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Magpie's first XI: The Tyne's not a-changing

Keeping virtually the same starting line-up is key to Pardew's success at Newcastle this season

 

It was one of the late Bill Shankly's standard lines to reporters: "Same team as last season, boys." In the summer of 1966, he had a point: Liverpool had just become champions by using only 14 players, two of whom were reserve strikers who appeared only four times between them. In other words, the title was effectively won by 12 men.

 

In these days of rotation and substitutions aimed at keeping large first-team squads fit and happy, it will never happen again, and the adage "never change a winning team" is out of fashion. Yet there is one Premier League manager who believes in the benefits of a settled side. As the tables based on our exclusive research show, Newcastle have made a mere seven changes in 11 League matches, including one run of four unchanged games.

 

Alan Pardew's team started the season surprisingly well and have essentially stuck with the same team, which is unbeaten. From the side that played against Arsenal on the opening day, Joey Barton was transferred and replaced by Gabriel Obertan, and in attack Leon Best has taken over from Shola Ameobi. The back four and goalkeeper have started every game and Pardew believes this consistency has been an important part of their success.

 

He told The Independent on Sunday: "It's certainly helped to have that continuity in the side, particularly the back four who have been outstanding together as a unit. They've developed a very good understanding with each other. Continuity is great for confidence withinthe team and that has definitely contributed to our good start. That said, our entire squad is of huge importance and against Everton, for example, where we had to make changes due to injury, I was delighted with the way other players such as Danny Guthrie came in and fitted seamlessly into the team."

 

Where Pardew has tried to minimise discontent among the rest of his squad is by using a large number of substitutes, so that 24 players have made an appearance, however fleeting. It is very much a sign of the times that with less than a third of the season gone, every team has already used a minimum of 20 players.

 

The starting point for our investigation was a suggestion that while the big clubs rotate players regularly,the struggling ones do not have the luxury of such options. As the tables show, however, that is not quite the case. While the two Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea make most changes – 31 so far in United's case – they clearly have the depth of quality in the squad and still win games.

 

Arsenal and Chelsea have never named an unchanged side, United, City and Liverpool have done so only once. But the bottom three, Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn, have made more changes than almost anyone else as they seek a winning formula that has so far proved elusive.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/magpies-first-xi-the-tynes-not-achanging-6261498.html?

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GARETH SOUTHGATE knows one of the secrets of Alan Pardew’s success at Newcastle – he’s Mr Meticulous.

 

Manager Pardew has guided the Magpies to an 11-game unbeaten start to the Premier League season and third place behind leaders Manchester City and Manchester United.

 

The crunch now comes with visits to City and United, then a home game against Chelsea.

 

But Southgate summed up the effect the unsung Pardew has had on Toon as “terrific’’.

 

The former Middlesbrough manager and England defender, now the FA’s Head of Elite Development and a TV pundit, played alongside Pardew at Crystal Palace in the early 90s.

 

And he reckons Pardew’s eye for detail has been key to him masterminding the Magpies’ magnificent resurgence.

 

Pardew, 50, was sacked by West Ham, Charlton and Southampton, but Southgate said: “The past is irrelevant. You have to look at what he is doing now. The start Newcastle have had has been outstanding.

 

“I know how meticulous Alan is in terms of preparation. When he’s not been in a job, he’s been travelling and put the time in.’’

 

Southgate, 41, is relishing his new role with the FA. He said: “There are a tremendous amount of good and dynamic people at the FA.”

 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/283401/Alan-Pardew-is-Mr-Meticulous-Gareth-Southgate?

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ALAN PARDEW has revealed that his side are too busy trying to stay at the business end of the Premier League table to be distracted by so called crisis talk at St James’ Park.

 

Pardew emerged as a cool and unflustered figure as he shrugged off recent off-field controversy over the club’s decision to rename St James’, while allegations of remarks about former managers and players by Derek Llambias in a Tyneside bar have also not affected the Magpies’ preparations for their huge game with Manchester City.

