Alan Pardew

[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.

[Guest BooBoo]

Pip, I think it's probably a bit harsh to judge Pardew's record. Sure he didn't set the world alight but at those clubs such as West Ham, Reading, Southampton and Charlton, what was he realistically expected to achieve?. I think WHU and Reading will both deem his reigns at those clubs as successful. Charlton is the obvious black Mark, but they were looking doomed for delegation when he walked through the door.

 

Football management is more about which players you have at your disposal. I don't think he's overly involved in the recruitment process but once those players are signed, he has to get the best out of them and get them performing as a unit. At that, he's been mildly successful. He's also got the best out of the more average members of our squad- Best looks a different player and Steven Taylor is probably playing the best form of his career.

[Christmas Tree]

If Pardew isn't getting the credit and Carr isn't getting the credit then we must have some football genius at work upstairs. 

 

What cant be taken away from Pardew is that the players all speak very well of him, even those who have left such as Joey.

[Taylor Swift]

You look at a kid like Abeid. With Pardew in full control of transfers, no way we sign a promising kid like him. No fucking way. And if Smith was fit, I don't think there's a doubt that Smith starts. That's the type of manager that I think Pardew is, and that's by judging what he says, looking at his record at past clubs and his team selection here. It's unfortunate but I don't think it's far from the truth. We're somewhat lucky that he's only being asked to coach this team and he has a good assistant like Carver, who has a lot of experience in coaching a team to play offensive football.

[Guest Dontooner]

AP is given a hard job, he has to wipe the board ass ever time they screw up...

But there are better managers out there ( Jol before fulham employed him).

Would ship him out if there are better options and the team reaches it potential under him.

[BottledDog]

"this 'sexy football' thing is being imposed on him by the hierarchy"

 

Damn the hierarchy and their desire for 'sexy football'.

 

Bunkum by the way, Pardew throughout his career has tried to play football the right way as it were.

[TRon]

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.

 

I agree with this mostly. I think he's working it out as he goes along as I'm pretty sure he has little control over the players we bring in which has probably worked in our favour as the recruitment team seem to be doing their job quite well. There's not been much sign that he is getting them to play in any particular style but as the right players come together the style is evolving automatically.

 

The one thing I'll say in his favour is that when he makes a monumental gaffe at least he learns from it. The two big lads up front at QPR to put pressure on their defenders for example. I never heard such shit in my life but at least he hasn't repeated it.

[eliassenfredrik]

You look at a kid like Abeid. With Pardew in full control of transfers, no way we sign a promising kid like him. No f***ing way. And if Smith was fit, I don't think there's a doubt that Smith starts. That's the type of manager that I think Pardew is, and that's by judging what he says, looking at his record at past clubs and his team selection here. It's unfortunate but I don't think it's far from the truth. We're somewhat lucky that he's only being asked to coach this team and he has a good assistant like Carver, who has a lot of experience in coaching a team to play offensive football.

 

[Guest BooBoo]

It's a moot point really as Pardew isn't in charge of transfers so it's rather irrelevant who he would or wouldn't rather sign. The point is, he's getting good results out of the players he has got. Look at Souness for example, he had on paper a very decent team when we had Owen, Shearer, Luque, Solano, Emre and Parker. On paper that looked a very decent outfit from an attacking pov.. Souness was completely incapable though of managing and organising a good bunch of players, something that he failed to do at every club he managed.

[teohgk]

It's a moot point really as Pardew isn't in charge of transfers so it's rather irrelevant who he would or wouldn't rather sign. The point is, he's getting good results out of the players he has got. Look at Souness for example, he had on paper a very decent team when we had Owen, Shearer, Luque, Solano, Emre and Parker. On paper that looked a very decent outfit from an attacking pov.. Souness was completely incapable though of managing and organising a good bunch of players, something that he failed to do at every club he managed.

 

he won almost everything with Liverpool.......

[Taylor Swift]

Pip, I think it's probably a bit harsh to judge Pardew's record. Sure he didn't set the world alight but at those clubs such as West Ham, Reading, Southampton and Charlton, what was he realistically expected to achieve?. I think WHU and Reading will both deem his reigns at those clubs as successful. Charlton is the obvious black Mark, but they were looking doomed for delegation when he walked through the door.

 

Football management is more about which players you have at your disposal. I don't think he's overly involved in the recruitment process but once those players are signed, he has to get the best out of them and get them performing as a unit. At that, he's been mildly successful. He's also got the best out of the more average members of our squad- Best looks a different player and Steven Taylor is probably playing the best form of his career.

