special mention must go to Jonas who only missed four games and we lost all of them. Other than Jonas only Santon (31) and Cisse (35) played over 30 games. Krul (24), Cabaye (25), Steven Taylor (24), Coloccini (22), Tiote (22) and Ba (19) also managed to get half a season in. And people claim that injuries didn’t affect anything.
We used 20 players regularly and another six who only started a few times. Yes there is an argument that Simpson, Williamson, Anita and Shola would have got more game time had our new Frenchmen not turned up but they were not significant contributors in terms of results.
In terms of contribution I bring you the effectiveness awards. In third place with 33 points from 25 starts (1.32 points per game) I give you Yohan Cabaye. Second with 16pts from 12 starts is Moussa Sissoko (1.33) but in first place with an amazing 20pts from 14 starts (1.43) I give you Yoan Gouffran. The team average across the season was only 1.08pps. Notice our top two only arrived in January.
So what does this all show? We managed to play the same team for three consecutive games once, we won two of those games and lost the other. We managed to play the same team in two consecutive games only twice in the season. The rest of the season, that’s 33 times, we failed to play an unchanged team. Stability may or may not be good for managers, but even the Tinkerman never used squad rotation like that. Given the above anyone prepared to nominate Pardew for Manager of the Year again.
No? Thought not. Doubt that many managers could get much of a tune out of that shambles though.
SANTI well i say hang the ******* coward of the worse sort
batty(Quote)
Does anyone still read much into what Pards or for that matter any manager or player says?… all of it’s either spin/tongue in cheek/bullshit(in no particular order) why let any of it bother you? I stopped letting it along time ago, nobody involved in football tells the truth, take it all with a pinch of salt, life’s alot easier that way 😉
richietoon(Quote)
@Pootle
Would you sell Cisse and buy RVP?
Assuming your answer is no, van Persie wouldn’t come here, yes? But how can you second guess what someone is going to do? 😆
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Batty i take it you are talking about that fella who attacked the soldier?
If so he does deserve it like but since we no longer do capital punishment its a no go. Did the two men shoot 2 men and kill the soldier or was it the two men who killed the soldier that have been shot?
I can’t believe there is video’s everywhere of the fella with the two knives and the body sitting right behind him. Is this stuff not supposed to be censored for mainstream TV?
Santii(Quote)
@Richie
Thats what i do as well they are all first class bullshitters. I love the ones that say things like the truth will come out over twitter and stuff and then go on to talk a load of **** 😀
Santii(Quote)
yes santi people like him and child killers should be hanged nowt do with religion in my eyes as i know some older muslims that have text me to appoligise and 1 is an ex lord mayor ,just dirty guttless cowards
batty(Quote)
Child Killers/Molesters are the worst of them all imo
I would like it to not be about religion as well but already i have seen countless articles up about the Ukip EDLand the BNP all calling for rally’s and new members all because of this Muslim attack. The fact that their ranks grow because of things like this boils my blood. They are racist fascists who should never be put into power.
Decent hardworking moral Muslims suffer because of these people thats why i’m pissed of.
This doesn’t change my opinion that the culprit is a scumbag who should get the strongest types of available punishment(s)
Santii(Quote)
and yes am suprised they filmed it the poor kids parents ,my lad was in the raf for 6 years iraq twice and afgan thank fck he came back safe ,cameron needs to sort this out .oh and a few of his mates were killed when he was out there
batty(Quote)
Batty…Hanging would be too good for those feckers, anything other than a very long, slow, painful death would be too good for them 👿
Santii… Aye, I know a lad who is “ITK” and he would never bullshit me(deliberately) but I still take owt he tells me with a pinch of salt, info can be wrong or deals fall thru at the last minute etc etc….treat it all with the contempt it deserves until it’s confirmed on the official site is the way forward 😉
richietoon(Quote)
@Pootle
The blog wouldn’t be the same without our jousts.
Its been a while. 😆 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
When does the transfer window open anyway?
A big question has to be whether they’ve learned their lesson from getting burned by last summer’s inaction.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Richie @ 302, I never take anything a player says serious. One minute they’ll say they love the club and want to stay, the next their at a different club for higher paycheck(not complaining, just how it is). Never trust the managers either really…just trying to appease fans. I prefer to let the players do their talking on the pitch, and this year our players were talking a lot of *****.
NorCal Toonfan(Quote)
police have just sed we need wittneses what a joke they have a ****** confession on film 👿
batty(Quote)
Batty @306 ,It’s horrific ,who gets up in the morning with the intention of going out to hack a man to death .And then to actually carry out such an act ,the hatred inside them must be like a poison .
KIMTOON(Quote)
what sntice will they get ❓ life serving 15 years then deported ,glad to see alot of leaders coming out and speaking young muslims have an attitude but not all 👿
batty(Quote)
kim my son always wares them sort of teashirts even though hes not in there no more ,what next are they gonna ban help the heros wrist bands ❓
batty(Quote)
sorry i know its a footy blog but iam fckin fuming 👿
batty(Quote)
@Kim
Its a side effect of religion and until people stop living by 1st century beliefs things will never change.
