Alan Pardew

[Numbers]

wouldnt know, never bothered listening to him.  Heard mugs like Souness and Allerdyce spouting the usual cliches and dont see him being any different.  Remember him being a grade a whiner elsewhere and expecting the same to follow when the honeymoons over.

 

I cant get my head around this sort of stuff, you wont even listen to an interview with him?

 

Hes done a cracking job with shit luck with injuries to be fair.

 

Dont hate him for whats gone on here in the past, support him for whats going to happen in the future.

[Wallace]

He's done OK so far but will reserve judgment until next season.  At present I think he is still trying to show some sensitivity in view of him a replacing popular manager and not wanting to upset things too much.  It will  be interesting to see if he changes once he starts to feel more settled and comfortable in the role.

[SteveR]

Lets not forget, the goal as to stay up this season. We most likely will. Is it due to Hughton or Pardew? Maybe a little of both or maybe down to the players but the bottom line is, we will more than likely succeed in our goal. Is pardew the  man to take us forward? probably not...

[ATB]

Next season is the time to judge him, not this no matter what. and will he take us forward. I think not. Ashley won´t help either.

[BottledDog]

Lets not forget, the goal as to stay up this season. We most likely will. Is it due to Hughton or Pardew? Maybe a little of both or maybe down to the players but the bottom line is, we will more than likely succeed in our goal. Is pardew the  man to take us forward? probably not...

 

Why's that then?

[80]

He's done better than I expected to be honest but I've seen little in the way of changes to suggest he himself is having the bigger impact. For me, the players themselves are just carrying on from the Hughton era. I think the best time to judge Pardew unless something drastically happens in a negative or ultra positive sense in between now and the end of the season, is next season where he'll no doubt add and detract from the squad and where we'll really see the Pardew NUFC.

 

How can you say that? Seriously, what evidence is there?

 

Results, performances etc.

 

I see far more worrying signs in the Pardew era than promising signs mind. I'm extremely worried for next season and I wouldn't discount a relegation battle this term just yet either despite our decent enough position.

 

Again, not really based on anything but ok.

 

The results are going our way, we're performing well and the players still seem happy enough. Making additions to the squad aside, I can't see how anyone can do anything but praise Pardew so far

 

Going on what you've seen of him so far, how do you imagine things would have turned out if Pardew had been in charge when Carroll broke Taylor's jaw? And then got arrested for assaulting a girl. While already up for glassing a lad on a night out.

 

I think it's fair to imagine things wouldn't have stayed so quiet and we wouldn't have a £30m+ striker in our team. So there's at least one reason for me to have concerns about switching Hughton for him, just for starters. I'm not convinced of Pardew's ability to handle 'events'.

[80]

Players look fully onside.  Don't think there's any way a "do it for Hughton" effect would have carried on this long.  

 

 

 

No, don't think anyone thought that - more that they have a 'do it for themselves' attitude, which Hughton seemingly helped create and protect. As I say, I genuinely give Pardew some credit for not managing to destroy it yet.

[Vinny Green Balls]

Can't say that I have warmed to him at all, but the philandering cunt has done a much better job than I expected so far. 

[Tisd09]

It seems the most we can criticise him for at the moment are his subs, but given the injuries/suspension theres not much to work from.

 

Hughton used to take a lot of stick for his subs as well.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

Considering the injuries and suspension of our best player I think he has done astoundingly well

 

I'm almost going write the Stevenage game off as it was just 'one of them'. He has outplayed:

Spurs ( particularly 2nd half )

Sunderland

Wigan

West ham

Liverpool

Man city ( for large parts even though we lost)

 

And what I like most is that none of the results have been lucky. We have deserved and worked for every point.

[James]

He's dong OK merely on the basis that he has pretty much kept things the same bar a few minor adjustments, not fallen out with anyone and kept the motivation amongst the team high. I'd say the squad players have been playing better than they had been before too.

 

At the moment it is basically Hughton with knobs on.

 

The improvements are that we are playing a bit better in the second half of matches whereas before the second half would often be defined by the events of the first half.

 

Also Pardew seems to work a bit more on the tactical side of attacking moves, and as a result we are appearing a bit more clever when trying to create chances.

 

In interviews he'll big up individuals a bit more and offer an explaination of what he thinks went right or wrong in the match, which differs from Hughton where it was all about the team, the spirit and the fans.

