Alan Pardew

[TRon]

Pardew still has the dressing room, but that doesn't mean that the players believe in his football philosophy, I think that's the problem. It was noticeable on Monday that they were given more licence to pass the ball around more and they started putting some nice little moves together before the sucker punch. Clearly though we've never worked on it much as it was all very off the cuff as if the players were finding their way into the new style. Pardew needs more conviction in it to make it work properly.

[steve_69]

I'm not crying about anything, stop being a knobhead.

 

alright

[steve_69]

The last thing i'll say on this though, is take a look back through the Fulham match thread and have a look at how many comments about long balls and shouts of 'HOOF' there were before and after Shola came on.

 

 

[TherealnorthernTOON]

In after thought, I really think Pardew did what he could until swapping HBA out of the game. You could tell Tiote had gotten a telling after the ambitious misspasses in the first half and he was far more conservative in the second. We did try to pass it around, but that kind of game doesn't come naturally after such a dreadfull run with players low on confidence. Especially when you have some very static players in the mix aswell as some who can't string a few passes together.

[colinmk]

I think yous are both being extreme to your own points of view. There was a bit more hoofing when Shola came on I thought but it definitely wasn't just route one and nothing else. Like Tron says we did pass it better and were a bit more positive overall. Too little far too late though and imo Pardew is a one dimensional manager who is not cut out for a good premiership side. I think we had a pretty good idea of what he was when we appointed him and we still do. Fair pay to him for last season, he did well but he hasn't built anything of substance to carry on from that and I don't think he ever will.

[Hanshithispantz]

Our passing was clearly more effective against Fulham than it has been in previous games, even when Shola came on.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Our passing was clearly more effective against Fulham than it has been in previous games, even when Shola came on.

 

Definitely, before they scored the second we had the pressure on almost constantly, I was absulotely sure we would get the next goal. We were undone by a silly foul and some awful defending from a set piece.

[oldtype]

This is just me trying to stay calm, but we've seen players hit bad form for long periods or even whole seasons and then later come good.

 

Maybe that can happen for managers as well? 

[Hanshithispantz]

I realise these stats don't prove everything, but here's our passing from when Shola was on the field in the Fulham game, and the same period of the game in the Stoke and Southampton games.

 

http://i.imgur.com/SwWXs.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/cFjQf.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/X6vkf.png

[AyeDubbleYoo]

There's definitely been an improvement in the short v long ball, it's been obvious in the last couple of games.

[sugoinufc]

I'd be a lot more confident that the players were playing for the manager if we were managing to grind some draws out of these poor showings but we're not even managing that, just going from defeat to inevitable defeat.

 

Isn't it often said that the best indicator of spirit in a camp is the ability to come from behind? Well Pardew is unprecedented in how unbelievably bad he is at that. I've never known anything like it.

 

shola on the the last 25 mintues and go even longer when we have not won one single header in their penalty area all match. That is how clueless he is. It really nails it for me!

 

We barely hoofed it all game and the hoofing didn't really increase when Shola came on. Some people just make their mind up before the game and with each substitution without even watching the game properly.

 

well. I think i watched the game properly. I wrote "go even longer" that might be an exaggeration. But the plan with shola was clear as usual....long ball option, him being a target man. The only 3 memories i have about shola in that match is him making 3 free kicks when trying to win a header. Well there where about 25 minutes left when he came on...thats about 1/4 of the match roughly. The tactic was clear from there....otherwise marveaux would have come on.

[sugoinufc]

normally i would say its way to early to sack a manager who did so well last season. Also we all are annoyed by the rapid change of managers at this club. But the problem is he is clueless of how to develop us into something more modern and attractive which would benefit the club as a whole.

 

We cannot compete with clubs like tottenham year after year if this is the way we want to play football. His manager skills/philosophy is outdated in the long run. During the time he has been here....with all the great players he has,  he still managed to take us backwards. just look at our attacking play this season....clueless. Cisse on the wing, for real many many bad examples to choose from. His selection is mostly right, but how cant it be, when we only have 14-15 to choose from. When was the last time we played a whole game without changing formation at some point. frustrating to say the least.

 

I say it again and again....if only i could see what he was trying to do - develop our style of play, then i wouldn´t mind us loosing in the process as we progress.

 

The main problem at this club at this moment is: Pardew is clueless!

 

I agree that we need to have a modern footballing philosophy that is coached from youth level all the way up. This is the way football clubs are run these days, and not just the top ones.  I'm surprised we haven't done it already given the board's wankathon over the 'Arsenal model'.

In order to do the above you need a progressive, modern manager who has a very definite way of playing and coaching eg. Rogers, Wenger, Martinez - we are unlikely to be able to attract a manager of this type because they won't work under our current board.

 

IMO Pardew's footballing philosophy could never be coached at every level of the playing staff because it relies to much on studying the opposition. We don't go out to impose our own game on teams like Liverpool, Swansea, Arsenal and Wigan - nothing compromises the playing style of these teams, whereas we seem to chop and change depending on the style of the opposition.

 

this is the problem. spot on.

[Lotus]

There's definitely been an improvement in the short v long ball, it's been obvious in the last couple of games.

 

I agree. Let's not count Wigan though. Against 10 men who are a goal down for 80 mins isn't a good indicator.

 

I do think we'll play more direct against Man City. Possibly with Shola on from the start.

[Guest neesy111]

Yeah, I really want to know what Pardew is also doing to align the academy to the reserves / development squad to eventually the 1st team.  We really need to have a standard setup in how all these teams will play.

