Alan Pardew

[mrmojorisin75]

I like him, and our players. I think this is our most likable team since 01-03.

 

agree with that, i like the players we have - all seem to want to play for the team and pulling in the right direction, good shit!

[rocksammy]

I like him, and our players. I think this is our most likable team since 01-03.

 

agree with that, i like the players we have - all seem to want to play for the team and pulling in the right direction, good s***!

 

And the players we don't like are almost out the door

[oldtype]

I'm still not at the point where I really love him like I did Hughton, but I have to say given my low expectations he's doing a refreshingly not-terrible job.

[mrmojorisin75]

I like him, and our players. I think this is our most likable team since 01-03.

 

agree with that, i like the players we have - all seem to want to play for the team and pulling in the right direction, good s***!

 

And the players we don't like are almost out the door

 

god, can you imagine when smith fucking leaves this summer?  sweet jesus that'll be good

[Shak]

I like him, and our players. I think this is our most likable team since 01-03.

 

agree with that, i like the players we have - all seem to want to play for the team and pulling in the right direction, good s***!

 

And the players we don't like are almost out the door

 

god, can you imagine when smith fucking leaves this summer?  sweet jesus that'll be good

 

Said it before, the day Smith officially leaves I'm making a party thread where we get hammered and celebrate him being finally gone.

[Tooj]

Starting to look like the best manager since Sir Bobby for me.

 

Lots to like about the fella.

 

Aye, loads better than Keegan like.

[TooonDoom]

I like him, and our players. I think this is our most likable team since 01-03.

 

agree with that, i like the players we have - all seem to want to play for the team and pulling in the right direction, good s***!

 

And the players we don't like are almost out the door

 

We just don't know which of the new ones we don't like yet

[Christmas Tree]

Starting to look like the best manager since Sir Bobby for me.

 

Lots to like about the fella.

 

Aye, loads better than Keegan like.

 

Careful not to mistake Keegan 1 with Keegan 2.

 

A whole different can of worms but had KK not being a tad short financially I dont think he would ever have come back.

 

I think Pardew so far is doing magnificently.

 

I like he's made us harder to beat

I like the never say die attitude

I like the style of play

I like that he seems to understand what its all about up here

I like that he doesnt winge

I like that he doesnt blame the players

I like that he can be critical of those above him

I like his craic

I like his manerisms

I like his interviews

And I like his smiling 

[mrmojorisin75]

for me keegan 2 looked perhaps a better overall manager than keegan 1, perhaps

 

showed signs of learning, maturity and tactical development i didn't expect to see in him

 

shame we'll never find out how it would have gone

[TRon]

Keegan as a manager was streets ahead of Pardew. Unfortunately he would never work within the constraints of this ownership which isn't much use to us as the owner's still here.

[Guest TheSummerOf69]

The poll should be set to editable so we can change our votes to reflect the ongoing reign

 

[Dokko]

I like him, and our players. I think this is our most likable team since 01-03.

 

agree with that, i like the players we have - all seem to want to play for the team and pulling in the right direction, good shit!

 

There's a lot to like about our squad, it makes it easier to support. 4 to 5 (Smith, Perch, Harper, Loven & Ameobi) players leaving and 2 to 3 (Striker, CB & RB) players coming in and we've got something really competitive and enjoyable to watch, all you can really ask for with this owner and the level the club is at (plus top 5 dominating proceedings)

 

 

[M4]

Agree about the likeable factor of the team. Been the one constant since relegation and seems to be surviving despite having the core ripped out of it.

 

showed signs of learning, maturity and tactical development i didn't expect to see in him

 

Disagreed there. Showed a disappointing lack of that.

 

In any case, as said, any of Keegan2's qualities were irrelevant given that he had no intention on imparting them on the team.

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

Agree about the likeable factor of the team. Been the one constant since relegation and seems to be surviving despite having the core ripped out of it.

 

showed signs of learning, maturity and tactical development i didn't expect to see in him

 

Disagreed there. Showed a disappointing lack of that.

 

In any case, as said, any of Keegan2's qualities were irrelevant given that he had no intention on imparting them on the team.

 

Eh? I'm sure he wanted to but there were 'just a few' mitigating circumstances preventing him from doing so.

 

 

[mrmojorisin75]

Agree about the likeable factor of the team. Been the one constant since relegation and seems to be surviving despite having the core ripped out of it.

 

showed signs of learning, maturity and tactical development i didn't expect to see in him

 

Disagreed there. Showed a disappointing lack of that.

 

In any case, as said, any of Keegan2's qualities were irrelevant given that he had no intention on imparting them on the team.

 

footballing maturity

[Fenham Mag]

10 games unbeaten in all competitions, he's doing an excellent job.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He weathered the storm of the transfer window bollocks quite well in hindsight, even though he talked a lot of bollocks, and now he's doing a good job IMO.

[eliassenfredrik]

10 games unbeaten in all competitions, he's doing an excellent job.

