Now let me start off by clarifying something first and foremost.
I am as sick as any of the constant strife surrounding our club as a result of Mike Ashley’s ownership and I don’t want to just stir the pot and get yet another debate going about all he’s done at this club.
We all know he’s made some huge mistakes and made some good moves, whatever the motive, such as improving the youth set-up and sorting the finances out.
What I really want to talk about is this: Pardew’s relationship with Ashley.
When Pardew was appointed there was a pinch of confusion, a dash of outrage and good spoonful of disappointment. Overall I think the Toon Army were underwhelmed that the club appointed someone with a questionable record after sacking a man who had done a very good job for us. I know quite a few fans of other clubs who wanted us relegated for the way Chris Hughton was treated.
When stories came out at the start of the year about Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew stumbling out of a casino having blown a huge wad, a large amount of apathy towards Pardew turned negative and he was painted with the same tainted brush. This wasn’t helped by his broken promises over transfers and he was dubbed a ‘yes man’ and a ‘patsy’.
Now that the football side seems to have taken a turn for the better, this has been tempered with some genuine goodwill.
Many, myself included, are of the opinion that he copes very well in a nigh untenable situation. He has come out with veiled criticisms of the regime and distanced himself as much as possible without risking his own position.
Why then are there photos coming out with Mike Ashley, Derek Llambias and Alan Pardew back at the craps table? Now we don’t know if these are real or when they are from but it raises an interesting question for me; does their relationship really matter if the public argument was a charade? Not that I’m saying it was, adults should be able to put arguments behind them and work together after all.
With things looking rosy on the pitch for now, and the thirst for Ashley’s blood relatively subdued, there is not a huge outcry. As long as these men can work together on the things that matter is that not what is most important? Whether they are best friends or boss and grunt, it is good to see Pardew stand up for what he believes needs to be done at this club. If he feels comfortable doing this because of a close relationship with Ashley is that such a bad thing? Will it allow for long term stability?
That is something that this club has lacked and has desired since the days of the late great Sir Bobby (RIP), and something that I for one will take regardless of how it comes about.
Would you do the same though?
This may be seen as making a deal with the devil by some, but maybe this relationship is the best way to get some extra patience, investment and support from our beleaguered owner? Long term I think we’d all rather see someone else at the top of the food chain. No one knows the owner’s true intentions or the true nature of his relationship with our manager, but with even the players coming out and praising this period of calm and it’s influence on the team, is it time to let sleeping dogs lie?
So long as Pardew protects the interests of the club from ulterior motive as much as he can, what more can we hope for as long as Mike is in charge?
I for one don’t care how he does it, I’m just glad to be able to enjoy a break from the drama of this eternal soap opera.
Your boss and the owner invite you to the casino with them.
Do you accept?
Thad(Quote)
No. Last time I went to a casino I came back skint 😆
Good read Dubtoon, and I agree with you. I don’t see an issue with it an all honesty. If it helps achieve stability and perhaps ensures that they have a bit more trust in him then it can only be a good thing. After all things run better when people are happy with each other.
toonsy(Quote)
Maybe they give him a red or black option?
Red – you get your striker in Jan
Black – you don’t
😆
toonsy(Quote)
they can sleep with each other for all i care… as long as the teams doing well i say do as u please…… as long as its not on a school night of course 🙂
ice pup(Quote)
Good read dub , i think that is your first article and was very well written. Balanced and fair.
I think its a good thing pardew has some sort of relationship with ashley , they have to work together and i find it easier to work with people i get on with so why not pardew ashley and llmbais all get on and help the club achieve its potential?
johno toon(Quote)
In this photo Pardew and Owl Heed seem slightly more “concerned” than Cashley…. Maybe he has them both in his back pocket ?
Great write up Dubtoon…..
Munich Mag(Quote)
They did say they’d spend the Carroll money, now we know what on!
Stuart79(Quote)
Pards and Hoots have managed our club admirably. Pards has won me over from seeing him as an untrustworthy appointment to a good manager. He is getting the best out of the club – handled the removal of Barton and Nolan admirably and didn’t knee **** when we didn’t get the striker he promised us.
Both Pards and Hoots ‘manage’ and accept all difficult circumstance as part and parcel of the job. Maybe KK could learn a thing or two from them both – and to think KK was on 5 to 8 times the salary – both mean have shown our former manager to be nothing more than Kowardly Keegan.
Stardust(Quote)
*Waits for someone to nibble on that one* 😆
toonsy(Quote)
😆
Stardust(Quote)
Why is his position well nigh intenable?
It seems to me that he works under some very clear cut guidelines. He tells he board what he wants, they identify possible players, they make an assessment of the players value AND STICK TO IT.
Perhaps because of hostility between fans and Ashley that valuation may be more rigidly adhered to than we may feel warrented, but Pardue’s position is quite clearly not intenable.
geordie85(Quote)
A good article Dub.s and some very good points.
Whatever the situation at the Toon,I think you will always get the moaners whingers and doom mongers on here bleating and ball-aching about everything that doesn’t suit and I think that opinion will always be devided for one simple reason. We must not loose sight of the fact that we have been run in the past by a succession of money grabbers, thieves and towrags whom have nearly all thought of lining their own bin before the good of the club. Now I’m not saying that the current regime are much better, but surely by sorting the fiscal foundation of the club, they are already head and shoulders above their predecessors.
