Alan Pardew

[lovejoy]

Going against the grain here it would seem, but I thought he got it pretty much spot on tonight.

 

The plan was for them not to score first half, it had to be that way otherwise its game over early doors.

 

Around the hour mark he changes it and we go for the game, and we nearly got it to be fair to him.

 

No complaints from me tonight.

 

 

[Interpolic]

Thought he did alright, tbh. If Ben Arfa had scored and we'd won 2-0, everyone'd be singing his praises. It's a fine line. Don't agree that we'd have been better off attacking from the off: Benfica would've bummed us.

 

What absolute bullshit. (second sentence)

 

Whatever. A manager who secured us a memorable 2-0 victory to get us in the semis of a major European league? People would be saying he got it spot on, man.

 

Been saying it all night - there's more than one way to skin a cat and the way Pardew chose was the way that most closely resembled his view on how to play the game and probably the only thing he was willing to do within his own very negative parameters, but also in my view the way that requires the most luck and more things to go your way.  We could've tried it another way and had a better chance IMO.

[Dave]

Some seem to be forgetting that we attacked them in the first leg and could have quite easily brought a lead back to SJP if it wasn't for two massive ricks the likes of which were nowhere to be seen tonight. They simply aren't that good at the back and didn't like pressure. So let's not put them under any pressure until our own time is limited. Against a team that are evidently adept at time-wasting. Nice one.

[oldtype]

The one plus point of going out is that he's not untouchable now. Will probably still be manager at the beginning of next season but he'd have bought himself three years worth of invincibility hacks if we'd won the whole thing.

 

I think I'd take Pardew for another three years if it means we won something

[David Icke - Son of God]

After being absolutely aghast at the line up prematch I have to say I think he played this relatively well. It could've been so much different if they'd scored early on but they didn't.

[Beren]

Some seem to be forgetting that we attacked them in the first leg and could have quite easily brought a lead back to SJP if it wasn't for two massive ricks the likes of which were nowhere to be seen tonight. They simply aren't that good at the back and didn't like pressure. So let's not put them under any pressure until our own time is limited. Against a team that are evidently adept at time-wasting. Nice one.

 

This is what riles me tbh. It was obvious before the game. Don't understand how this wasn't foreseeable.

[Guest Dontooner]

At home in front of 52000 passionate supporters, let f***ing Benfica worry about us. Never mind lay off them for an hour. It is his cowardly and negative style that makes me want him to get the bullet.

 

 

would you have celebrated if it worked ?  did it come close to working?

 

Of course I would, but to restrict yourself to a third of the game to get in front doesn't make sense. It would if we were away but we were at home. The law of averages say we would have had more chance had we have been positive for 90 rather than 30.

 

We needed Benfica to be winning the tie for as long as possible because if they'd gone through the gears and got a goal at any point, we're either dead in the water or into a very unwanted period of extra time - at best.

 

1-0 up after 80 minutes was a miles better scoreline than 2-0 up after 30 minutes imo.

 

I don't agree. I'd rather them piled pressure and we countered then we try to find that winning goal. How anyone can prefer your situation is beyond me...

 

Because that's how we've been winning games of late. We're utterly f***ing dire at trying to hold onto a lead.

 

Much better to have to contain a Benfica side who actually couldn't give much of a toss about scoring (like the first half) than contain one who are desperate for a goal.

Must have been only working at home because this never works when we are away

[Dave]

At home in front of 52000 passionate supporters, let f***ing Benfica worry about us. Never mind lay off them for an hour. It is his cowardly and negative style that makes me want him to get the bullet.

 

 

would you have celebrated if it worked ?  did it come close to working?

 

Of course I would, but to restrict yourself to a third of the game to get in front doesn't make sense. It would if we were away but we were at home. The law of averages say we would have had more chance had we have been positive for 90 rather than 30.

 

We needed Benfica to be winning the tie for as long as possible because if they'd gone through the gears and got a goal at any point, we're either dead in the water or into a very unwanted period of extra time - at best.

 

1-0 up after 80 minutes was a miles better scoreline than 2-0 up after 30 minutes imo.

 

I don't agree. I'd rather them piled pressure and we countered then we try to find that winning goal. How anyone can prefer your situation is beyond me...

 

Because that's how we've been winning games of late. We're utterly fucking dire at trying to hold onto a lead.