 

I agree to an extent that he's responsible for getting the players to perform as a unit. But even looking at someone like Best. The guy didn't start for ages until injuries forced Pardew's hand. Like I said, circumstances have really forced Pardew's hands to do certain things that I think a better manager would have done, and Pardew's reaping the rewards for luck (Smith's injury, Shola's injury etc.). With a guy like S Taylor, the protection that the midfield offers to the defence is a massive part in why he's looking comfortable and confident. It's no surprise that our midfield was overrun against Blackpool last year when Smith was starting and then looked like a much better unit when Tiote started the next match against Everton and all the matches after that. And this year our defence is starting to look even more comfortable because we're dominating much more of the ball. You can't concede when you have the ball. That's the reason Pique and Puyol look so chilled You can say that it's to Pardew's credit that we've become a team who's more comfortable in possession, but the players are key to this. You take out Cabaye, stick in Smith and we're back to the style of football we played last year, regardless of what Pardew does on the training ground.

 

I'm not saying Pardew's shit because he's obviously not and that's why the players look happy and why we're performing as a unit, but I don't think Pardew deserves as much credit as any other manager would if their team was getting the results that we are getting. Many of the things that Pardew's being given credit for are being imposed on him by the guys above or through circumstances that forced his hand. It's just my opinion, anyway, and it's why I don't think we'd suffer too much if he chose to leave and was then replaced by a manager who would be comfortable operating under the conditions that Pardew's operating under. He's certainly not as crucial to our results as KK and SBR were to the success of their teams.

[TRon]

It's a moot point really as Pardew isn't in charge of transfers so it's rather irrelevant who he would or wouldn't rather sign. The point is, he's getting good results out of the players he has got. Look at Souness for example, he had on paper a very decent team when we had Owen, Shearer, Luque, Solano, Emre and Parker. On paper that looked a very decent outfit from an attacking pov.. Souness was completely incapable though of managing and organising a good bunch of players, something that he failed to do at every club he managed.

 

It's still early days to say whether Pardew is doing well despite the results. Look at Man U, they have a way of playing no matter who they pick because Ferguson's philosophy is drilled into the squad at every level. Maybe Pardew hasn't had enough time to get his side playing in a way which is recognisable game to game but when I see that I'll know he is a genuine quality manager. In the meantime the jury's still out for me.

[Dr Venkman]

paragraphs ffs

[Taylor Swift]

It's a moot point really as Pardew isn't in charge of transfers so it's rather irrelevant who he would or wouldn't rather sign. The point is, he's getting good results out of the players he has got. Look at Souness for example, he had on paper a very decent team when we had Owen, Shearer, Luque, Solano, Emre and Parker. On paper that looked a very decent outfit from an attacking pov.. Souness was completely incapable though of managing and organising a good bunch of players, something that he failed to do at every club he managed.

 

Well, no, it speaks to his intelligence and his outlook. If he was happy with signing average players like Warnock or Carlton Cole - frankly another player that I think we would sign if Pardew was in charge of transfers, given his links to West Ham that he boasted about after signing Ba - then it says a lot about his management IQ, if such a thing exists.

[Stu]

paragraphs ffs

 

[Revolution Number 9]

It's a moot point really as Pardew isn't in charge of transfers so it's rather irrelevant who he would or wouldn't rather sign. The point is, he's getting good results out of the players he has got. Look at Souness for example, he had on paper a very decent team when we had Owen, Shearer, Luque, Solano, Emre and Parker. On paper that looked a very decent outfit from an attacking pov.. Souness was completely incapable though of managing and organising a good bunch of players, something that he failed to do at every club he managed.

 

he won almost everything with Liverpool.......

He won the FA cup once and left them in a position from which they never really recovered, tbh.

[Guest BooBoo]

You're wandering into second guessing there. Is there anything to say that Pardew wanted Carlton Cole? Or the other two players you mentioned? I can recall summer transfer gossip about Warnock /Crouch but did Pardew say he wanted them.

 

I dont think you can criticise though on who managers maybe wanted to sign but didn't or who transfer news linked us to. Hell, if that's the guess then Bobby Robson deserves a ticking off for wanting Francis Jeffers ahead of Bellamy. And for that matter, wanting to replace Alan Shearer with Emile Mpenza.

[Zero]

So Pip your point is we should all hail Mike Ashley the transfer genius?

[Sifu]

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.

 

Indeed, I'm pretty content on how things are going atm so all credit to Pardew really

[Guest BooBoo]

So Pip your point is we should all hail Mike Ashley the transfer genius?

 

His point is that Pardew is due little credit because:

 

- He has players bought for him.

- He has had decisions imposed upon him by injuries.

- Good players automatically equals good football.

- He didn't bring through the youngsters.

- He reportedly wanted to buy inferior players to the players that were bought for him.

- Media interaction is easy.