Anderson Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Voted good last two times, voted brilliant this time. End of the season has been storming all things considered, with plenty of fantastic football. Really promising stuff. Same here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Brilliant, good, brilliant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishmael Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Ok, good, brilliant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Voted good previously but can't be anything other than brilliant, anything less should be a rawk style ban Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BooBoo Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 If he gets us in the top 4, Fat Ash should stock up on hipster glasses because those bad boys are going to be the must have accessory of this summer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElDiablo Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Brilliant, good, brilliant. This. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ThievingMagpie Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Who is the attention whore that voted terrible? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Who is the attention whore that voted terrible? Gupter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midds Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 He's solved the problems and we look like a proper team. Good, good, brilliant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 He's solved the problems and we look like a proper team. Good, good, brilliant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiquidAK Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I for one was very critical of Pardew after the Norwich game, because after the first 15 minutes of dominating we stood off and our play became just terrible. That was a big mistake by Pardew. However, he's since learned from that and shown that he can learn and adapt with what works, so no more complaints from me, he's proven to be excellent since, learning from mistakes etc. Don't see what's wrong with criticizing him after that Norwich game though, he did get it wrong. The players needed the confidence of a win, they got the 3 points they'd been lacking They did, but not due to him imo. Shutting up shop at 1-0 up didn't help us hold onto the lead despite the intention, it just made the 3 points harder to get. Regardless, I'll say it again, I won't apologise for criticizing him when he gets things (in my opinion) wrong. Meh. I think for all of your (and not just you) backtracking and steadfast refusal to consider Pards actually knew what he wanted to do with the team at the beginning of the season, he's done absolutely nothing to warrant the level of criticism people were throwing his way just 6 wins or so ago. He's far from perfect but has done an almighty job this season which largely got ignored as people got bogged down in the detail - of which barely any of us are actually privvy to. Now that we're sat in fourth, there's been a definite momentum swing and it's almost as though Pards has had some sort of sea change when it comes to his view for the team Pards in July "Hatem Ben Arfa will only play as a number 10 for me" N-O in October "just stick him on the wing" Pards in April "Hatem is brilliant roving behind the front two/part of a front three" N-O in April "we wuz right!!!11" In that case then there would be little point in this forum, since none of us are privy to the intimate details of the club. I take what you're saying though, we've all made comments that aren't considering the whole picture (as as said, we don't know every detail about what goes on). I haven't backtracked though, not one bit. He was (imo) making mistakes, I criticized (whether you think that's fairly or with enough information is irrelevant) and now he's adapted and learning from those mistakes, so I give him every credit for a job brilliantly done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I will say the amount of times there were comments like "fuck sake Pardew!" "well he has cost us thing game with that line up!" did start getting annoying for a while, especially as the same thing was said the week before and we went on to win both games That was the real hyperbole though and should have been like water off a ducks back Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 People make daft comments in the face of crisis (or mini-crisis as it were), some tongue in cheek, some exaggerated for dramatic effect, and others fueled by emotion. If we go on another shite run next season and start playing shite football it'll happen again, other than 2-3 people nobody wanted/will want him to genuinely be sacked, just react in an (sometimes) irational way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 There must be some version of the count to 10 method I need to learn it tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzzieMandias Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 There must be some version of the count to 10 method I need to learn it tbh. :::: CAUTION!! :::: THINK BEFORE YOU POST!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I will say the amount of times there were comments like "fuck sake Pardew!" "well he has cost us thing game with that line up!" did start getting annoying for a while, especially as the same thing was said the week before and we went on to win both games That was the real hyperbole though and should have been like water off a ducks back it'd be great if certain people would learn from these things. The Nolan fiasco was bad enough but this wasn't far off it...it's like a game of one upmanship in how vicious your abuse can be at times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayson Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Ben Arfa was the main issue. Him not being on the pitch & us not playing fluid attacking football was just enough for many to believe Pards couldnt take us forwards. The defensive strength he'd given us in being hard to beat, simply isnt as exciting to watch & was largely disregarded. Even though that & Ba's goals were largely the reason we'd gotten to 6th in the first place. Understandable to an extent, we all want to enjoy our football aswell as get points it just went OTT. