Alan Pardew

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2013/05/11/a-whole-new-ball-game-as-alan-pardew-asks-the-questions-61634-33313728/

 

A whole new ball game as Alan Pardew asks the questions

 

by Mark Douglas, The Journal

May 11 2013

 

There are big questions for Newcastle United to answer this summer. Chief sports writer Mark Douglas finds Alan Pardew in a candid mood on the eve of their biggest game of the season.

 

IN the short-term, it is all very straightforward for Newcastle United.

 

Win tomorrow and the thudding questions about the club’s Premier League status will be swept away by three points as big as any in the Mike Ashley era.

 

It will only bring short-term relief though. Because even a euphoric triumph in West London will not take the heat out of the other issues bubbling beneath the surface at St James’ Park.

 

Take your pick of these: Alan Pardew’s future, Fabricio Coloccini, summer transfers, away form, set-pieces, striker targets. Those are the headline-grabbers, but this troubling campaign has thrown up enough questions to more than occupy the time when Pardew meets Ashley for those “uncomfortable” discussions in the close season.

 

By admitting that survival might not be enough to save his own role, Pardew has at least brought out into the open the fact that there are difficult questions to answer in the weeks following the end of the season.

 

The two have held cordial discussions this week, but Pardew said Ashley was included in the list of club figures who have “underachieved”. Presumably last summer’s unsatisfactory recruitment still troubles the manager – and he wants it rectified next year.

 

That is a fair point. With the demands of a Europa League campaign to test him, failing to land any number of new recruits left Newcastle vulnerable to the injuries which were to follow.

 

“We’ve got to be honest,” Pardew said yesterday. “We’ve underachieved as a club, so the point is we all take responsibility.”

 

The Newcastle boss knows it is out of his hands, but remains “confident” he has a compelling case to continue. If that happens, he will ask Ashley to make funds available in the summer to sign the two strikers he feels they need to challenge for Europe once more.

 

That would be one to replace Demba Ba and another simply to add more firepower to a squad that has scored just once in the last four games.

 

In truth, the club have never really replaced the Senegal striker although they had lined up Loïc Rémy in January before the lure of Tony Fernandes’ silly money managed to convince him that Championship-bound QPR were the better bet.

 

The loss of Rémy was yesterday pinpointed as one of the reasons for Newcastle’s struggles. Pardew said it would be “foolish” to rule out completely the prospect of making another approach to the France striker in the summer – even if the whole process had left a bitter taste in the mouth back at the turn of the year.

 

“We were disappointed how that ended if I’m honest,” he said. “We made it clear to his agent and to the player that we were upset about the way it was done.

 

“They maintain it was done in an honest and honourable way, therefore I have to believe that.”

 

The rapid change of tack meant fast-tracking a move for Moussa Sissoko and also giving Yoan Gouffran more of a central role than was initially earmarked.

 

“We’ve been under major pressure and we’re fortunate in some respects that Papiss (Cissé) has stayed fit,” said Pardew. “We’ve been running with really and truly a couple of strikers in Gouff, who’s come in (and Cissé). I think it’s hard for a French player when he’s been playing wide for Bordeaux – as the wide striker – to come here and crack it as Newcastle No 10. I think it put extra pressure on him and the team.”

 

If the striker situation has been far from perfect, Pardew has also faced a battle to keep his captain’s head in the game.

 

Fabricio Coloccini was unsettled in January but was blocked from leaving, which might just be the difference for Newcastle in this relegation denouement.

 

The centre-back was a tower of strength at Upton Park and Pardew says that he still harbours hopes of him staying at United.

 

“It is something we’ll have to address in the summer,” he said.

 

“(We’ll talk) about how the season’s gone and how he feels about being at this football club. When he plays for this football club, when he’s played since I’ve been here, he’s been brilliant. I will fight for him to stay but ultimately it’ll be Colo’s decision.”

 

At the risk of letting ourselves get carried away, a major hurdle still awaits tomorrow.

 

QPR have been woeful but so too has Newcastle’s away record. Only Reading have taken fewer points on their travels and United’s solitary away win is a source of frustration for Pardew, who says it will also be on the agenda for their end-of-season strategic review. “We have to put it right. We have to improve slightly on that record on Sunday,” he said.

 

“It’s out last chance, if we don’t we have to address it in the summer.” Pardew – who appealed for everyone in the city to shelve their criticism and “head in the same direction” for the last two games – does not agree that Newcastle have been too open.

 

“There’ve been games when we should’ve got better results. For whatever reason we didn’t see it over the line,” he said.

 

“We got ourselves in good situation in a number of games where we should’ve got points. That’s a concern. That’s cost us and caused this pressure we’re under now and caused our position in the league – regardless of the Europa League.

 

“It’s something we’ve got to put right.”

