What is going wrong at United?

toonsy

Pardew - Symptom or cause?
Pardew – Symptom or cause?
Our recent disastrous form has led to many questions being asked. My main question is when will it come to an end?

The inquests continue in the wake of the 0-4 reverse against Tottenham on Wednesday evening with every one at the club from top to bottom taking some form of blame in some way or another.

The players were awful on Wednesday evening and looked as though they didn’t care or had started planning their summer jollies/transfers already. That just isn’t good enough and while Alan Pardew must take some of the blame for failing to motivate his players, they are still all mainly professional international players so should be able to motivate themselves to a degree considering the sums of money they earn compared to the rest of us.

Tactically I’m no wizard so I’m not going to get into all of that. Players were played in the correct positions but nightmare performances from the likes of Davide Santon and a trio of handling errors from Tim Krul are hard to prepare for and will negate the most sound of tactical plans.

The issue I see is one that the club have made themselves. The sale of Yohan Cabaye will have hurt the players as they watched a player who had become a dressing room influence fly back across Le Manche to PSG. It would have probably hurt a lot more when they saw that NO replacement was brought in for him. Again though we get back to those players left behind retaining some form of professional standards.

This couldn’t care attitude needs to halt but there is only so much Alan Pardew, or any manager to be fair, can do when the club comes out and basically says we have no ambition to even try and win a trophy and that our only aim is to stay in the Premier League but miss out on Europe because it is an inconvenience to the club.

What sort of message does that send out to fans, players, potential players? To me football is about trying to win things and whilst it’s impossible for everyone to win something every season there is no harm in at least trying is there?

It’s demotivated me if I’m being honest. To know that the club you’ve poured your heart and soul into for 30 years in my case is not bothered about anything but mediocrity hurts. To know there is seemingly no will to get better, to strive to achieve success hurts. To question why you bother with the club in it’s current state hurts.

I think I know exactly why the club said what they said, and that was to take the heat off of Alan Pardew but it won’t last for long. All they’ve succeeded in doing in the process is turning a large portion of the fanbase off. I mean why should they bother if the club doesn’t want to bother?

Moan over…

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.

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878 thoughts on “What is going wrong at United?”

  1. Well I think it’s time to comment on our upcoming game vs the Villains. I’m looking forward to a very clever tactical plan from Pardew. Looking forward to it but not expecting it. I expect very little change. Santon will start and take corners and be caught out of position over and over again and walk around shaking his head. Willo will remain our high scoring target man on corners and free kicks. Saylor will strut about, make some lung busting runs and then get caught out of position at a key moment. Benny will try to beat 7 players, lose the ball and saunter around looking surprised.

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  2. Yeah, he is worth just under one billion dollars with all his assets so that converts to about £600 million at a guess.

    You’d get all sorts of NUFC references on WWE TV and he’d market the **** out of the team. Our outside revenue would at least quadruple with him in charge.

    Shame it won’t happen. He’s entertaining as ****. He sums up being a Newcastle fan in 9 seconds here:

    http://youtu.be/c67PpezuXpM

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  3. Apparently the new Pardew plan is to play Remy and Benny as our DM’s. You know to get them to use that side of their games? Then with Willo up front as the target man we just bomb the ball up to him, supported by the amazing no goal a game Shola. I can’t wait.

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  4. With a properly planned 6-4 formation I’m almost sure we can get a 0-0 against Villa…. Almost. Well, not really. 😥

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  5. Clearly Ashley has a definite football plan to take us through the summer. His daughter is going to be our new DoF at least for the summer hols. She’ll be on the lookout for young good looking lads. Some of them may even play football.

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  6. JJ only a small improvement then but you seem to be getting there slowly,but surely,don’t know how you kept your cool this long,good luck with it,party time when you get there mate. 😉

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  7. G2
    I think Shola is being moved to right wing back to improve his mobility. Then he’ll be a more complete striker.

    Krul needs to improve his kicking, so he’ll be taking penalties and free kicks.

    Ben Arfa in goals so he can learn how to pass again.

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  9. G2 if they put on a show like the last game don’t know where we go from there 37points won’t look that safe then,scum,Wba, picking up Fulham new manager so don’t know how they will go ect don’t think we will go down but things look bad imo

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  10. Yes all of those could also be in the plan JJ mate. We’re also under-using the amazing Obertan. He can run fast you know. And sometimes Cisse doesn’t kick the ball out of bounds. He should be in the back 4. Pardew has many surprises in store for us and they will all lead to a fantastic point earned at home at some time later in the season I’m sure. Just think, another point at home.

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  11. Aye ice mate. This is not a great position to be in with so little confidence in the team. Even though we’re in 9th with a tidy lead over everyone below us I’m disappointed by the season. But surprised? No, not with Ashley still in charge.

