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.
BigPapa – about half a million Geordies mate!
georgio(Quote)
Georgio – it seems like it’s heating up or everyone’s believing the same “source”
Anybody follow TOONAWAYTRAVEL are they reliable for anything?
BIGPAPA(Quote)
Ice@146 , 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
Georgio – I am one of those wanting him sacked aswell, btw.
BIGPAPA(Quote)
How bout we make Wednesdays – not pick on aussie day! Richie has Monday so it’s only fair that I get a day.. sounds fair to me 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
BP , I’ve never heard of him/her mate @152
KIMTOON(Quote)
Damnit georgio you came out with the uniform gag and ruined all my planning.
Kim- I have Australian nationality from when I lived out there as a kid.
Taken hostage I was, I’ve seen how the savages live. It’s just like Georgio says, except none of them drink fosters. It’s all Jim Beam and Coke in a can, the softies 😛
Newkie(Quote)
KIM@143 ive said before i think someone has had a word in his ear about a return and with a 25%sell on clause that would cost 11.25mil but is he fit???
icedog(Quote)
Aussie @155 how about we give you bank holidays off 😉 we are all in a happy mood them days unless it rains like. 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
I’ll take what ever I can get Kim 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Icedog.
Simon Pryde BBC Newcastle says on twitter we only get 25% if sell-on fee is higher than 35mill………………
Not happeing
BIGPAPA(Quote)
Newkie 🙂 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Ice ,The rumour was Ashley wouldn’t go above £10m though. He’s expected to be fit for start of season it said today.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Aussie won’t it be thursday in a few hours for you anyway? Guess we can give it til then 😉
Newkie(Quote)
AMF@155 that sounds fair to me we only have to decide which wednesday now 😀
icedog(Quote)
Have any of you seen the Chron today – he wants us to challenge Liverpool? You couldn’t make it up. Every single time the guy opens his mouth absolute rubbish spews out.
Please please Mr Ashley just take him away. I’d rather have no manager than him.
georgio(Quote)
Aussie 😆 😆 Typical man 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Georgio – I’ve stopped reading about what he says!
BIGPAPA(Quote)
Georgio, He must be confident he’s staying as manager then if he’s talking up next season 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ice 🙂 🙂
Kim 🙂 🙂
Thanks for the laughs everyone..shut eye time…
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Does anybody but Pardew and JJ actually want Carrol back? I’ve never rated him myself and he seems to have real trouble staying fit. No surprise with his appetite for beer and coke.
georgio(Quote)
Yellow bar SSN -Newcastle have no interest in signing Any Carroll.
So that’s that put to bed then – NEXT
KIMTOON(Quote)
@172 andy*
KIMTOON(Quote)
Aussie ,Night night ,mind you don’t fall out that Eucalyptus tree . 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
@161 didnt know the ins and out of clause mate,could be right like
KIM@172 maybe that means pardew is out?i live in hope 😀
icedog(Quote)
Kim – wish I could believe that. I always steer clear of yellow bars!
georgio(Quote)
Kim – how the hell can the club manage to rule out signings but can make a decision on who our manager will be?!.
They say no news is good news – maybe that’s not always the case 😕 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
I don’t know if this has been said before, but Alan Pardew is really just a cheap Sam Allardyce.
AndrewT(Quote)
Thank fuk Aussie is gone 😆
As for the poyet story i’d rather stick with what we have,
Big Dave(Quote)
SSN yellow bar saying ‘Alan Pardew has no interest in playing football’ 😳 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
DAVE i dont like the thought of poyet,he might be cheap like mate,jabba likes cheap 😉
icedog(Quote)
Georgio-Not sure tbh. I’d like to think the money could be better spent, but will it be spent at all? We need one top striker at least
Newkie(Quote)
Thank goodness for that – we dont need carroll for £15m thank you very much
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
Ice/Dave – who would you want Pardew replaced with lads?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Poyet has Brighton playing good football the real test would be if he could do it at PL level ,I reckon he probably could given the chance .
KIMTOON(Quote)
SHARPY @184 never really gave it much thought mate as i think jabba will keep pardew,i dont like him or rate him and called for him to be sacked in debates,no point really saying for who i would like as jabba will not fork out for a top manager,but someone that can blend players and not just a hoofball guy,ie big sam, pulis pardew,and have tactics to change games if needed,imo thats the trouble with hoofball there is no planB
icedog(Quote)
Sharpy I want a proven manager that we know has what it takes I would take Rafa but I also think Jol is a decent manager, though he hasnt done too well this season.
I know a lot of fans hate pards that much they would take anyone but that could land us back in the same place in a season or two.
I think changing manager is a big step and can cause one or two set backs while they get things the way they want them thats why I think we need to make sure we get the right one that has the best chance
Big Dave(Quote)
Dead right Dave – it’s a big big decision. What I don’t want is some English out of work failure. Solskjaer’s done a good job but that’s Norway. Who’s flavour of the month in Holland?
georgio(Quote)
Kim for me you put it exactly how I feel about Poyet.