 

Much better to have to contain a Benfica side who actually couldn't give much of a toss about scoring (like the first half) than contain one who are desperate for a goal.

 

We kicked one off the line like. Which our goal aside was much closer than we came to scoring all night.

[Ashley17]

Thought he got it more or less right, to be honest. Bigi was miles out of his depth but the plan to keep it 0-0 for 60 minutes and then throw on the cavalry was our best bet of going through. It nearly worked. You saw how easy it was for them to score when we went gung ho, if they'd scored early it would have killed us.

[Flip]

Some seem to be forgetting that we attacked them in the first leg and could have quite easily brought a lead back to SJP if it wasn't for two massive ricks the likes of which were nowhere to be seen tonight. They simply aren't that good at the back and didn't like pressure. So let's not put them under any pressure until our own time is limited. Against a team that are evidently adept at time-wasting. Nice one.

 

Rarely agree with you Mr.Forum, but you are spot on here

 

We basically played at our weakness and their strength.

[Wullie]

Going against the grain here it would seem, but I thought he got it pretty much spot on tonight.

 

The plan was for them not to score first half, it had to be that way otherwise its game over early doors.

 

Around the hour mark he changes it and we go for the game, and we nearly got it to be fair to him.

 

No complaints from me tonight.

 

Precisely. Canny obvious really.

 

Being 3-1 down is misleading because it suggests we have to go for it but the away goals rule turns that completely on its head. It was absolutely imperative we got to half time with them at nil - that was the only priority in the first half and rightly so. If that means killing the game, and it did, so be it.

[thenige]

Big picture. Always about the big picture. He's not good enough.

 

Big picture is he's not good enough agreed, but is there a replacement out there who would want to come to us and could make us play better football? Especially considering the financial restrictions we're under compared to sides people expect us to be competing against? We don't have London as bait, we can't pay players £80k a week because we're highly unlikely to break into the top four and get all the money that comes with it and Ashley clearly has faith in the man who got us to 5th last season.

 

I just think constantly griping about every single thing he does just isn't worth it. I think when he gets things right he should get the credit for it and when he gets things wrong he should get blamed for it. It's just being a football manager isn't that clear cut, a player won't always do what you tell them. And do you really think he wants Shola as his 2nd choice striker? He's not that deranged.

[TRon]

After being absolutely aghast at the line up prematch I have to say I think he played this relatively well. It could've been so much different if they'd scored early on but they didn't.

 

There was nothing wrong with the game plan, but the personnel picked to do the job was wrong. You could have had the same tactics without so many defensive midfielders on the pitch.

[Guest bimpy474]

Going against the grain here it would seem, but I thought he got it pretty much spot on tonight.

 

The plan was for them not to score first half, it had to be that way otherwise its game over early doors.

 

Around the hour mark he changes it and we go for the game, and we nearly got it to be fair to him.

 

No complaints from me tonight.

 

Precisely. Canny obvious really.

 

Being 3-1 down is misleading because it suggests we have to go for it but the away goals rule turns that completely on its head. It was absolutely imperative we got to half time with them at nil - that was the only priority in the first half and rightly so. If that means killing the game, and it did, so be it.

 

Alright who are you and what have you done with Wullie ?

 

[Skeletor]

Another thing that annoys me is that he basically told every one how we were going to play. If you're the Benfica coach and you hear he's not going to attack for 3/4 of the game you'd be rubbing your hands with glee.

[Ashley17]

Was going to say, fucking hell is Wullie defending Pardew?

[Wullie]

At home in front of 52000 passionate supporters, let f***ing Benfica worry about us. Never mind lay off them for an hour. It is his cowardly and negative style that makes me want him to get the bullet.

 

 

would you have celebrated if it worked ?  did it come close to working?

 

Of course I would, but to restrict yourself to a third of the game to get in front doesn't make sense. It would if we were away but we were at home. The law of averages say we would have had more chance had we have been positive for 90 rather than 30.

 

We needed Benfica to be winning the tie for as long as possible because if they'd gone through the gears and got a goal at any point, we're either dead in the water or into a very unwanted period of extra time - at best.

 

1-0 up after 80 minutes was a miles better scoreline than 2-0 up after 30 minutes imo.

 

I don't agree. I'd rather them piled pressure and we countered then we try to find that winning goal. How anyone can prefer your situation is beyond me...

