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Whilst for me the vast majority of the blame for where we are this season lies at the feet of the players, the drop off in their performances compared to last season is disgraceful, I think Pardew has made two fundamental errors. People can argue about formations, not buying certain players and keeping others, substitutions and whatever, but the fact is these players playing these formations, etc, performed much much better last season, so why the difference between then and now?

 

Last season was built on good form, good form established early in the season and maintained throughout the remainder, this season we've never found that form and that's all down to our slow start to the campaign. We've not played well for a full match at all this season and I think that's down to a lack of fitness and confidence, like I said we've still got the same players with the same ability, they're just not playing to the best of that ability. So Pardew's two failures for me are not getting the players fully fit for the start of the campaign - some of them still don't look fit to me - and playing a weakened team in the Europa League.

 

The first one's pretty obvious, but the second might need a bit of explanation. If we'd have started the season well, then fine play the kids in the European games and rest some of the more important players, but we didn't we started badly and struggled to find our form. We could have had some good morale-boosting wins and performances in those early Europa games - as it is we've qualified pretty easily whilst still playing pretty badly - and it would have allowed some of our bigger players to find their fitness and form. But instead of that we've chopped and changed our team every other game and so it's hardly surprising that the players play like they don't know each other. I'm sorry, I know it's the received wisdom to say that these professional athletes can't handle playing two games a week despite the fact that they spend the entire rest of the time simply preparing to do just that, but I just don't buy it. Perhaps at the end of the season they might need a rest, but what they need at the start is as much game time as possible, it gets them fit and it establishes their form, two things that have been glaringly absent from our season so far.

 

Important points that haven't been mentioned much. The fitness thing has been a real mystery, I know some of them had a longer break (Cabaye for one) but the intensity and high tempo has been singularly missing.

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One thing I think Ashley et al have done with the way we are set up these days is to limit if you like just how important the manager is and therefore making it easier or theoretically anyway, to replace a manager as they did with Hughton. In that sense Pardew is as dispensable as he was. It is no secret that the manager of NUFC has no real say on recruitment in or out. The manager is basically the coach. Someone to pick the right team from the players at his disposal and to create a winning formula.

 

 

What evidence is there to back up the idea that Pardew has 'no real say' on recruitment? I think that's nonsense. Who gets brought in depends a lot on finances and how much other clubs and players are asking for, but that's the same with any club.

 

I don't think anyone gets targeted without Pardew's say-so.

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Now about time I offered my opinion, my opinion remains no he should not be sacked for a few reasons;

no 1 we've tried that before it doesn't work except in the extreme short term.

no 2 the injuries and suspensions are a contributing factor to the poor form, not the whole story obviously but we've been struggling with injuries to key players all season and that will take its toll on any side.

no 3 the one thing I would like to wait and see is how our form changes once the group stage of the Europa League is done, I've been saying it for a while but while we're changing our side for more or less every game its having an effect, not on the fitness per se but on the preparation Pardew like to put in, I recall reading plenty of articles (especially from the mackem bitch in the guardian)  where he puts in detailed information to our players on the opposition we're facing, now thats easier to do when you have a full week of training to drill it in their head, harder to pull off when your working thursday to sunday. So I think the form and performances will pick up by quite a bit when not under that constraint.

 

Overall though he's earned a shot at fixing the problems that are there atm for his excellent work last season, we have to believe he can turn this around and that is just a blip being exacerbated by injuries

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Think if we did get rid of Pardew at some point I think given the set up of the club and MA's stratergy we'd benefit more from a head coach type, rather than a manager.

 

http://i50.tinypic.com/xn5atw.jpg

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Think if we did get rid of Pardew at some point I think given the set up of the club and MA's stratergy we'd benefit more from a head coach type, rather than a manager.

 

Agreed which would mean we would more likely have to look outside of these shores as it's a more continental set up.

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Whilst for me the vast majority of the blame for where we are this season lies at the feet of the players, the drop off in their performances compared to last season is disgraceful, I think Pardew has made two fundamental errors. People can argue about formations, not buying certain players and keeping others, substitutions and whatever, but the fact is these players playing these formations, etc, performed much much better last season, so why the difference between then and now?

 

Last season was built on good form, good form established early in the season and maintained throughout the remainder, this season we've never found that form and that's all down to our slow start to the campaign. We've not played well for a full match at all this season and I think that's down to a lack of fitness and confidence, like I said we've still got the same players with the same ability, they're just not playing to the best of that ability. So Pardew's two failures for me are not getting the players fully fit for the start of the campaign - some of them still don't look fit to me - and playing a weakened team in the Europa League.

 

The first one's pretty obvious, but the second might need a bit of explanation. If we'd have started the season well, then fine play the kids in the European games and rest some of the more important players, but we didn't we started badly and struggled to find our form. We could have had some good morale-boosting wins and performances in those early Europa games - as it is we've qualified pretty easily whilst still playing pretty badly - and it would have allowed some of our bigger players to find their fitness and form. But instead of that we've chopped and changed our team every other game and so it's hardly surprising that the players play like they don't know each other. I'm sorry, I know it's the received wisdom to say that these professional athletes can't handle playing two games a week despite the fact that they spend the entire rest of the time simply preparing to do just that, but I just don't buy it. Perhaps at the end of the season they might need a rest, but what they need at the start is as much game time as possible, it gets them fit and it establishes their form, two things that have been glaringly absent from our season so far.

 

Important points that haven't been mentioned much. The fitness thing has been a real mystery, I know some of them had a longer break (Cabaye for one) but the intensity and high tempo has been singularly missing.

 

I do wonder whether Cabaye has had a niggling injury for a while, and it's now caught up with him. He hasn't shown the energy of last season.

 

If players have two games a week, there's a greater risk of injury and naturally they won't be as fresh as any opposition that's only played once. The drop off in fitness may be only slight, but at the top level that can be the difference between being first to the ball and being second.

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Think if we did get rid of Pardew at some point I think given the set up of the club and MA's stratergy we'd benefit more from a head coach type, rather than a manager.

 

Agreed which would mean we would more likely have to look outside of these shores as it's a more continental set up.

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/soccer/story/Scolari-says-he-plans-to-coach-again-in-2013-05913306

Sorted.  .... I am remembering correctly that he preferred the "coaching" side to the "management" side aren't I?  :lol:

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Guest hydeous

I'm for giving Pardew till the end of the season. I like the idea of a manager taking charge around pre-season so he can have a few weeks tinkering with the squad and having the transfer window (even sticking to our budget) to get the team playing the way he wants. If Pards can turn it around before then, so be it. But if he can't, I don't see him turning it around next season, so I'd rather someone else get a shot at it.

What's RDM going to be doing now that he's out of Chelsea? He's pretty tactical and might have our players playing some neat football. There's my shout anyway. I don't see Ashley being happy with a bottom 10 finish, but I think he'll give Pards until the end of the season too. Let's see what happens. I'm not worried about a relegation battle anyway. Our squad is too good for that fight.

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