 

Indeed, the mood at the club’s Benton base among players could hardly be better with upbeat United still flying high in third place, and Toon players very much geared up for the challenge of becoming the team that beats the class of 1994’s best start to a Premier League campaign.

 

Newcastle, of course, equalled the Entertainers’ record of getting through the first 11 games unscathed, and the avoidance of defeat will set a new landmark in the club’s history books.

 

And in his first interview since off-field issues made United the subject of global news, Pardew told the Chronicle: “It is about getting back to the business of football – something we have done well at this year.”

 

Pardew also insisted that there have been no negative reactions to anything going on outside the four walls of their Tyneside training HQ and said: “The guys who haven’t been on international duty have been terrific.

 

“The training has been brilliant. We are looking forward to the game.

 

“We have a few players to come back today and Man City certainly have the luxury of more players to call upon. But we can’t wait.”

 

And when asked if Manchester City were under the most pressure this weekend, Pardew said: “Absolutely.

 

“They still have a lot to do to stay at the top of the league ahead of Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs, who are beginning to settle now, so the race really is on for that title.”

 

With United third in the table, Pardew also admitted for the first time his own side were in the hunt for top-four places – even if the Magpies find themselves going into the third week of November in a Champions League spot against all odds.

 

The former West Ham and Charlton boss said: “Obviously, we’re in it as well as we speak.

 

“We are going to try to stay there as long as we can.”

 

Read More http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2011/11/16/alan-pardew-it-s-business-as-usual-at-nufc-72703-29784929/#ixzz1dsnYFKDK

 

:thup:

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Does he say "Lezzers End"? :lol:

 

:lol: Yes.  Get this man out of our club now.

 

Nah, I thought it was interesting that he was not only supportive of the stadium name change but more to the point that he wasn't arsed about the negative publicity it's brought.  That's if he's portraying his true feelings and not just being a wise old silver fox / slippery jellied eel of course.

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Does he say "Lezzers End"? :lol:

 

:lol: Yes.  Get this man out of our club now.

 

Nah, I thought it was interesting that he was not only supportive of the stadium name change but more to the point that he wasn't arsed about the negative publicity it's brought.  That's if he's portraying his true feelings and not just being a wise old silver fox / slippery jellied eel of course.

"I can see both sides of the argument..." is mild support at best. He's been leaned on by Llambias to carry the water and this is what they got IMO.

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Does he say "Lezzers End"? :lol:

 

:lol: Yes.  Get this man out of our club now.

 

Nah, I thought it was interesting that he was not only supportive of the stadium name change but more to the point that he wasn't arsed about the negative publicity it's brought.  That's if he's portraying his true feelings and not just being a wise old silver fox / slippery jellied eel of course.

"I can see both sides of the argument..." is mild support at best. He's been leaned on by Llambias to carry the water and this is what they got IMO.

 

He was never going to say anything other than that though was he. Majority of managers in the league would say the exact same thing.

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Everyone can see both sides of the argument. I know that the stadium renaming will bring in money that the club could do with (assuming we get paid anything) but I just don't accept that's a good enough reason for the change.

 

Pardew's irrelevant to the renaming argument TBH, the best he can do is deal with the questions in the most general and vague way he can. It's really nothing to do with him.

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Everyone can see both sides of the argument. I know that the stadium renaming will bring in money that the club could do with (assuming we get paid anything) but I just don't accept that's a good enough reason for the change.

 

Pardew's irrelevant to the renaming argument TBH, the best he can do is deal with the questions in the most general and vague way he can. It's really nothing to do with him.

 

:thup: I like to think that, with the way he's reacted to all of this, he's going to keep the team focused on the pitch and ignoring all the bullshit sideshow that has come back as usual.

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Everyone can see both sides of the argument. I know that the stadium renaming will bring in money that the club could do with (assuming we get paid anything) but I just don't accept that's a good enough reason for the change.