 

This is really still the honeymoon period though, next season he'll have made signings, done his own pre season had more chances to change things. This is where most new managers get things wrong. However it is the good managers who are quick to accept when things don't work and make the necessary changes. That will be the real test for Pardew.

[kane2005]

I said I would judge on performances , and I can't really knock them overall. He's doing well , the players are playing well , we just need to turn some of the draws into wins and we'll be fine.

[Benwell Lad]

Don't understand anyone using the term "honeymoon period".

You may sometimes get one at a new club but Pardew walked into anything but a "honeymoon", which makes his performance to date even more commendable.

[James]

He was given a solid group of players who were carving out decent but inconsistent results and because he came at a time where there couldn't be much upheaval, he has had to stick with it and make just a few minor improvements hence the honeymoon.

 

The honeymoon ends when it stops becoming Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's

[alpal78]

He was given a solid group of players who were carving out decent but inconsistent results and because he came at a time where there couldn't be much upheaval, he has had to stick with it and make just a few minor improvements hence the honeymoon.

 

The honeymoon ends when it stops becoming Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's

 

Honest question, when does it stops being Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's? And if Hughton gets the credit for our current form, then does he also takes the blame for any of our shortcomings?

[JH]

He's done better than I expected to be honest but I've seen little in the way of changes to suggest he himself is having the bigger impact. For me, the players themselves are just carrying on from the Hughton era. I think the best time to judge Pardew unless something drastically happens in a negative or ultra positive sense in between now and the end of the season, is next season where he'll no doubt add and detract from the squad and where we'll really see the Pardew NUFC.

 

How can you say that? Seriously, what evidence is there?

 

Results, performances etc.

 

I see far more worrying signs in the Pardew era than promising signs mind. I'm extremely worried for next season and I wouldn't discount a relegation battle this term just yet either despite our decent enough position.

 

Again, not really based on anything but ok.

 

The results are going our way, we're performing well and the players still seem happy enough. Making additions to the squad aside, I can't see how anyone can do anything but praise Pardew so far

 

Going on what you've seen of him so far, how do you imagine things would have turned out if Pardew had been in charge when Carroll broke Taylor's jaw? And then got arrested for assaulting a girl. While already up for glassing a lad on a night out.

 

I think it's fair to imagine things wouldn't have stayed so quiet and we wouldn't have a £30m+ striker in our team. So there's at least one reason for me to have concerns about switching Hughton for him, just for starters. I'm not convinced of Pardew's ability to handle 'events'.

 

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and actually wait until he faces an 'event' and how he handles it before I decide how he can handle them.

 

The point is, I couldn't care less what Hughton did or didn't do. He's gone and he's not coming back. We need to move on and look forward. We can't keep having Pardew living in Hughton's shadow otherwise we'll be straight back into trouble before we know it.

[cp40]

too soo to judge.

 

I wanted to dislike him mainly for all the wrong reasons.

 

but he seems ok and appears to have a positive philosophy to football.

[TheGuv]

He was given a solid group of players who were carving out decent but inconsistent results and because he came at a time where there couldn't be much upheaval, he has had to stick with it and make just a few minor improvements hence the honeymoon.

 

The honeymoon ends when it stops becoming Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's

 

 

Honest question, when does it stops being Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's? And if Hughton gets the credit for our current form, then does he also takes the blame for any of our shortcomings?

 

 

 

[TheGuv]

I've started to notice a few more tweaks over the last few weeks under Pardew which i'm impressed with.

 

Notably yesterday i was amazed Jonas put a couple of first time balls in. And i've said it before but the urgency seems to have improved on the ball.

[Guest Stephen927]

Looking at the first few pages of this thread, and people's opinions now, he deserves credit for how he's come out of what was a bad situation.

 

Still a very long way to go for him, but he's come through a bad period fine.

[80]

He's done better than I expected to be honest but I've seen little in the way of changes to suggest he himself is having the bigger impact. For me, the players themselves are just carrying on from the Hughton era. I think the best time to judge Pardew unless something drastically happens in a negative or ultra positive sense in between now and the end of the season, is next season where he'll no doubt add and detract from the squad and where we'll really see the Pardew NUFC.

 

How can you say that? Seriously, what evidence is there?

 

Results, performances etc.

 

I see far more worrying signs in the Pardew era than promising signs mind. I'm extremely worried for next season and I wouldn't discount a relegation battle this term just yet either despite our decent enough position.

 

Again, not really based on anything but ok.