Can he cut it in the Prem ? You say Probably ! Well I dont really want to take the chance with someone that probably could I would prefer someone thats proved they can.
I know that might sound a bit greedy but I dont really want to take another gamble, I want us to have the best chance possible.
Add to that that that ugly rat faced **** wiseis often down with Poyet helping out I dont want him anywhere near the place
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave ,Yep I can understand that and I’d forgotten about the weasel being his mate too 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
this seems a long meeting today without oot sumit coming oot
icedog(Quote)
Kim I know all fans think they deserve better but imho we really do deserve a top manager when you consider we are in the top clubs list finacially etc and after all thats what is supposed to be one of Jabba’s strong points .
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave what we want and what we get are two different things ,but I live in hope mate. 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
ASHLEY SACK THE USELESS ****!, HE COULDN’T BEAT ME MUTHA!
joe hawkins(Quote)
If we did sign Carroll and i still wouldnt rule it out just because David Craig has 🙄 Its pretty much an admission that we are a 21st century crazy gang with a wimbledon born manager to boot.
As a plan B it could work but when we have ball players like Colo, Debuchy, Santon, Cabaye, Anita, Sissoko, Marveaux and Ben Arfa it is a crime to bypass them and lump it to the big hairy galoot up top…
CC(Quote)
CC I guess it depends on what your opinions are on Carroll, mine is that he offers more than just hoofball 😉 but I still dont think we will get him
Big Dave(Quote)
I still can’t believe some are hopeful of him getting the sack. He’s on the back of the chronicle planning for next season. He’s here to stay for the start of next season. I’m surprised you haven’t learnt to read the tea leaves. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
@CC
Agree Carroll is a waste of talent if you don’t play hoofball to him he thrives on that and is easily his best strength. He cant function in a technical team. Just look at him at Liverpool lol A good target man and that’s about it.
On the article though..
There is a lot of factors to why we had a poor season you have mentioned alot of the big ones there but it still doesn’t get away from the fact Pardew is the BIGGEST problem out of them all. Negative football, mentality and philosophy rubs off on the whole club. Think negative and negative things happen. Think positive and positive things happen the theory goes.
His subs, team selection, press conferences pre/post match interviews and all the excuses he can think off. Terrible manager and he needs to go so we can get the best out of the players we have.
Santii(Quote)
If west ham are getting the new stadium rent free cause they are so say strapped for cash for the first year ,then how can they afford Carroll 😕 .Can someone explain this to me as I’m a tad confused like.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Dave
I rated him when we used him the right way: Hughton had Barton and Enrique playing accurate diagonals into him and hanging crosses up to the far post that he could run onto. The way Pardew will use the lad is with Krul waving everyone forward and twatting the ball as far up the pitch as he can.
If hes plan B hed be more than useful, If its plan A then its a total waste of the talent we have at the club…
CC(Quote)
is seeing a bleak future for us and maybe time the fans to do the talking with there feet.we got an owner who thinks hes playing football manager,who basically aint got a clue about anything, but a fat profit margin.We got a manager who runs off at the mouth, whos been banging on about carrol for months same as the chairman,the time for action comes when west ham put in a bid for carrol and hey up the toon aint intrested any more.Well mr brainless pards you made ya self look a right idiot in my eyes.then theres all this we ganna invest in the kids **** but dont have the proper paper work to recruit kids from all over the country
<<<<<<<<<< and this dude here will not be puting any cash into the club any more, cause this dudes had enough of all the blah blah blah **** you keep feeding the fans but this dude here can see right though ya **** now.
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
Oh it looks like i am talking to CC about writing the article im not 😀 Premandup
Santii(Quote)
I’ve been reading the chronicle there and Troys right, it’s all about Pardew planning for next season. He’s saying that Anita still has a big part to play next season.
He’s also saying that Liverpool should be our blueprint and he wants us grappling with them next season?! 😕
I often wonder where the blokes head is at with stuff like this like!. Why can’t we just be NUFC, why do we have to be trying to aspire to any other club?
Plus we have no chance of attracting the kind of players they are going to be getting in.
Just get on with being NUFC and give the fans something to be proud of again man.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’ve also been checking through and there’s nothing official come from the club to say that they aren’t interested in Carroll like.
All I keep reading is ‘sources close to the club believe’
Sharpy17(Quote)
Pootle
Soz I didn’t reply sooner, had maths exam ( 😥 ). I understand what your saying but losing without a player will show his importance to the game whilst losing with him in the side doesn’t necessarily make it his fault, other players could be to blame.
Re Carroll
Sad to see the local lad isn’t coming back but hopefully that means that we’re targeting a different style of player, preferably one with pace.
Andymag(Quote)
@SHARPY17
so we have gone from last season being the next barca team, to this season being the next liverpool, a huge step down in this dudes view lol
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2013/05/22/lazio-to-steal-in-on-premier-league-target-douglas/? the toon miss the boat again
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
TAE – just a bit mate, but why do we have to be the next anybody?!