 

Pardew's irrelevant to the renaming argument TBH, the best he can do is deal with the questions in the most general and vague way he can. It's really nothing to do with him.

 

:thup: I like to think that, with the way he's reacted to all of this, he's going to keep the team focused on the pitch and ignoring all the bullshit sideshow that has come back as usual.

 

:nods: I'd like to think this too. After all, it is Pardew's job to keep the team focused whatever the issue off the pitch and it looks like he's done exactly that.

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Alan Pardew keeps feet on the ground despite Newcastle's altitude

 

Manager gives Magpies wings, and a place in the top three, after toning down his brashness during his 11 months on Tyneside

 

Louise Taylor

 

Alan Pardew spent his early adulthood working as a glazier specialising in assignments involving skyscrapers. A world of cranes, scaffolding and dizzying drops gave him a head for heights that seems to be coming in handy as Newcastle United somehow retain their balance at a rarified Premier League altitude.

 

Pardew's gravity-defying team travel to Manchester City on Saturday not only sitting third, with 25 points from 11 games, but protecting an unbeaten league record.

 

Along the way Newcastle's manager has pulled off an accomplished high-wire act. This cleverly choreographed feat has seen him introduce a more considered passing game, tighten the defence, subtly dismantle the club's powerful players' committee, offload his erstwhile captain, Kevin Nolan, and bed in a few French bargains. Working to a tight budget, he has barely touched the £35m paid by Liverpool for Andy Carroll in January.

 

Considering Pardew replaced Chris Hughton only last December, the pace of change is audacious. "I knew he'd alter Newcastle's playing style but I'm surprised he's been able to adjust it so quickly," says Graeme Murty.

 

An interested observer of Tyneside's velvet revolution, Murty played right-back for Pardew at Reading and Southampton. He believes a man whose CV also features stints in charge of West Ham United and Charlton Athletic has perfected the tricky art of instilling tough discipline while simultaneously inspiring immense loyalty.

 

"Players love managers who make them better and Alan is clearly helping people fulfill their potential," Murty says. "His success at Newcastle is not a shock. I know how hard he works and the level of detail he goes into. He's an extremely demanding, very hands-on, highly intense coach who drills and drills and drills in training, but he also encourages players to have opinions and ask questions.

 

"His man-management is highly effective. Everything is explained very well and you know exactly where you stand. Footballers hate not knowing what their manager thinks about them but, with Alan, you'll get the truth."

 

At Reading, Pardew possessed an uncanny knack of detecting any off-field unprofessionalism. "He seemed to have a network of barmen, night-club managers and taxi drivers tipping him off," Murty recalls.

 

Significantly, those first-teamers who stuck to the rules appreciated that the one-time glazier cum part-time cabbie and non-league midfielder who did not turn professional until he was 26, had their best interests at heart.

 

"When Reading won promotion Alan said we all deserved new contracts," Murty says. "He made sure that every single player's improved deal was sorted out before he organised a new contract of his own; I don't think very many other managers would have done the same. Then, when West Ham came in for him, he told us exactly what was happening. That endeared him to us."

 

After inheriting a Newcastle ensemble upset by the sacking of the popular Hughton, Pardew contemplated an awkward induction to life on Tyneside. He survived largely by dint of his coaching ability, tactical acumen and refusal to rush first-teamers back from injury, but also courtesy of a willingness to intervene robustly in a long-running row between the squad and board over bonuses.

 

This dispute was recently resolved in the favour of a group of players no longer led by a dressing-room cabal comprising figures such as Nolan, Joey Barton and Steve Harper. With that trio having departed, the new captain, Fabricio Coloccini, and the long-serving striker Shola Ameobi have been instrumental in helping their manager forge an arguably stronger team spirit.

 

When it comes to dealing with Newcastle's hard-edged owner, Mike Ashley, and his similarly spiky managing director, Derek Llambias, it helps that the Wimbledon-born Pardew possesses a streetwise humour sharpened by spending years toiling on London and Middle Eastern construction sites before finally signing a £400-a-week professional agreement with Crystal Palace.