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2013/05/11/pardew-admits-his-job-at-newcastle-united-is-on-the-line-61634-33313663/

 

Pardew admits his job at Newcastle United is on the line

 

by Mark Douglas, The Journal

May 11 2013

 

ALAN Pardew has admitted for the first time that he is fighting for his job – and is predicting “uncomfortable” conversations with owner Mike Ashley in the week after the season ends.

 

In a frank confession from the Newcastle United boss, he says that everyone at the club must be “honest” and take responsibility for the underachievement this year – including Ashley.

 

Predicting robust discussions in the week following the campaign’s end, Pardew admitted that even if he keeps Newcastle up the club may decide to look elsewhere in the close season.

 

It is the first time that the manager has been so candid about the inquest that will follow a campaign that has become increasingly frustrating and fractious since United’s Europa League exit.

 

When asked whether he felt he had a robust case to put to Ashley about continuing as Newcastle boss, he said that under the principle of collective responsibility the owner also has to accept that he has “underachieved”.

 

Pardew said: “My job is to manage this football club with dignity, and with an honesty, which I’ve done, not just with the players but with the Press and, more importantly, with our fans.

 

“Hopefully it’ll be good enough to keep my job next year. It’s a privilege and honour to be in this position, but that ultimate decision is not mine so we could get the points we need and Mike could decide he needs to move

 

to another manager. I like to think that he won’t, next year we’ll stay with myself, and we need to make some changes and we’ll do that and talk about that at the end of the year.

 

“We know we’ve got an uncomfortable conversation regarding the form this year, the underachievement that’s been mentioned and everything else.”

 

When asked to clarify, Pardew said that everyone at the club had to consider their role in the poor season.

 

United’s failure to recruit in the summer put the club on the back-foot in August, especially with the demands of the Europa League. When injuries hit, Pardew was left short-handed.

 

Asked to go into more detail on the discussions, he said: “I said it’s uncomfortable for who? It’ll be uncomfortable for us both, because we’ve both underachieved. Him as an owner and me as a manager.

 

“We need to find out what the reasons were and then it’s for Mike and hopefully with me to decide how to go forward.

 

“I’m talking about as the club, we’ve underachieved as the club, so the point is we all take responsibility.

 

“I don’t want you to draw that up as anything else, because I can see where you’re going with that. I’m trying to make the point we’ve got to be honest.”

 

Pardew was asked whether Newcastle belonged with Sunday’s opponents QPR in the list of underachievers.

 

“We’ve had a year where we’ve finished fifth and everybody perhaps assumed we’d roll that into next season,” he said.

 

“We didn’t. Those reasons I shall keep to myself for this time, but I have views on that.

 

“Are we good enough? Well we couldn’t have been, because this (the league position) is where we are.”

 

He feels there will be a robust case to make to Ashley in August.

 

“I’m confident enough that I want to be the manger of this football club,” he said.

 

“Some of the issues I’ve had this year, some of the selection times I’ve had to pick teams has been against me a lot of the time.

 

“The injuries more than anything have been a massive blow to this football club, to key players at key times. That’s something we can’t afford to happen.”

 

Asked whether getting recruitment right was the key, Pardew said: “It’s about making sure when we go forward – and Derek (Llambias) as well – that we put right some of the things we did wrong this year,” he said.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-squad-feels-pressure-3605342

 

By Lee Ryder

 

'We must seize golden chalice': Alan Pardew remains focused on survival

11 May 2013 08:59

 

As Newcastle United squad feels the pressure after season of struggle, Alan Pardew remains focused on survival

 

Alan Pardew reckons that the pressure of ensuring Newcastle United are at English football’s top table has left his players under extra strain this season – but wants them to hang in there to ensure they are handed “a golden chalice” by beating the drop.

 

Pardew is very much focused on survival going into the conclusion of this term, but admitted to the media yesterday Mike Ashley could decide to change manager regardless of whether United stay up.

 

With the season set to reach a tense and thrilling finale next Sunday, the Magpies will can make sure they don’t miss out on next term’s huge and unprecedented cash injection of at least £60m from the Premier League’s new TV deal.

 

And Pardew confessed ahead of tomorrow’s crucial clash with Queens Park Rangers: “I think that’s put extra pressure on everybody.

 

“That might be why the league’s as congested as it is. It’s almost like everybody wants it.

 

“It’s like a golden chalice at the end of a rocky pool with crocodiles and everything in it.

 

“We’ve got another crocodile to get past in QPR.”

 

Pardew admitted yesterday his performance as manager has not been good enough this season.

 

A thorough review of where Newcastle are heading next term will take place during what will be an intriguing post-season inquest.

 

Beating Rangers will ensure that Pardew is afforded a transfer kitty to avoid a repeat of this season’s struggle.

 

He said: “If we can get a win, that comes in. You’ve got a chance to take the squad forward in terms of new recruits.”

