Some sympathy for Alan Pardew?

Posted on September 12th, 2011 | 25 Comments |

Does Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew deserve a bit of sympathy?
Pressure is on tonight
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has the job of picking up the mood of fans tonight after a disappointing end to the transfer window, but does he deserve a bit of sympathy?

How about a bit of sympathy for Alan Pardew? Yes, I know he blabs rubbish a lot of the time and he doesn’t always seem to engage his brain before doing so, but he’s been let down in the transfer window as much as we have and the pressure is now on him to come up with some good results.

A bad run now would just add to that air of depression a lot of fans are currently feeling and Pardew will know that.

On the weekend, Pardew was lamenting the relationship between Mike Ashley and the fans and intimating that it doesn’t really help him do his job. Pardew said:

“It’s difficult at Newcastle and I don’t think the owner’s relationship with the fans helps. That’s obvious. I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do that will improve that.

“Hopefully over the next three or four years, if I bring some success to the club, maybe that can be looked at in a different light. But certainly not in the short term.“

Some people see Pardew as part of ‘the hierarchy’ but I don’t happen to believe that’s true. I don’t think he has all that much more control over transfers than we do to be honest. It is true that he was appointed by ‘the hierarchy’ and I’m prepared to bet that part of the reason they appointed him was because, as a manager out of a job and seemingly unwanted by other clubs, he’d be grateful for the chance and thusly much more ‘pliable’ than, say, Chris Hughton.

But how pliable is he really? I believe he stressed the need for a striker in the last transfer window as much as he could and I’m prepared to bet he vented his fury at Ashley and Llambias for not getting one. What more could he do?

Some would say that if he had any pride he’d quit, but what happens then? Decent managers are unlikely to come to Newcastle and I can’t imagine we’d be any better off with the sort of manager Ashley would try to hire to replace him.

On the pitch he has us in sixth place and kind results on the weekend mean that we’ll still be sixth after tonight’s game, no matter what the result. You can argue all you like about the standard of the opposition (or lack of) but Pardew doesn’t write up the fixture list and merely has to play whichever team we’re scheduled to play.

Pardew’s job is to go out with whatever players he has at his disposal and get points, and he’s done that pretty well so far this season.

At this early stage in the season a poor run can quickly dump us at the foot of the table, so I’m well aware things can change, but for now he’s done okay and I hope for his sake – as well as mine – that we get a good result tonight.

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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25 Responses

  1. I have no sympathy for Yes men…he is a front brought in to appease the anger of the fans that is building week on week.
    No manager would stand to have his top players sold and not replaced especially after 7 months of promises and assurances from the board that he relayed to fans since the AC sale.
    No sympathy for him,sorry but if he is to be taken seriously he may need to “Nudge” his friend Mike Ashley just a little bit harder next time.

  2. @ sirjasontoon

    For haters like you I want Pardew to quit Newcastle… After that will be such a fun. Will have some manager like Megson and the team will go down. Show some respect for the man who are choose to work in this toxic environment and most important think – the club goes in right direction ON THE FIELD! BECAUSE THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT! I bet you want Sheperd back… with all this smooth transfers like Owen, Luque, Boumsong, Viduka, Butt, Roeder, Souness… and of course the team which is in top 20 in income in the world, to have 150 mill debt.

  3. Why can’t people understand ? Pardew should recieve some credit for our decent run. It’s little miracle for us to get 7 pts now. If Pardew quit as you guys want, the one you get is Joe Kinnear ! fuxxing sake !

    Stop bemoaning about failed transfer market and Yes man Situation because we should accept where we are now. We have MA the anti-football businessman as our owner. So what ? We cannot change the past. All we can do is accept it and keep support our beloved Newcastle Utd. And do the best for players and manager as supporter. Especially we have tough game tonight against QPR. Hopefully we can get something out o f the game. HWTL !

  4. @spitfire

    All those players were good signings the day that we got them “over the line”.

    Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
    At least Shepherd tried to buy us quality.

    This bunch don’t even try.
    7 months and a potful of cash and they failed to buy a quality striker.

    Now the season-ticket holders and turnstile fans are paying their hard-earned cash to Ashley and he’s not reinvesting it.

    Pardew seems to be learning what the fans already know.
    Ashley & Llambias are not NUFC fans and aren’t interested in the team, so long as we finish 17th or above.

  5. Stopped reading this article after the 1st paragraph. Tbh i’m sick of reading comments from all the little sad bastewards that keep going on about doom and gloom and how they’re not happy! Get a grip! Either support your manager and team or fu@kin support someone else because we’re the only set of fans who are moaning about being 5/6th in the league and a chance to be unbeaten after 4 games! And if my calculations are correct we’re unbeaten in about 8 league games but i suppose it’s doom and gloom for some.

  6. Toonarmy87 says: “Stopped reading this article after the 1st paragraph. Tbh i’m sick of reading comments from all the little sad bastewards that keep going on about doom and gloom and how they’re not happy!”

    Then you missed the gist of the article.

  7. @ hugh

    Well, you also missed the gist of my comment as the points in the first few para’s is needless moaning especially on a matchday mate! I wanna read some positive build up to engage people!

    Sirjasontoon needs to get a life! He’d rather us be in L1 as long as we’d bought some big players alonhg the way!