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  12. The corner and set piece work at the club is shockingly poor. We still push Willo up into the box. He may as well be a cardboard cutout for all the good it does. Does Pardew watch the game or review it afterward? What does he look at? It can’t be our players. Maybe there’s a lass he’s after in the crowd? What does he think of Santon’s play?

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  14. If I was Pardew I would forget about pushing Willo up the field. He has no feel for attacking football at all. I’ve been impressed by his defensive play this season. I’ve dissed him in the past but without him we’d be in a much worse position now. He uses his limited skill to the max. Great work rate as with Gouffran. Benny take note.

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  17. One of the more hilarious things I’ve seen from us was Sol Campbell trying to turn with the play and run and having the ball hit him in the back of the head. He must have been 30 pounds overweight by then. I think we have a special deal to bring in players who are trying to gain weight. We’re doing wonders what with Campbell, Jonas and Benny as our star turns.

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  19. Most would be amazed at the bargain deals to be had for elderly, overweight, out of shape players. Why we were only paying Sol 35K a week. Amazing. Was that a Llambsarse deal? I can’t remember.

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  21. Another cunning plan which will continue from Pardew: push Santon far up the field to lose the ball in the corner but don’t have anyone covering for him. This fools the other side into believing they can run freely down our left wing and make numerous open crosses and other balls into the box. Those fools! Don’t they realize how clever we are? Well not everyone can have a genius like Pards managing their club.

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  25. By letting clubs raid freely down our left side we give them a 2 or 3 goal lead which will clearly make them overconfident. Then we cleverly go defensive and hold out for a 0-3 loss. Beautiful. Pardew, what a master mind.

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  28. This is Kim’s daughter, Hazel. Totally unrelated to the topic but she won’t be on here for a few days, she is in hospital. She left the page open so I thought I’d let you all know. She has a serious blood complication and is being monitored. 🙁

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  29. HAZEL will you please tell Kim we are thinking of her and send her my good wishes,and if she does not get out quick I will visit her,that should get her out quick lol

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  31. Hi Hazel
    Give your Mam our best wishes from all of us on the blog, heres hoping for a speedy and full recovery and hope she’s back home and back on here very soon.

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  32. Well I was wondering where the storey came from about the sale of toon and low and behold is jabba own site doing the storey spreading ffs

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  40. So from SD hoardings to WWF 😆

    we might get back Spider Jonas to gee up the crowd…

    It would be great to be linked with a Chairman that actually just wants to see NUFC progress and not use us… I’m sure some dorty Mackem is behind al of this.. 👿

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  41. Remy going to Arsenal and Strolla won’t be getting a new contract.

    Good news about Strolla but can we really see Remy giving 100% now? This the big problem with loan signings without agreement to sign at the end of it. Just more complete mismanagement from the knob heeds above.

    This is going to be such a big rebuilding job in the summer I really do not trust this lot to do it. As things stand I see a major struggle next year.

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  44. There seem to be no noises coming from SJP at all. Hardly a surprise. The ‘board’ consists of the faceless backroom boys, Charnley and Irving. There’s no MD/CEO. No DOF. So it’s those two managing Pardew who is edited/monitored by Wendy. Are there any other clubs so threadbare, so lacking in charisma, leadership. Are SD shops like this?

    I want Pardew out, but Ashleys model for the Toon is a disgrace. Who’s going to sign the 3 strikers we need, the creative midfielder, the no 10, the 2 centre backs and if Krul spills any more shots to attackers – the new goalkeeper?

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  47. I can see us going down the loan route again next season. I have no doubts about that. If we get results on the pitch I wont mind to much. I can see thing’s getting worse before better.

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  48. If getting the wage bill down by losing players like Jonas, Obertan, Gosling, Shola, Remy, Cabaye but thats a lot of changes in a short space of time. Can’t see Ashley finding replacements.

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  50. I have to admit I really don’t understand this “sack at all costs-rinse and repeat” ideology that some fans possess. Sack Pardew because he’s poor (even whilst admitting Ashley will not fund a proven, successul manager) -take anyone else in because A we might get lucky and they might be ok for a bit or B because nobody is worse than Pardew (mental argument imo).

    So we hire and fire managers at will, all the while draining our resources and the profit made by the club from the sale of players like Cabaye. Other players will be sold to make up for this deficit, and each new manager will likely want additional replacements or will not fancy all the players purchased by the previous manager. Likewise players, so some will leave admist the turmoil, probably for less than they should. I mean ffs, Cabaye himself was probably undersold to the moneybags (even though they didn’t need him)

    So all of this hiring and firing, will it bring the chance of a cup? Small possibility we will get lucky. General year on year progression? I highly doubt that. The drain on funds means Ashley gets less of his money back and will more than likely stick around for longer. Graham Carr retires and we can no longer find decent players on the cheap, so our general quality of player purchasing will decrease. We won’t be getting in top scouts or directors of football after all. Presumably those fans who are more anti-Pardew than Anti ashley will be happy to go back to the ground and fill it? So Ashley will get his exposure. Who knows, if we become the cirucs once again we will get more attention, and SD more exposure, maybe Ash would prefer that. So we’ll be in a cyclical state of ****e.