 

"Possibly coming into the pro game so late means that Alan has never taken it for granted," Murty suggests. "Perhaps it explains why he now wants to be the best and devotes every single working minute to trying to be the best."

 

As a younger man the brash expression of such evangelical ambition occasionally teetered close to parody. Aware of his slightly grating enthusiasm for "blue-sky thinking" and pop psychology at Reading, the critics sharpened their pens when eventual success at West Ham revealed flashes of a boastful, slightly crass side to his character. Rather unfairly, Pardew found himself dubbed "the David Brent of football management".

 

A cheap label, it ignored his achievement in weathering a sticky start at Upton Park where, for quite a while, fans underwhelmed by his appointment demanded a swift sacking. In the eyes of some, a manager who elected to live in Surrey's pony club belt with his Swedish wife, Tina, and their two daughters had committed the unpardonable sin of not immersing himself sufficiently in the club's East End heritage.

 

Other, more fragile, personalities might have buckled under the strain but having changed minds while toughing things out, Pardew led West Ham back into the Premier League, into ninth place and on to a memorably cruel 2006 FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool on penalties.

 

An arrival amid such sunlit uplands seemed to go to the head of a man suddenly being feted as an England coach-in-waiting. If Pardew was subsequently betrayed by underperforming players, there was also a consensus that, distracted by fame's trappings, he had, albeit briefly, lost the plot. Although he denies purchasing a Ferrari, Pardew seemed emblematic of the "Baby Bentley" culture then pervading Upton Park.

 

An interlude that can be interpreted as a mini-midlife crisis took some recovering from. A brave attempt to first avert relegation and then win promotion at Charlton ended in dismissal while, despite significant on-pitch improvement, a difficult relationship with Southampton's executive chairman, Nicola Cortese, prefaced his sacking by his then-League One employers.

 

It was hard to envisage him returning to the Premier League but when Ashley read between the lines of Pardew's chequered past he began to see how he might fit in on Tyneside. As a disciple of good passing football who believed in mean defending and a meticulous coach capable of polishing the sometimes rough continental diamonds sourced by Newcastle's chief scout, Graham Carr, Pardew looked an attractive option.

 

He was a manager bruised by boardroom fallouts down the years who had learnt to pick his battles and was, above all, desperate for a job that, while glamorous, entailed submitting to strict financial constraints. Today he readily admits to being "fairly fortunate" to have landed a post that proved a poisoned chalice for several predecessors.

 

"Alan's 50 now and experience has made him a more mature, confident and rounded manager," Murty says. "Newcastle chose very, very well."

 

It appears hubris, possibly prompted by insecurities related to turning professional later than most, has given way to humility and circumspection.

 

"I've changed," Pardew says. "I'm not as brash as I was." Not that this mellow streak indicates any diminution of ambition as he "really looks forward to" successive fixtures against City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

 

"Unlike some managers Alan will be thoroughly enjoying the pressures and attention that comes with working in the Newcastle goldfish bowl," Murty says. "He'll love the fervent intensity."

 

Such confidence is underpinned by training ground slog and painstaking analysis of the computer data produced by the three GPS systems that track each player's every movement. "Alan will do anything to improve teams," says Murty. "He's not afraid to bring in psychologists or other specialists and delegate."

 

Pardew, though, could never be described as hands off. "In training the manager constantly runs through every scenario of where players should be when the ball is in certain positions," says Steve Stone, the Newcastle first-team coach.

 

"Tactically Alan Pardew is as good as anyone. During matches, some managers dither on the sidelines, which can cost you, but Alan will change things because he believes in his decision-making ability. He understands the game."

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/18/alan-pardew-newcastle-united

 

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Good job today.

 

Smart to get the seemingly obligatory appearances of Lovenkrands and Perch out the way. Quite funny that we ended the game at the Etihad with those two on the field and won 1-0 in that period :laugh:

 

Big decisions for next week.

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