The fifth place finish last season has long been forgotten, after all it doesn’t help us this season where we are still yet to secure our top flight status for next season.
From experience, once anyone involved with United has the fans against them then the writing is usually on the wall and they tend not to last too long.
Sporadic good results may temper the frustration in the interim but generally speaking patience wears thinner and thinner as time goes on and each time it takes less and less for fans to get back into the train of thought of wanting whoever it is they want out of of the door.
This is not to say that I think he deserves the sack. I’m not in the “Pardew out” camp just yet, but just because I’m not calling for him to be booted it doesn’t mean that I’m happy about things. I too can see mistakes that are being made (in my opinion) and I can also see that our football isn’t exactly great (understatement) at the moment.
However we are struggling, for whatever reason you wish to pick, and the pressure is on us. Pressure doesn’t lend itself to fast-flowing pretty football like we saw at the tail end of last season. Not this kind of pressure anyway… Instead battling and getting us “over the line” is what is most important.
Pardew has taken some flak for suggesting that avoiding relegation will do for the season given where we are now. I don’t disagree with that and don’t see the problem if truth be told. Disappointing as it is, it’s all we have left to go for in reality and is the difference between 17th and, say 15th, really anything to be bragging about anyway?
Not for me it isn’t…
So it’s been a horrible season and lets say the popular wish is granted and Pardew does get the boot. Who do you replace with him? This is not YOUR choice, it is Mike Ashley’s choice, so try and put yourself in his shoes before rattling off managerial names like staccato bursts of gunfire.
I’m sure there will be someone out there willing to try their hand at managing Newcastle United, but that someone must also be happy with how the club is setup these days. They must be happy with the policies we have in place and must realise that we won’t just throw money at things. They must also make do with having decisions made about their team above their heads and must be willing to not have full control over things. Oh and don’t forget that Alan Pardew is currently the lowest paid manager in the Premier League so I doubt very much that a large pay-check would be guaranteed either…
Like I said, I’m sure there is someone out there who fits the bill perfectly, but realistically the options are a lot narrower than people think. Remember, Pardew himself was plucked out of thin air and I wouldn’t bet against his successor, whether it be sooner rather than later, being of the same kind of ilk.
Maybe it’s better the devil you? Maybe not?
Newkie – I think alot of people want the entertainers football back at SJP and I can understand why!, but as attractive as it was, we still didn’t win anything.
I also understand people’s concerns re Rafas transfers, but he didn’t have Graham Carr helping him out then.
I don’t know mate, I could be wrong but to discount Rafa for his style of football for someone like Poyet who has had a couple of seasons playing half decent football at Brighton but still sit 4th in the Championship just doesn’t make much sense to me.
Sharpy17(Quote)
@CC
I know it would be nice to hope there’s even a vague threats, always gives me a wry smile when commentators say “and here come Newcastle hoping to capitalise on this corner” etc !
Yeah it’s a shame on Barton, he was great the year previous, even last year – there’s no telling the impact he had on our season. He basically forced the 0-0 draw against Arsenal by getting Gervinho sent off, and he was good in the 1-0 derby win if I recall. If we’d have lost either of those games we may not have gone on to have that terrific start.
Unfortunately he screamed his way out the club, no way we could have kept him.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
ST – I know what you mean and I think Pardews PL manager of the year last season is the last thread that’s keeping him in a job at the moment.
I only mention Rafas because those are awards won over ALL managers across Europe rather than just in our league. I will accept that they were won 10yrs ago though.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy-I agree with you, I wouldn’t turn down Benitez because of style reasons. Look we all loved the entertainers, but that good football we played was all it was, we didn’t win owt. As the saying goes, you show me a good looser and i’ll show you a looser. I wouldnt chose Poyet over Benitez, my reasoning simply is that benitez will not come to us. Even if Benitez rates Carr, will he really go with the flow? I’m not sure…Ashley might stump up the wages for Benitez and his team, but will he get the cash out if Benitez wants a Spanish superstar? Highly unlikely, and if Benitez then decides to walk we’re up **** creek again..
Newkie(Quote)
Reading the article again what Toonsy fails to mention is that Pardew has had the fans against him at least 2/3 times already in the past yet survived. Can’t think of any other toon managers that have arrived to such immediate criticism.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Big Dave, I’ve never seen pl players hitting a 5×5 areas over and over during a game.. training drills are always easier.. you should see how perfect my golf practice swing is 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Solano-Guess that is true actually, whilst the fans were split with hoots’s departure I would say everyone, myself included, were wholeheartedly underwhelmed and critical of Pards appointment.
Then again, I did feel the same with Kinnear, and may have felt the same with Hoots (its hard to separate that feeling from that of relegation as a whole, I definitely doubted him but he won me over)
Newkie(Quote)
Big Dave says: “Aussie your anti Saylor stuff is starting to sound like all the other anti Pards **** we have to listen to . I take it you have never seen Saylor score from a corner.”
Whey! “anti Pards ****”. Dave’s getting emboldened now Troy’s dropped back with his words of encouragement. And from the man who beleives Pards is not the right man for the job too! Classic! 😛
Aussie, I agree: no one to head the ball so we should stop flogging a dead horse.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Paolo di canio paolo di canio paolo di canio pauolo di canio
3-0
3-0
3-0
Sack the lot
FTM(Quote)
we can’t compete with the top 4. bring sousness back.
TERRY(Quote)