 

 

Keep up the good work

[Guest BooBoo]

I think on here at least, he's always going to be one bad result away from heavy criticism. I liked Hughton but at this moment in time I feel more optimistic about the club than I did twelve months ago. Ashley is still making errors but on the pitch we seem quite stable and there's a core of very good players who are exciting to watch. I don't think we've fully gelled yet and our strongest XI is still up for debate. However, I can see positive signs and I think Pardew can take a lot of credit for that.

 

Let's be honest, he's nowhere near as bad as the majority of us feared he'd be.

[Dave]

Fair comment.

[Taylor Swift]

This team - with this set of players - would be a joy to watch under KK.

 

But anyway, Pardew's doing a decent job. It seems that he has a plan and is trying hard to implement it, but I think the quality of players that we have makes it much easier to do this. If left to his own, we would have signed a bunch of big-club rejects and other English no-marks that have Premiership experience - the likes of Warnock come to mind. The quotes about Crouch, Defoe etc. that he made still really bother me. I don't think he's anything better than an average manager, and I think this 'sexy football' thing is being imposed on him by the hierarchy as well. I suppose he has good man-management skills, but I would give more credit to our recruitment team than to Pardew. I just don't see anything in his record that says that this guy is a good manager, but now with quality, skillful players, we're playing better football. I don't think that's a coincidence. If you have sexiness like Cabaye, Ben Arfa and Marveaux on the pitch, they're going to pass and move well because they've been doing it their whole lives. But if you had Warnock and Crouch on the pitch, then the team would play hoofball. The style of play is just a product of the players on the pitch, so that's why the credit to our recent improvement in performances should be given more to the recruitment team than to Pardew. In my humble opinion, anyway.

[David28]

I think on here at least, he's always going to be one bad result away from heavy criticism. I liked Hughton but at this moment in time I feel more optimistic about the club than I did twelve months ago. Ashley is still making errors but on the pitch we seem quite stable and there's a core of very good players who are exciting to watch. I don't think we've fully gelled yet and our strongest XI is still up for debate. However, I can see positive signs and I think Pardew can take a lot of credit for that.

 

Let's be honest, he's nowhere near as bad as the majority of us feared he'd be.

 

True.

 

I hope he'll stay as manager at least as long as Ashley is here.

 

After that Mourinho can take over....

[Colocho]

Told HBA to exploit the spaces in Forest's defence.

 

Tactical genius.

[Taylor Swift]

As to Otter's comments about him not being as bad as we thought, well, I think that's because many, many things are being imposed on him. Like I said, the comments about signing players like Warnock and Crouch still bother me because it just reeks of the usual closed-mindedness that British managers have in regard to transfers. Maybe British players are easier for them to control and manage because of the language, but you then restrict yourself to such a small group of players that you inevitably overpay - like MO'N constantly did - or you sign a bunch of big-club rejects - like many, many British managers like to do. Let's be honest, never in a million years would Pardew have signed someone like Santon. He just doesn't strike me as the type that would even be aware of someone like Santon, let alone his availability.

 

What else is there? The press conferences and media management aren't rocket science. You don't need to be a genius to keep the media on your side, especially when there is an easy target available. He's been shrewd in this respect and deserves credit, but results will always come first. It's easy to have a good time with journalists when you're undefeated but when a team full of good players is underperforming, then Pardew will be under some real pressure for the first time.

 

Someone else also mentioned his gradual introduction of young players into the first-team squad. Let's be honest: firstly, he didn't develop these kids. The development work has been taking place for many years before kids like Sammy are ready for first-team football, and the credit for youth development should fall to the reserve team coaches and other related staff. Pardew's not responsible for this. Secondly, their introduction into the first-team squad is also being imposed on Pardew because of the size of the squad. Maybe I'm being cynical, but is there even a doubt that Pardew would prefer the likes of Warnock to a youngster like Ferguson? That he would prefer some big-club reject like Duff to someone like Sammy? There is still a lot to worry about with regards to Pardew, but I'm actually thankful that things are being imposed on him and he's accepting of these conditions. He's certainly not some visionary, some younger version of Fergie or SBR. He's a Shearer-type, a Curbishley-type. He's an old-school manager who's used to controlling every aspect of the club, but the game has changed to such an extent that these managers often fail because they don't have enough support (scouts, negotiating team, coaches etc.). Even at a big club like Chelsea and with a highly-rated manager like Vilas Boas who could have gone to almost any club in the world, he came to a club where he can only request a position on the pitch to be strengthened, and the recruitment team then selects the player and proceeds with the signing. Even a manager like him doesn't have the control that many British managers are used to. It's just a general point I'm making, but I'm hoping Pardew realizes this and doesn't start demanding more control if we are moderately successful on the pitch because he's not good or smart enough to get into those other things.

[Troll]

. I don't think he's anything better than an average manager, and I think this 'sexy football' thing is being imposed on him by the hierarchy as well.

 

 

When he took over, my West Ham-supporting mate said they'd played the best football (from how it was to watch rather than how good they were) he'd seen in a long time under Pardew.  Although I suppose he'd just been given Tevez there.