 

I obviously know it will take quite a few years to implement it and then see the results of it but he has been here for 2 years now, so he should be making some progress on it.

[sugoinufc]

There's definitely been an improvement in the short v long ball, it's been obvious in the last couple of games.

 

I agree. Let's not count Wigan though. Against 10 men who are a goal down for 80 mins isn't a good indicator.

 

I do think we'll play more direct against Man City. Possibly with Shola on from the start.

 

Shola on from start 

[BottledDog]

I'd be a lot more confident that the players were playing for the manager if we were managing to grind some draws out of these poor showings but we're not even managing that, just going from defeat to inevitable defeat.

 

Isn't it often said that the best indicator of spirit in a camp is the ability to come from behind? Well Pardew is unprecedented in how unbelievably bad he is at that. I've never known anything like it.

 

shola on the the last 25 mintues and go even longer when we have not won one single header in their penalty area all match. That is how clueless he is. It really nails it for me!

 

We barely hoofed it all game and the hoofing didn't really increase when Shola came on. Some people just make their mind up before the game and with each substitution without even watching the game properly.

 

This is how I saw it TBH. I was disappointed to see HBA go off, but that seems to be down to his return from injury, which it's sensible to manage. I would have probably gone for Marveaux rather than Shola like, but in the game overall we didn't hoof it excessively at all.

 

Bang on. I'm sure this 'seeing what you want to see' works both ways, but in last few games the players have stopped panicking and resorting to hoofing, and I'm actually positive and getting close to enjoying elements of or performances again (if not the results bar Wigan).

 

The Shola sub was really disappointing at the time though as we were doing ok and could have gone with a like for like, I think we can all agree on that.

[BottledDog]

In after thought, I really think Pardew did what he could until swapping HBA out of the game. You could tell Tiote had gotten a telling after the ambitious misspasses in the first half and he was far more conservative in the second. We did try to pass it around, but that kind of game doesn't come naturally after such a dreadfull run with players low on confidence. Especially when you have some very static players in the mix aswell as some who can't string a few passes together.

 

[TRon]

In after thought, I really think Pardew did what he could until swapping HBA out of the game. You could tell Tiote had gotten a telling after the ambitious misspasses in the first half and he was far more conservative in the second. We did try to pass it around, but that kind of game doesn't come naturally after such a dreadfull run with players low on confidence. Especially when you have some very static players in the mix aswell as some who can't string a few passes together.

 

I think those players are perfectly capable of stringing passes together, but they need practice sessions geared to passing football. I think the manager has to accept responsibility for that. There's signs that a shift in thinking has gradually dawned on him, but he needs to believe in it and run with it 100%. Then we might still see the football this squad is capable of.

[Ronaldo]

The Fullham game reminded me of just how poor we can look defensively when our midfield is in front of the ball instead of behind it. I can undestand if not condone why Pardew looks for it to be hit long more times than not.

[TRon]

The Fullham game reminded me of just how poor we can look defensively when our midfield is in front of the ball instead of behind it. I can undestand if not condone why Pardew looks for it to be hit long more times than not.

 

It's quite possible to keep players behind the ball and still keep the ball on the deck. The good counter-attacking teams do it very well.

[loki679]

Before we have a distinct style and method of play throughout all levels we need to have one for the first team.  The way we focus on stopping and countering the opposition means that we can't have our own distinct way of playing because we play different teams requiring different strategies every game.

 

The number of times we change formation during games is symptomatic of this, we're trying to stifle the other team and nullify their gameplan rather than impose our own upon them.  Until this changes we're fucked imo.

[Ronaldo]

The Fullham game reminded me of just how poor we can look defensively when our midfield is in front of the ball instead of behind it. I can undestand if not condone why Pardew looks for it to be hit long more times than not.

 

It's quite possible to keep players behind the ball and still keep the ball on the deck. The good counter-attacking teams do it very well.

 

I don't disagree and I've been advocating a counter-attacking setup for months. Not easy to achieve with Cabaye's absence, Jonas being totally finished and the problems up front.

[dcmk]

I would love to know what happened to Jonas post-Keegan era, as he looked a really good player in his first few appearances but right now besides work-rate, he offers next to nothing.

[TRon]

The Fullham game reminded me of just how poor we can look defensively when our midfield is in front of the ball instead of behind it. I can undestand if not condone why Pardew looks for it to be hit long more times than not.

 

It's quite possible to keep players behind the ball and still keep the ball on the deck. The good counter-attacking teams do it very well.

 

I don't disagree and I've been advocating a counter-attacking setup for months. Not easy to achieve with Cabaye's absence, Jonas being totally finished and the problems up front.

 

We were playing even more long ball when Cabaye was in the team. There's no need to play either Jonas or two centre forwards in the same team if you can't figure out how to make them gel. These are all managerial errors. I'd suggest that with 3 midfielders in Tiote, Anita and Cabaye/Jonas we have a very good base to play a counter attacking team with the ball kept on the floor. Then you could have a front 3 from Marveaux, HBA and Cisse/Ba to provide the counter attacks. He's got plenty to work with if he uses it right.

[Kanj]

I would love to know what happened to Jonas post-Keegan era, as he looked a really good player in his first few appearances but right now besides work-rate, he offers next to nothing.

 

Age? Fatigue? Looks to have put on some muscle? Guess is as good as mine.  Just clearly looks like every single year we've had him, he's looked less and less the player we signed. And seriously, just re-watch his Man Utd match the season we signed him. His pace and dribbling looks a shadow of what it used to be.