 

The results are going our way, we're performing well and the players still seem happy enough. Making additions to the squad aside, I can't see how anyone can do anything but praise Pardew so far

 

Going on what you've seen of him so far, how do you imagine things would have turned out if Pardew had been in charge when Carroll broke Taylor's jaw? And then got arrested for assaulting a girl. While already up for glassing a lad on a night out.

 

I think it's fair to imagine things wouldn't have stayed so quiet and we wouldn't have a £30m+ striker in our team. So there's at least one reason for me to have concerns about switching Hughton for him, just for starters. I'm not convinced of Pardew's ability to handle 'events'.

 

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and actually wait until he faces an 'event' and how he handles it before I decide how he can handle them.

 

The point is, I couldn't care less what Hughton did or didn't do. He's gone and he's not coming back. We need to move on and look forward. We can't keep having Pardew living in Hughton's shadow otherwise we'll be straight back into trouble before we know it.

 

In the circumstances I'll wait and see too, but in life I prefer to try and spot brick walls before I walk into them. I'll give you that HTT hasn't exactly fully explained his view, but you can't discount 'results and performances' as 'nothing' to base an opinion on. Given the only half-decent results and performances we've had have come when he's remembered to try and mimic what we'd been doing previously, and he's come out and said he wants to retain the culture that already exists in the squad, it seems reasonable to say he's operating in Hughton's vein.

 

Sometimes I see people with this daft attitude that absolutely nothing should be predicted until it's already happened. And then, usually, it's "We couldn't have known, you never said anything. Well it's done now, we have to move on, stop harping about it".

 

Never mind Hughton - that was more of an Ashley reference, just pretend I said 'concerned about having him managing us'.

[JH]

He's done better than I expected to be honest but I've seen little in the way of changes to suggest he himself is having the bigger impact. For me, the players themselves are just carrying on from the Hughton era. I think the best time to judge Pardew unless something drastically happens in a negative or ultra positive sense in between now and the end of the season, is next season where he'll no doubt add and detract from the squad and where we'll really see the Pardew NUFC.

 

How can you say that? Seriously, what evidence is there?

 

Results, performances etc.

 

I see far more worrying signs in the Pardew era than promising signs mind. I'm extremely worried for next season and I wouldn't discount a relegation battle this term just yet either despite our decent enough position.

 

Again, not really based on anything but ok.

 

The results are going our way, we're performing well and the players still seem happy enough. Making additions to the squad aside, I can't see how anyone can do anything but praise Pardew so far

 

Going on what you've seen of him so far, how do you imagine things would have turned out if Pardew had been in charge when Carroll broke Taylor's jaw? And then got arrested for assaulting a girl. While already up for glassing a lad on a night out.

 

I think it's fair to imagine things wouldn't have stayed so quiet and we wouldn't have a £30m+ striker in our team. So there's at least one reason for me to have concerns about switching Hughton for him, just for starters. I'm not convinced of Pardew's ability to handle 'events'.

 

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and actually wait until he faces an 'event' and how he handles it before I decide how he can handle them.

 

The point is, I couldn't care less what Hughton did or didn't do. He's gone and he's not coming back. We need to move on and look forward. We can't keep having Pardew living in Hughton's shadow otherwise we'll be straight back into trouble before we know it.

 

In the circumstances I'll wait and see too, but in life I prefer to try and spot brick walls before I walk into them. I'll give you that HTT hasn't exactly fully explained his view, but you can't discount 'results and performances' as 'nothing' to base an opinion on. Given the only half-decent results and performances we've had have come when he's remembered to try and mimic what we'd been doing previously, and he's come out and said he wants to retain the culture that already exists in the squad, it seems reasonable to say he's operating in Hughton's vein.

 

Sometimes I see people with this daft attitude that absolutely nothing should be predicted until it's already happened. And then, usually, it's "We couldn't have known, you never said anything. Well it's done now, we have to move on, stop harping about it".

 

Never mind Hughton - that was more of an Ashley reference, just pretend I said 'concerned about having him managing us'.

 

I'm not saying that nothing should be predicted (not sure if you were directing that at me or not), and I'm not convinced that Pardew is the man to take us forward, but the signs have been fairly decent so far in the positive direction. Some people (not saying you) are saying that he'll lead us into the shit and things will get worse simply because he isn't Hughton and are still bitter about how the situation came about.