It could also be a mental health problem which seems to be growing pretty rapidly in the UK.
I just cant comprehend how i could ever get to that point though so it is hard to say.
Santii(Quote)
Batty its better than talking about Pardew Out? Or Pardew In? 😀 or you old fart 😀 or you pewee 😀
Santii(Quote)
Batty it’s a shocking state of affairs and you do wonder/worry that more attacks like this could happen. Even if it’s not a planned thing where lots of little terroist cells will send guys out to target service guys you can still get Islamic copycats who see an opportunity to do the same thing.
KIMTOON(Quote)
up the revolution 👿
batty(Quote)
NorCal…very true.
richietoon(Quote)
Santi , I don’t even try to understand what motivates acts like that ,it’s a complete mind f@$% and I’d rather not know . But I don’t believe any god would tell one human being to hack another to death , that’s just mans lousy ignorant interpitation of his beliefs . 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
there will be more attacks soon mark my words 👿
batty(Quote)
@Kim
In the old testament there is a verse that tells you to kill your neighbor if you see him working on the sabbath.
The Quran tells Muslims to kill all Infidels (Non Believers). People are still stoned to death for adultery in the middle east because religion tells them its wrong.
Religion is the root cause but not the only one.
Santii(Quote)
Is Pardew religious. 😯
Maybe that could used against him as an additional reason to sack him. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Oh good Troy that one good thing about football it completely secular should always stay that way 😀 I don’t give a flying fook what religion our strikers are as long as they score goals 😀 Same goes for pardew he could be a fascist Jew hater i don’t care i want him out based on results and negative philosophy.
Santii(Quote)
@Also at Kim we have to know what motivates these people to act like this if we ever want to stop things like this from happening.
Santii(Quote)
Santii @ 198: “Think negative and negative things happen. Think positive and positive things happen the theory goes.”
So you think the fans are at fault 😉
brisvegas(Quote)
I’m not sure I’d be too bothered about not getting Carroll. He has been pretty inconsistent and very injury prone over the last two seasons (he’s out now until after the start of next season apparently) £15 million is a lot of money for someone starting to become so injury prone. Cisse, Gouffran, HBA and a new striker plus Adam Campbell should be enough with no Europe.
DJG(Quote)
We’ve had 6 managers in 6 years. We might as well make it 7 in 7 Santii. 😯
Its funny how you can get accused of second guessing when you say you don’t think Ashley will appoint a top manager like Benitez.
But its not second guessing when you think he will. 😯
Strange really but I’m second guessing they haven’t realised what they are saying. 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
My old sparring partner Begas. 😉
How’s the weather in Perth today skippy? 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Santi ,I know what an infidel is and and what the quran says but most modern muslims arn’t that extremist in this country . Yes you’ll get the odd bad apples but you can say that about all religious faiths .
KIMTOON(Quote)
VICKY POLLARD says of POOTLE “Oh dear he still struggles to grasp it.”
Pootle, you’re not alone mate. Not many people grasp VICKY.
“Yeah but, no but, yeah but, no but, we is well the best clairvoyant pro Pardew pro Rafa crew. Anyway don’t listen to POOTLE coz everyone knows her fanny goes sideways.”
How can anyone defend Pardew and promote his excuses, call him an average manager, say he is refreshing, expect him to learn his lessons, draw comparisons with David Moyes, say Pards is the man to bring stability, say they want him sacked for someone better like Rafa, but say they wont call for that because Ashley might listen to the first bit (sack him)but not the second bit (appoint Rafa).
VICKY POLLARD claims to read Ashley like a book by looking at his record of appointing managers, and now says that Pardew’s staying anyway. But she won’t say for how long he’s staying. We all want to know what VICKY’s crystal ball reveals. She appears reluctant to be drawn on that one.
Why does VICKY say Pardew’s staying anyway if she attaches such importance to Ashley’s record? Surely, Ashley has gone through six managers in as many years. She complains about others not taking heed of reasonable argument, as she points to the authority of her crystal ball.
On my god. That is so unfair!
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
@Bris
Thats more of at a personal level. So Pardew the organizer and organizes negatively so the team play negative football with a negative mindset.
Us as fans (or on the blog alone) mostly want to play positive football but we cant really affect how the football is played. So at least half (The Positive half :D) of us want a new manager to play the positive football we want and we think we can get a better manager under Ashley. The other half want positive football but are fearing who the new manager will be don’t want Pardew sacked as he is the best we can hope for negative thinking at its worst.
So i could argue a case that the Negative half of the fans are at fault for keeping Pardew in the job this long 😀 but i am to tired tonight 😀
Santii(Quote)
Time for bed. Nighty nighty. 😎
Troy Stavers(Quote)
me too ,i’m bushed nite all 😀
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Kim
Sorry if i sounded condescending there i really didn’t mean to.
