Never seen as many excuses since Souness either.
I don't recall many excuses for Souness tbh. He was shite from the start and never looked like he got the team playing well at all, whereas Pardew at least has a 5th placed finish under his belt. Graeme's "supporters" were thinner in ranks than Pardew's, surely.
AP is definitely out of time now but last season "earned" him this one; no argument he's squandered the opportunity and lost all but the most deranged/patient/apathetic of people : I was - and to the extent it seems pointless to sack a manger at this point in the season, still am - in favor of giving him this season. No more.