 

I'm just trying to be fair to the guy. He's come into a difficult job, whereby everybody loved the previous guy and automatically hates him. He's got us results, and we've performed much better than I expected us to (FA Cup aside). We're on a four game unbeaten run, and if it wasn't for slack defending in the closing stages, we'd be 3 points off 6th with a game in hand. The guy has to be praised for it IMO.

[80]

He was given a solid group of players who were carving out decent but inconsistent results and because he came at a time where there couldn't be much upheaval, he has had to stick with it and make just a few minor improvements hence the honeymoon.

 

The honeymoon ends when it stops becoming Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's

 

Honest question, when does it stops being Hughton's team and starts becoming Pardew's? And if Hughton gets the credit for our current form, then does he also takes the blame for any of our shortcomings?

 

Second question first, potentially yes - same as Allardyce took blame for how long Keegan needed to restore the team's confidence and get them playing football again. After that, it's a question of what you think the team's shortcomings are and how much Hughton had to do with it. Long story short, I think we've generally operated near the squad's maximum capacity of talent (physically, mentally etc.). That said, particularly seeing as he had a record of consistently improving us when give funds and authority, you also have to take into account the lack of transfer funds and piss-taking over issues such as having almost no coaching staff when looking for reasons why we've now got shortcomings.

 

First question, well, the judgement is an art, not a science. Once a few ruptures have taken place (for better or for worse), basically. Things like signings, promotions and demotions, arguments caused or averted, injury rates. When things are regularly done that wouldn't have been done otherwise (unless it's really obvious he would've chosen to if he'd been given a clean sheet of paper, to be fair). The team is more his when he chooses to play Barton on the left wing and drop Williamson for Taylor, and less his when it's like it was against Sunderland (when the teamsheet 'picked itself', as a lot of people said).

 

Would anyone seriously argue this is Pardew's team yet? I'm not insisting on giving Hughton all the credit, I never did when he was here, but I think doing the opposite is a totally laughable idea.

[Dave]

It's a strange situation because normally a new manager comes in when the previous one was doing particularly poorly. Changes in performances and results are easy to pick up. This wasn't really the case with Hughton so there are always going to be arguments about whether Hughton would have done any better or worse.

[80]

I'm not saying that nothing should be predicted (not sure if you were directing that at me or not), and I'm not convinced that Pardew is the man to take us forward, but the signs have been fairly decent so far in the positive direction. Some people (not saying you) are saying that he'll lead us into the shit and things will get worse simply because he isn't Hughton and are still bitter about how the situation came about.

 

I'm just trying to be fair to the guy. He's come into a difficult job, whereby everybody loved the previous guy and automatically hates him. He's got us results, and we've performed much better than I expected us to (FA Cup aside). We're on a four game unbeaten run, and if it wasn't for slack defending in the closing stages, we'd be 3 points off 6th with a game in hand. The guy has to be praised for it IMO.

 

No, it wasn't aimed at you - what you said wasn't that bad and I honestly can't remember the faces on here that have that attitude, so not going to hold it against you. Can't say I've seen anyone with the view you talk about, but fair enough, it would be wrong.

 

My main position is I will call his actions as I see them for better or for worse, couldn't take myself seriously if I didn't. In the short term things haven't been as bad as they could have been - I give him some credit for the big issues off the pitch (seemingly keeping most of the squad onside and not changing things for the sake of it), but definitely haven't liked his most obvious choices on it. Time will help tell what good things and what bad things he deserves praise and blame for in this period, though - e.g. whether he reverted to 4-4-2 because of injuries (good luck) or an intelligent free choice. If he starts making good choices more often, his old choices will look better too (I'll honestly hold my hands up we ever come to realise he's really good at improving the performances of young goalkeepers).

 

I do think he'll likely play a part in spoiling the good thing we had/have if he's given the chance i.e. squad attitude - by buying dickheads, by victimising people, or mouthing off and having us return to the backpages, and eventually the frontpages. While he may not kill it himself, I just don't think he could have created it himself, or can protect it on his own once it comes under serious attack. The question is how we've got until the serious assaults come, therefore.

 

For me, the Board are the biggest problem and will beat him to fucking anything up - I've said before, even if Pardew's an angel they'll just screw him like they've screwed every other decent contributor this club's had. It's starting to seem fairly obvious the politics between him and them are under way, and it's part of the reason I think he's a desperate fool if he really did come here to try and become one of our great managers.