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Good, good, brilliant have been my votes. If we finish 3rd or 4th there needs to be something better than brilliant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Good, good, brilliant have been my votes. If we finish 3rd or 4th there needs to be something better than brilliant. Pardelicious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiemag Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Good, good, brilliant have been my votes. If we finish 3rd or 4th there needs to be something better than brilliant. Pardelicious. Jizz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Meh. I think for all of your (and not just you) backtracking and steadfast refusal to consider Pards actually knew what he wanted to do with the team at the beginning of the season, sorry but how you know this any more than other people 'know' the alternative Stu? i'm not saying you're right or wrong but being objective about this season imo Pardew started with a system which was successful on the back of Ba being prolific and the defence tight, Ba went to the ACoN and then we hit rocky patch during which Pardew stuck to the same system and tried to make players fit where they didn't really fit consequently performances and results suffered to the point where it looked very, very grim against Sunderland at home* when Pardew threw on HBA to try and make something happen, which he did....the rest appears to be history now *incidentally if it was all a masterplan from him why play a style against wolves & sunderland in particular that isolated cisse and made him very ineffective? there's been virtually no change in player availability in those games to now yet the 'new style' is bringing out the best in cisse, and that was obvious from the moment the lad first took the pitch the way it panned out i just don't believe the entire thing was a plan from the start, the way the system just 'clicked' looked far too haphazard and he clung to the old system too long when it just wasn't working...for whatever reason he did what he did at west brom and we are where we are i would echo what a lot of other people have said though, when people were calling for HBA to be in the team ealrier (myself included) and Pardew left him out - that is starting to look like a masterstroke tbh...if your assumption is that hoying him on to try and rescue the wolves and sunderland games, then starting him vs. norwich and finally WBA was just "the right time" and part of the plan then fair enough but you're assuming as much as anyone else is when they think the contrary imo...i honestly think HBA forced himself in and of course his work on the defence and getting important contributions from fringe players has been outstanding...not easy to be defensively tight yet offensively dangerous but pards has managed the balance very well he's done a fucking great job mind, long may it continue Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza ladra Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 To echo some of the things that mrmojo said, The absence of Ben Arfa for so long was just maddening-- frustrating and just really difficult to understand. Playing Ben Arfa instead of Obertain or Ryan Taylor or whomever just seemed so necessary. Funny thing, Phillipe Auclaire has got a lot of stick on these boards for his bizarre comments on the Guardian podcast about how the same front six have been behind Newcastle's success this season or some such nonsense. Yet, I don't think Pardew started a front three of Ben Arfa, Cisse, and Ba before the Norwich game. Help me if I'm wrong. I don't think we've dropped a point with those three starting up top. Somebody else, Ingle I think, pointed out that Newcastle hasn't done all that well this season against teams in the top half-- but of course that was a very different side. The team Pardew has put out since Swansea is a completely different animal. And now that we've Tiote back paired with Jonas...it's going to take something special to beat us. I can't wait for the next game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Swift Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 It's no surprise that our best form has coincided with Ben Arfa starting. Whether you believe that it's Pardew's masterplan to unleash him at this stage, or Ben Arfa naturally recovering his previous strength and pace after the leg break is something that we can't ever know. Whether you believe Pardew got it right in benching him earlier is also something that you can't prove. People say now that Ben Arfa is working harder, that he gets it. That may or may not be because Pardew kept him on the bench for so long. It may simply be him feeling better after his pace had returned, so he wasn't as frustrated as before. And maybe that would have happened sooner had he been played earlier this season? I don't really give a fuck, either way. Pardew's done a great job but he's fucked up sometimes too, as any other good manager has (look at how much pressure Guardiola is under now). That's probably the most rounded view and one which the majority of people agree with, IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Meh. I think for all of your (and not just you) backtracking and steadfast refusal to consider Pards actually knew what he wanted to do with the team at the beginning of the season, sorry but how you know this any more than other people 'know' the