  8. toonarmy87, it might have helped if u did read more than the first line of the article before commenting, u wudnt walk out of film after ten mins and then review it would u?

    i really like Pards, even in the early days, against Liverpool one of his first in charge i think, i remember think make this sub/or that – and he did.

    he makes the calls and decisions that i would if i were manager, and that’s good enough for me!!

  9. Are most people expecting Santon not to start? I actually think it could be a good one for him, but if not a guess Raylor:

    …………..krul………………
    Simmo…Saylor..Colo…Raylor/Santon
    ………Cababye…Tiote…………
    Obertan……………………Jonas
    ………..Ba…………………..
    …………….Best…………….

    As much as i like the idea of Marv starting, and playing 4-2-3-1, i just don’t see it as likely, and so if its a classic 4-4-2, then lets see if Ba and Best can link up again: for all we know, they could become a great partnership!

  10. Pardew has done better than I expected, especially considering the budget he doesnt have…

    Lets keep the same manager for a few seasons, build some stability and give ourselves a chance of getting a first class manager down the track

  11. If Pardew keeps this run going i imagine we would forgive anything!
    In fairness, if he keeps being honest I have know problem with him. I can also see the logic in “who would replace him”.
    The whole point in a platform like this is to air your feelings and debate OUR club as it stands day to day. The guys that write the blogs keep us better informed than the club and do so with a bit of humour. (well done to Hugh on an other well written item)
    The windows closed, so lets move on.
    Lets get behind the Team tonight!!!

  12. These’s one’s moaning about Newcastle United are Mackems have you not worked it out yet, just laugh at the fools

  13. Yes Dan I suspect you’re right. The fans want to be accepted as the ‘best’ fans in the country, well it’s about time they started showing some positivity. Keegan said that 95% of football is played in the head…how can players concentrate on getting their heads right with all these neggers constantly berating the club…get on with supporting the team!!!!!!!!!

  14. we are off to a start that had we been offered it we would have snatched someones hand off. Pards is doing the best he can under difficult circumstances ie a board who really should be supporting him more.
    He has got the team playing some decent footy and a win toninght takes us joint 3rd– and even then some idiot will be having a moan.
    Club finances are getting better and we are a lot better off than a lot of the teams in this league.
    Support the team and Pards HOWAY THE LADS

  15. AP is no better or worse than many of the managers in the EPL, would any of us prefer Bruce or Keane to be in charge to name just two. I reckon he is doing his best given the Tools he has to work with. I don’t think we can really judge till a few more games have been played.

    I was reading with interest the many blogs dedicated to Ashley and one point in particular never seemed to be mentioned and will be happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

    One of the main reasons he bought the club, allegedly, was to foster better business in the Aisian markets. If this is the case then WHY, hasn’t he signed any asian players? I would have thought this it would be an essential assett, it’s not as though there aren’t any quality Asians just gagging to get into the EPL.

  16. If we compare AP with say Martin Jol, who we may have got & some would say is a better coach/manager.

    They are in europe & are established as a prem team.
    You could say they have a more settled team.
    Yet we have started better.

    How does that pan out?

  17. i dont like alan pardew as a person,i didn’t like him before he came to newcastle,with his extra ciricular activities,and his disingenous flattery.
    i didn’t like the way he was appointed,as his name was being mentioned around the camp fire,about six weeks before hughton was sacked.
    there was also sightings of him having cosy little dinners with llambias,so no of that looked good.
    where it counts on the pitch though,he has done okay under difficult circumstances
    the only game i was disappointed with his tactics,were against west brom,his substitutions cost us tenth place.
    we have had a decent start to the season,but we have to be honest,we’ve ridden our luck,and we have played terrible football.infact we haven’t really moved on in terms of style,since our sabbatical in the trampionship.
    of course we still have players to settle in,and that might change,but we are still hoofing it,and hoping for the best.
    as for having any sympathy for alan pardew,in a purely humanitarian level,you have to feel sorry for anyone who works for,”jabba the warehouse” and his sidekick,”bib unfortunate”.
    i would never go to a match and heckle pardew,from the terraces,if he gets results,do we have to like him anyway?.
    the biggest enemy he has,is himself,he needs to watch what he is saying,when he opens his trap.
    there have been a few occassions now,where he has looked completely stupid,isolated,and hung out to dry,because he is writing cheques,he cannot cash.when this happens it sends out the wrong signals,which bring his authority into question with the fans,and eventually the players,and we all know,what can happen if he loses their support.

  18. spitfire_ says:
    September 12, 2011 at 11:37 am

    “and of course the team which is in top 20 in income in the world, to have 150 mill debt.”

    spitfire, £150 million is the club’s current debt, which is actually a little higher than it was when Ashley took control. Nearly all of it is also repayable by demand.

  19. @ geoff777

    Yeah, Sheperd tried, but on what cost? Enormous debt! I prefer Bassong for 500 000 or Tiote for 3.5 mill than 9 mill for Luque and 8 mill for Boumsong.

  21. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    September 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    “Please allow me to introduce myself…”

    I’m a man of wealth and taste
    I’ve been around for a long, long year
    Stole many a mans soul and faith…

  25. I don’t have any sympathy for Pards, he knew what he was signing up for and gets paid a healthy salary to boot.

    That said I’d rather Pards be settling the ship, keeping stuff inhouse than Keegan blowing it up in the media every week