Supporters of my age group (60+) have long memories of the **** dished out to supporters over the decades, and can perhaps see a bigger picture with regard to the new lot and their way of going about things wheras you younger fans have only ever seen Money spent on a massive scale, and most of it wasted.
Given that we have had our best season start for such a long time, our accadamy is producing some classy youngsters, and our reserves, when called upon are generally up to the plate, I personally think that the future is looking very good indeed.
Confucious is creddited with the saying that “impetuosity is a disease of the youth and can only be cured by old age”, and I think in this case , it could not be more apt. We are going through a massive period of change at our club and perhaps Patience is the order of the day. I donn’t think I am alone in my thoughts.
Good luck at QWoolves today lads. I really fancy a 2-1 win but will settle for a draw. Patience, Patience Patience. HWTL.
Porciestreet(Quote)
Agree with stardust. Keegan hate me eyes for lookin at him
Tony 1957(Quote)
Porcie – I think some of the older fans have also got into the habit of spending a fortune as a club. I think that is one of the problems in truth.
toonsy(Quote)
Good read Dubtoon……..not bothered what they get up to in their sparetime, they can stick their fingers up each others pooey starfish for all I care as long as things on the pitch go ok 😯 😕
richietoon(Quote)
Richietoon@15… 😯 😯 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Toonsy(14)
Perhaps Your right mate but it will take a good while to come to terms with the modern angle of running things.
Scotland just got sh4gg3d by ENGLAND. What a good result. Jocks going home. Ha Ha Ha .!!!!!!!!!!!!Whooooopeeeeeeeee.
Porciestreet(Quote)
Dubtoon good read and like others I dont give a fuk what they do in their time off.
As others said I think it could be a good thing that the can get on and go out with eachother, it can only be a good thing.
Stardy you need to change your bait I think its a bit stale 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
richietoon
October 1, 2011 at 10:10
“they can stick their fingers up each others pooey starfish for all I care”
Porv. You’d like that 😛
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy…….I don’t know like, sounds painful, it’s a bit like Xmas present’s…..it’s better to give than recieve 😆
richietoon(Quote)
@17…reminds me of a joke Gazza telt on A Question of Sport, What do you call a Scotsman in the 2nd round of the World Cup?………….Ref
richietoon(Quote)
Nowt wrong with it .. just goes to show the there is unity within the club from the very top to the bottom .. we go from strength to strength under MA stewardship
TOONPIPES(Quote)
Tiote to score today .. he is a MONSTER WORLD WIDE DOMINATION WITH TIOTE
TOONPIPES(Quote)
something about keeping your friends close
and your enemy closer.
Some times you’ve got to play the game to get what you want.
Nay point in making a rod for yourself with the owner, as there will only ever be one winner.
Happy to give Pardew the benefit for the moment as he is doing a great job with the Lads.
An away win today and that pic means nowt.
Eee aye aee aye eee aye oh
up the premier league we go
when we get to europe
this is what we’ll sing
We are Geordies,
Super Geordies
Ashley/Pardew/Colo (delete as applicable 😕 ) is our king.
Howay the Lads.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Cheers for the comments guys 🙂 didn’t think toonsy would publish it tbh.
Geordie85 @11 i was referring to the club selling players he said he wanted in public (or giving them away for free) and not getting a striker making Pardew look like a tw@t. I know he didn’t have to say we’d get a striker but it was no secret we were looking and he was being asked every single day cos no one else at the club talks to the media. This combined with the atmosphere of distrust in the club and threats of protests against the owner, and the ramifications this would have on team morale, the botched job of a US tour etc etc.
Any of them on their own you’d say fair enough but it all builds up and gets mightily frustrating, as was seen when he basically took a weeks holiday to get away from the place in the international break. Nigh untenable may have been stretching it a bit, but not by much i dont think
Dubtoon(Quote)
ive sed many times they all **** in the same pot ,but never slagged pardew as a manager ,doing qutie well at the momment so couldnt give a ***** ,ive also heard they all take turns at bashing stardusts **** 😆
batty(Quote)
Cabaye to score anytime 4/1 is my tip of the day.
He’s been threatening for a while now.
Ba is 6/1 to score first and Best is 15/2
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno….I hope you’re not taking the mick up there over the rugby 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Batty I heard the same about stardy 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Richie,
My facebook and twitter was along the lines of..
“Cheers for making up the numbers Scotland, now f*ck off home and leave this competition to the big boys”
A surprising lack of response from the hordes of Scottish people I know 🙄 😆
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno 😆 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Personally couldn’t give a flying one if Pardew is spotted out on a social with his billionaire boss. SPOTTED IN A CASINO!!!!! RED ALERT!!!!! HE’S SPENDING ALL OUR MONEY!!!!! It means ****** all to me. What do we expect? Photos of Pardew and Ashley stroking babies outside church? They can both do WTF they like outside work hours for me.
As long as NUFC perform well on the pitch, I’m not arsed.
Dubtoon, nice article anyway, and to answer the question (if I haven’t already). Who gives one?
Rodzilla(Quote)