And you also just agreed with my previous point. The majority are very kind and charitable people but without religion they will still be very kind and charitable people but there then wouldn’t be these crazy extremists doing things in the name of a god. There will always be mental cases but they can be helped with medicine religious people can’t be helped 😀
Santii(Quote)
Troy you have eventualey joined the nighty nite club 😆
batty(Quote)
Religious extremists can’t be helped i should say 😀
Santii(Quote)
@Batty
I came over all tired all of a sudden. Strange it happens at specific times. 😛
Aye. Those bloody Muslim extremists are savages and backward thinking.
I know your son will be livid as well knowing it was an attack on his ex colleagues!
Anyway, defo laters gaters. Toon! Toon! 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Aussie – You say Marv hides too much. It may look like that on TV. However, if you want to check it out, TV doesn’t allow it.
You won’t see him putting in crunching tackles, but it doesn’t mean he’s not closing down, covering, filling in, working hard or showing for the ball. I know people think it’s one-upmanship, but I honestly don’t think you can see that element of a game watching on TV. You cannot follow a player around the field for five minutes to see what he’s doing unless you’re at the game.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
muslim religion is some thing else allah was a well known pedo how old was his wife ❓ as young as 6 ❓
batty(Quote)
“V to the P to the icky to the ollard. Ohmigod. This is well hectic!.” 😛
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Oh Batty don’t get me started again 😀
All religions apart from maybe Buddhism (its more a way of life) are totally barbaric. All target children Molestation genital mutilation and so on. They are all fucking backward.
Santii(Quote)
Troy @ 332 No idea how it is in Perth. How’s the weather over in Moscow?
brisvegas(Quote)
Me and my bro (the other one – not VICKY, she’s ****) have just played on the hallowed turf today. Fantastic. Ran out 8 – 3 winners. B&B blazed one in at the Leazes end.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Daily Star: ALAN PARDEW has been told he must do better after crunch talks with Mike Ashley. 😯
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
B&B
Not one quote or even a mention of a source in that article what a joke 😀 I wonder if they get school kids to write for them over at the star 😀
Santii(Quote)
Santii – Quite.
A few quotes from you on here though. You don’t want to invite a Salman Rushdie type Fatwa. 😯
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Batty should sleep with one eye open for the next six months after that comment @ 343
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
lol B&B We live in the west in the 21st century if everyone isn’t happy to have and allow free speech then we as a nation are as backward as the east 😀
I am not just mocking one religion either i am mocking all of them. Muslims shouldn’t be allowed special treatment 😀
Santii(Quote)
It’s overcast and about 12 deg in Perth 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
BB WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT ISNT TRUE ? IAM OF NOW ANY WAY BOTH EYES SHUT WHILE IAM ASLEEP 😉
batty(Quote)
SANTI 352 spot on nite 😉
batty(Quote)
Wow what a bunch of racist cunts!
Rinton man(Quote)
😯 🙄
that’s why religion and football should be kept apart…on blogs.
mark(Quote)
has the window opened yet?
I’m sure our team of scouts are scouring Europe now looking for the top talent, They’ll leave no stone unturned in their efforts to bring new players here. 😛
or we could always rest assured it will be addressed in January 🙄
mark(Quote)
good words from muzzie Mogra
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22634599
mark(Quote)
lol check out the geordies logical comment at 1;30 😛
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22484877
mark(Quote)
Football is my religion, Mark
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
does negatively commenting on somebodies religion make you a racist? 😕
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aussie Magpie Fan
same goes mate, Pardew is my god. allahu akbar 😛
mark(Quote)
Ashley is my Buddha 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
@Mark
Absolute class video! I divvent mind if that Geordie had been recently made unemployed and had tried to get a job but cos of his age he struggled and thought it was pointless. But you just know, he’s been living like that since he was a youngun playing the system. Despicable attitude!
Anyway football, has Aussie come up with a managers name yet. ? 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
bummmerboy @351 you saying am wrong ?
batty(Quote)
🙄 Rafael Alan Martinez… He is a very cosmopolitan manager…
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
you are a c*nt tho Batty, so he is half right 😆 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
How’s the weather in Brisbane today Aussie? 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
The same as Sydney 😉
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Can someone please explain why people think Martinez is a great manager. In the 4 years he had at Wigan they had a win rate under 30%. The 4 years before that under Paul Jewell and Steve Bruce Wigan did better in the Prem than Martinez. He Got Wigan Relegated. Yet Joe Kinnear in 7 years at Wimbledon had a win rate of 35% had them mid table and never got the relegated despite having no money and no ground .But on this site is regarded as the worst manager in the history of Football.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem, I think Troy was against the signing of Martinez last week so this week he should be all for him to sign on. With this in mind, he will be able to explain why he is a great manager 😉
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aussie@362 no it doesn’t but there’s always some think **** about who thinks it does 😉
richietoon(Quote)
@Premandup
I’m also mystified with this fascination with Martinez. His defensive record is horrific. Oh yes they keep the ball well was the cry.
According to the stats Mark produced yesterday they are the third worst team in the league for playing the long ball, not much behind the Toon.
🙄 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
@Aussie
Thanks for the Brisbane forecast fella. Bris answered my Perth question last night as well. 😛 😛 😛 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)