Whether you want him in or not, the one thing you can say about Martinez is that he knows his own squad and plays them in the best possible formation – sometimes changing it to 3 at the back if they have defenders out, rather than playing players out of position to try and stick to a system that doesn’t bloody work in the first place!.
Last season we achieved 5th place playing 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-3 however you viewed it.
Then for some reason – probably coz he was trying to emulate a different club – we switch to 4-2-3-1 and looked weaker both defensively and attacking.
God knows what he’ll go for next season, but personally I think the majority of players in our squad suit the 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-3 and seem to prefer playing that system, so why not just adopt a system that works for us and bollocks to every other club!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
TAE – so that’s potentially PEA, Carroll and Douglas all gone while we are still dicking about deciding if Pardew stays or goes. Should be ok though coz Carlton Cole and Titus Bramble are both still out there at the moment 🙁
Sharpy17(Quote)
@SHARPY17
Martinez aint the man for us bud, for the simple reason he tryed to play like barca without the 2 quick cbs,,tis why they look so woefull when they get caught on the conter
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
for the players he had he would of probally stayed up if his team sat deep,to gun ho he is
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
TAE – wasn’t suggesting he is mate, infact I’m 100% sure he’s not. I was just saying that he’s a man with his own plan, rather than trying to be something they’re not.
Sharpy17(Quote)
TAE @207 ,This will go on all summer ,I can see everyone we are linked with slipping from our grasp . Quite simply we are nowhere near as an attractive prospect as we were this time last year due to the monumental fuckup in the summer of not strengthening and the epic fail in our league position. This will be compounded by incompetant negotiation skills by Lamearse ( Remember Ash took control in january ) and penny pinching of the price for the sake of half a million or something 🙄 .There will be no 2nd or 3rd choice for every position as previously bragged about as we witnessed last summer when we missed out totally. I have no faith in Lamearse to secure a doglead to a lampost let alone a decent signing, unless Ash takes control of signings again I suspect a washout in our summer dealings .
KIMTOON(Quote)
@KIMTOON
yeah im starting to get that impression meself peeved at them not biding for carrol,but be more peeved we missed out on douglas, as hes big unit with pace and would give us the 2nd pacey cb to play attacking front foot football
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
like i said to welly who disputed the claim we play hoofball.. heres the stats 😛
Newcastle 2,283
Fulham 2,131
Wigan 2,047
Everton 2,042
Liverpool 2,041
Spurs 2,028
Swansea 2,024
Chelsea 2,003
Norwich 1,995
Stoke 1,989
Man United 1,968
Sunderland 1,952
West Ham 1,901
Aston Villa 1,893
West Brom 1,889
Reading 1,855
Southampton 1,826
QPR 1,800
Arsenal 1,755
Man City 1,611
mark(Quote)
so now we’re going to be the new liverpool? 🙄 I get sick every time Pardew opens his mouth and **** falls out. feel sorry for the players that hear his spiel every day.
mark(Quote)
Mark – that’s promising reading for Pardew. If he’s wanting to be Liverpool we only have to play around 240 fewer long balls next season. Every cloud n al that mate 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
“I understand what your saying but losing without a player will show his importance to the game whilst losing with him in the side doesn’t necessarily make it his fault, other players could be to blame.”
Sorry Andy, but that simply isn’t true. Making either case from those statistics is entirely mischievous. You are using that stat by distorting its relevance to support someone you like. Its understandable why you would do it but its still statistical mischief. Don’t worry the Excusefinder General and the rest of Pardews fan club have been doing it none stop for a good few weeks now.
Apparently we don’t play a horrible overly defensive longball game. Apparently Cisse hasn’t been isolated in attack. Apparently our passing and movement hasn’t been poor. Apparently our substitutions have been generally effective. Apparently everything is down to injuries and bobbly pitches.
Forget the evidence of what you’ve actually witnessed this season!!!!
A football journalist proved Pardew was a genius in one article in 2011 and Pardews fan club have the statistical evidence to prove we’ve had a brilliant (if slightly unlucky) season!!!!
Pootle(Quote)
Wouldn’t surprise me if this was one of Pardew’s first signings 🙁
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/22/carlton-cole-leave-west-ham
Munich Mag(Quote)
@Mark
Without having to trawl thru the blog, as I’ve only got a couple of mins, what are those stats?
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Munich
I would rather have Shola
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Pardew needs to go on his holidays. As each day goes by he just utters more and more rubbish. I want a replacement any replacement
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
@mark
We definitely played hoofball a lot last year but I wouldn’t go on about those stats too much as a fair few people want Jol and Martinez as manager… Also Spurs played more hoofball than Stoke, so…
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Why are people moaning that Pardew has said he wants to compete with Liverpool next year 🙄 Get a grip you stereotypical delusional mags!
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Really enjoyed the read btw Prem.
Had a quick scan through the comments and have to say Craig’s @52 were pretty spot on.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)