alternative Stu? I read into what I wanted from his comments to the press and the players that the club signed over the summer. I read into what I wanted from his comments to the press and the way the team ground out results during the first part of the campaign. I read into what I wanted from the fact he'd not long been in the job and was already under tremendous pressure due to the unpleasant (now seen to be cut-throat) nature of his of his appointment. I read into what I wanted from the fact that our team was becoming harder to beat during his tenure (stretching back to the 4-4 draw) and that self-confidence is the platform from which good players go on to shine. I read into what I wanted from the fact that I enjoyed watching his Reading team play. I read what I wanted into what I wanted from the fact I enjoyed watching his West Ham team play. I read what I wanted into the fact that he appeared to achieve a good set of results with a -10pt handicap with Southampton. I read what I wanted into these things because they were there to be snatched and used for optimism. I've not been burdened with the hatred of Cashley, so I didn't automatically think the worst of Pards. I gave him a chance to prove himself and he's done nothing but impress. If there are two alternative realities to be had, I'll take the one that goes hand in hand with getting behind the team. i'm not saying you're right or wrong but being objective about this season imo Pardew started with a system which was successful on the back of Ba being prolific and the defence tight, Ba went to the ACoN and then we hit rocky patch during which Pardew stuck to the same system and tried to make players fit where they didn't really fit consequently performances and results suffered to the point where it looked very, very grim against Sunderland at home* when Pardew threw on HBA to try and make something happen, which he did....the rest appears to be history now *incidentally if it was all a masterplan from him why play a style against wolves & sunderland in particular that isolated cisse and made him very ineffective? there's been virtually no change in player availability in those games to now yet the 'new style' is bringing out the best in cisse, and that was obvious from the moment the lad first took the pitch the way it panned out i just don't believe the entire thing was a plan from the start, the way the system just 'clicked' looked far too haphazard and he clung to the old system too long when it just wasn't working...for whatever reason he did what he did at west brom and we are where we are I thought we switched to the 4-3-3 (or variant) while the Dembas were away at ACoN? We had a very good half against Fulham with Best and HBA on the other side of Shola. People at the time were hoping Pards would stay with the same system once our 'better' strikers returned to offer some movement for Cabaye and HBA. We went back to more of a 4-4-2 when Ba returned and then had that run of 4 games without a win (including a confidence boosting 0-5 result at Spurs with 2 up top) before the all important win against Norwich, which looks to have genuinely been the catalyst for our recent run. The importance of getting a win, any win, was stressed by Pards in his post-match presser and the subsequent results have simply padded out the point he was making. i would echo what a lot of other people have said though, when people were calling for HBA to be in the team ealrier (myself included) and Pardew left him out - that is starting to look like a masterstroke tbh...if your assumption is that hoying him on to try and rescue the wolves and sunderland games, then starting him vs. norwich and finally WBA was just "the right time" and part of the plan then fair enough but you're assuming as much as anyone else is when they think the contrary imo...i honestly think HBA forced himself in ...and out, then in, then out...with a series of frustrating displays; one minute he's rounding the entire Blackburn team to score, the next he's gifting possession away outside our area. Thankfully, the message from Pards appears to have got through (ultimately, he's the one that has to trust the players to carry out his instructions) and as he explained after the Bolton match "It's Hatem's world when he's on the ball, but it's my world when we don't have the ball." How can you foster a team spirit and work ethic if you're going to continually pander to the crowd's demand to see the flair player in the team, even when he's not working to the level you know he can? What does that say to the fringe players? If they come in for injury or suspension, they're going to be out of the picture irrespective of how they play? I think Pards has been ridiculously fair with his team selections this year (Obertan's brief stint aside) and thankfully, it's paid off. and of course his work on the defence and getting important contributions from fringe players has been outstanding...not easy to be defensively tight yet offensively dangerous but pards has managed the balance very well he's done a fucking great job mind, long may it continue Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 christ not quoting that it's old, old ground Stu and i'm sort of sorry i even brought it up...my personal criticism of him this season (there was none last season) was very specific and related solely to the poor performances/results at the turn of the year until basically wba away when everything clicked, he seemed incapable of either improving our form at one point or even making positive changes to try to do so, however he did in the end so fair play to him i for one was more than willing to give pardew a chance when he came if you remember, although i certainly haven't been able to follow his career as closely as you have Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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