    The buck stops with Ashley, there won’t be any serious progression with him about imo, unless there is a summer miracle.

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  52. Newkie@725 – not quite sure I get the thread of your piece today. You want to keep Pardew because we won’t get anyone better. Is that it? Grim scenario mate. I sort of agree but find it hard to imagine anyone worse, such is my dislike for the fekkr. Just then Paulo di Canio pops his head round the door . . .

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  54. Georgio-it’s probably a bit confused because i’m completely stressed out at work and thinking about footie right now just makes it ten times worse!

    Basically yes – honestly with the fatman in charge I don’t see a better manager coming in. Obviously if Pards really has lost the dressing room and the players can’t be bothered to play at any point this season or the start of next then the sack will be inevitable. But if things do turn around I don’t see the point in openly pushing for his sacking.

    Ashley has set his track record-as others have said earlier and before, every single appointment he’s made whilst here with the exception of Carr has been at best foolishly romantic (KK, Shearer) and at worst catastrophic for the club. He’s had 7 years to make sensible appointments to take the club forward and he’s failed at almost every hurdle.

    Ashley out first, then Pardew + Co can follow him out the door.

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  55. Well I see Marv has been made to train with under18s,what a waste of talent,he was a good player before he arrived but has done nowt really at the toon,what gets into some of these players head beats me

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  56. @Ice

    I don’t think Marv ever took his chances when provided by Pardew.

    He’s clearly a problem behind the scenes.

    I don’t see many fallouts between Pards and his players. He generally keeps a happy camp.

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  60. Good decision by Pardew

    Take your most creative player & make him train with the u18’s.

    Why?

    Perhaps because he isn’t just a yes man & actually calls Pardew out on the rubbish tactical & training sessions?

    Would Pardew have treated a sulking Cabaye like that?

    Marveaux is much better than Cabaye in terms of creativity. Now Cabaye is gone it’s always better to play Santon as a defensive midfielder & Sissoko in the Juan Mata role 🙄

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  61. 3HR I hate false storeys myself but that’s the world of the press ime afraid in all walks of life,but if all clubs banned the press over false storeys we would have no newspapers to read,that would please me like I never buy newspapers

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  62. Happy Birthday to Sir Bobby and me dad. Any news about Kimtoon? Saw the latest nonsense about banning another newspaper and about Marveaux. What good does that do him or the U-18’s? Sad sack club right now. Any more coaches sacked recently? Is Llambsarse back with us yet? So much to look forward to. To the middle and beyond as Ashley says. Famous fighting words, those. 🙄

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  63. @3HOURSWASTED

    its different when the club are bullshitting the fans.

    Even Mikes SD News said we were close to negotiations in signing Rooney 😆

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  64. It’s not like Ashley would lie or anything. Oh wait didn’t he admit he lied during the Keegan lawsuit? Oh that’s right it’s only a little humour when it’s the owner doing it. Very little. What a ****.

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  65. This storey about this WWF guy wanting to buy the toon was started on jabbas own site,its just his way of trying to get a sale for the club the same way he uses it to get bids in for players,the mans a sneaky git.

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  66. @Ice

    the link 3hrswasted posted is totally hypocritical by the club..

    they are the biggest bullshitters in the Prem

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  67. How low can Ashley sink? Only more time will tell. I’m sure he isn’t finished with us yet. More incompetents to hire. More buffoons to drink with on the yacht. So much to do, so little time.

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  68. MARK bullshit you can let go over your head,its lies I cannot handle and the whole crowd there are full of them. 👿

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  69. The most efficient approach from Ashley’s point of view would be 11 senior players and Pardew. Why have more than that? It’s cheap in terms of wages, there is no issue of ever competing for anything such as a cup and there would be less complaints to deal with. Then another 11 U-18’s. Total club: 22 players. Beautiful. Think of the profits to be made.

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  70. If an injury happens to our starting 11 (we never plan ahead for that anyway) then you just bring up one of the U-18′s. Ashley’s granny could be on the bench and Joe is looking for a job so he could be the tea lady. It’s sounding better and better.

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  71. All right I admit it, we would need a few squad players. Let’s see, who would be cheapest? Ashley will probably want to stick with Shola for a few more years, Obertan for his wonderful crossing, and possibly Saylor to strut his stuff. That’s the final complete club then.

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  72. Now we’re realizing the whole plan! This is amazing. Most of our players like to travel overseas for their injuries so we don’t even need a physio room!

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  73. There must be even more efficiencies to bring in. Let’s think. Do the players pay for their water etc. during training and matches? Isn’t there a way that the training room bikes could power the lights in the stadium from huge batteries? And what about the bog paper? Who is paying for that? Surely not Mike?

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  75. Look at the picture at the top of the page for an example of how many SD signs there are at the ground now. Nauseating. 👿

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