 

Because that's how we've been winning games of late. We're utterly fucking dire at trying to hold onto a lead.

 

Much better to have to contain a Benfica side who actually couldn't give much of a toss about scoring (like the first half) than contain one who are desperate for a goal.

 

We kicked one off the line like. Which our goal aside was much closer than we came to scoring all night.

 

Aye, only cos Krul dropped it at the bloke's feet. They troubled us little other than that. They're always going to get a chance or two, not realistic to expect otherwise whether you choose to attack or defend.

[TJM]

Thought when we got at them, in the first game and tonight, they looked very average. Lets not make them out to be something they're not. We were at home, a European night at St James' and the first hour was just Meh! What a wasted opportunity.

[Interpolic]

After being absolutely aghast at the line up prematch I have to say I think he played this relatively well. It could've been so much different if they'd scored early on but they didn't.

 

Cool, when are the semi's?

 

Sorry, you said you weren't happy about it before the game so presumably you think we'd have done worse than that if we had some semblance of an attacking plan for the first 70 minutes?  It seemingly nearly worked but it didn't, we gave ourselves 20 minutes to win it when we could have played it over 90.  Shit scared of the opposition.

[cp40]

Another thing that annoys me is that he basically told every one how we were going to play. If you're the Benfica coach and you hear he's not going to attack for 3/4 of the game you'd be rubbing your hands with glee.

 

 

looked more like he was rubbing his arse with his hands to me the last 20 mins tbh.

[Dr Venkman]

Big picture. Always about the big picture. He's not good enough.

 

Big picture is he's not good enough agreed, but is there a replacement out there who would want to come to us and could make us play better football? Especially considering the financial restrictions we're under compared to sides people expect us to be competing against? We don't have London as bait, we can't pay players £80k a week because we're highly unlikely to break into the top four and get all the money that comes with it and Ashley clearly has faith in the man who got us to 5th last season.

 

I just think constantly griping about every single thing he does just isn't worth it. I think when he gets things right he should get the credit for it and when he gets things wrong he should get blamed for it. It's just being a football manager isn't that clear cut, a player won't always do what you tell them. And do you really think he wants Shola as his 2nd choice striker? He's not that deranged.

 

Yes. For all the 'we're only little old Newcastle' tub thumping Ashley/Llambias have done (and seemingly asked Pardew to do on their behalf) they've assembled a good squad that only needs a few additions now to make it very, very good. Whether they have the drive to bring a better manager in is debatable but I'm positive we could attract someone considerably better.

 

I don't feel like I'm constantly griping about every little thing that he does, I'm constantly griping about NUFC under his management, because his priorities are wrong, and he's in charge of good players who collectively make a bad team.

[Wullie]

At home in front of 52000 passionate supporters, let f***ing Benfica worry about us. Never mind lay off them for an hour. It is his cowardly and negative style that makes me want him to get the bullet.

 

 

would you have celebrated if it worked ?  did it come close to working?

 

Of course I would, but to restrict yourself to a third of the game to get in front doesn't make sense. It would if we were away but we were at home. The law of averages say we would have had more chance had we have been positive for 90 rather than 30.

 

We needed Benfica to be winning the tie for as long as possible because if they'd gone through the gears and got a goal at any point, we're either dead in the water or into a very unwanted period of extra time - at best.

 

1-0 up after 80 minutes was a miles better scoreline than 2-0 up after 30 minutes imo.

 

I don't agree. I'd rather them piled pressure and we countered then we try to find that winning goal. How anyone can prefer your situation is beyond me...

 

Because that's how we've been winning games of late. We're utterly f***ing dire at trying to hold onto a lead.

 

Much better to have to contain a Benfica side who actually couldn't give much of a toss about scoring (like the first half) than contain one who are desperate for a goal.

Must have been only working at home because this never works when we are away

 

I agree. But we were at home.

[Skirge]

We gifted them the first half they came here under no pressure to come and score, that first half they must have loved.

[Ashley17]

When you've got Williamson and Simpson in your back 4, you don't really want to be giving them a long time to attack you.

[Flip]

When you've got Williamson and Simpson in your back 4, you don't really want to be giving them a long time to attack you.

 

this is the point I've been trying to make. We played them to their strengths and us to our weaknesses. If anything they didn't score because they were shocked at our tactics. Maybe that was Pardews plan?