Difference surely being, we had pardew 4years or whatever it was, he was there a year and achieved a final and a decent finish. There's nothing to say the football wouldn't have improved with another year under his belt and some more of his own signings.
Will never forget that goal, ever. One of the genuinely fantastic moments of recent times.
So weird this, like others have said, he was on a pitch for us not long ago. And now gone. Just like that. Hard to comprehend.