 

United supporters are tired of hearing Premier League games referred to as ‘cup finals’, but Pardew feels that there is no other way to describe the remaining fixtures against QPR and Arsenal.

 

Pardew added: “Both games are cup finals. We’ve got to play like we did at West Ham – with passion and determination.

 

“We’ve got to try to win the game. Whatever’s thrown at us, we’ve certainly got to get something, hopefully a win. Our away fans have been phenomenal this year.

 

“They’ve seen us so close.

 

“We should have won at Stoke and we should have got a draw at Man United.

 

“All these games they’ve gone to and been disappointed.

 

“It would be nice to get a win for them alone, let alone the city.

 

“We want to say thanks.

 

“Hopefully, we can do that with a positive result.”

 

United fans remain discontented with their side still threatened by the possibility of Championship football next season with just 180 minutes of the campaign left.

 

But Pardew said he would celebrate survival this season as a success.

 

The Londoner concluded: “Trust me, it will be. It would be a great moment for us.

 

“The squad’s on tenterhooks. We’re all nervous.

 

“A little bit of that got eased with that result in the week (Swansea beating Wigan), and that might help us.”

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/alan-pardew-reveals-hurting-results-3605339

 

By Lee Ryder

 

Alan Pardew reveals he is hurting about results but doesn't fear the sack

11 May 2013 07:56

 

Alan Pardew has revealed he does not fear the sack at Newcastle United – despite this season’s desperate struggle to stay in the Premier League

 

 

 

Alan Pardew has revealed he does not fear the sack at Newcastle United – despite this season’s desperate struggle to stay in the Premier League.

 

The Toon boss was assured of keeping his role as manager until at least the end of the season following the crushing 6-0 loss to Liverpool two weeks ago.

 

And he faces a thorough review at the end of the campaign with owner Mike Ashley to discuss how it has all gone wrong in the last 12 months.

 

Ashley would have to make a pay-off if he opted to change manager this summer for what would be his seventh boss at St James’ Park in six years.

 

Having handed Pardew an eight-year contract, Ashley would also be contradicting his own policy of trying to maintain stability.

 

Pardew, who says he is hurt at any suggestion he landed golden handcuffs as manager when he signed the long deal, told the Chronicle: “I never fear for my job.

 

“I don’t think my contract is cast-iron either.

 

“I’m not going to say ‘that doesn’t matter – I’ve got a long contract’.

 

“I’m hurting about performances, I’m hurting about the way we’ve played.

 

“I’m hurting about results – we should have had better results.”

 

Pardew’s side will be the worst ever away performers in the club’s Premier League history should

 

they fail to beat QPR. However, Pardew has tried to claw some positives out of a season of misery for most fans.

 

He said: “Some of the performances have been good.

 

“But we haven’t got the points.

 

“For somebody who prides himself on tactical knowledge and the way I assemble teams, that’s been a major disappointment.”

 

Pardew accepted yesterday that Ashley could fire him at the end of the season – even if the Magpies survive.

 

Yet he said it wouldn’t affect his thinking going into the final three matches.

 

He said: “In terms of my confidence, and worrying – no.

 

“The only worry I’ve got is getting this team safe this year.

 

“After the year we’ve had, I’ll treat that as a minor – a little – success.”

[AlanSkÃrare]

Contradicting quotes. For once...

 

Pardew: Why I don’t fear for my job at Newcastle

 

ALAN Pardew says he doesn’t fear for his job at Newcastle United – despite his contract not being “cast-iron”.

 

Pardew’s side has struggled at the wrong end of the Premier League all season.

 

And Newcastle face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road tomorrow still needing points to secure their top-flight status.

 

United’s poor domestic form has led to calls from some fans for Pardew to be sacked.

 

He was handed an eight-year contract in September by owner Mike Ashley after guiding the club to a fifth-placed finish last season.

 

After putting pen to paper the bookmakers made him 100/1 to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, but he was made odds-on favourite to go after last month’s home defeats to Sunderland and Liverpool.

 

“I never fear for my job,” Pardew told the Gazette. “But I don’t think my contract is cast-iron either.

 

“I’m not going to say ‘that doesn’t matter – I’ve got a long contract’.

 

“I’m hurting about performances, I’m hurting about the way we’ve played.

 

“I’m hurting about results – we should have had better results. Some of the performances have been good. But we haven’t got the points.

 

“For somebody who prides himself on tactical knowledge and the way I assemble teams, that’s been a major disappointment.

 

“In terms of my confidence, and worrying – no. The only worry I’ve got is getting this team safe this year. After the year we’ve had, I’ll treat that as a minor – a little – success.

 

“Mike and myself, with the contract we’ve got in place, have made a commitment. We knew there was going to be some lean years.

 

“We didn’t expect it be this year.

 

“Some of the pressure that kicked in after the Sunderland game has knocked us off kilter.

 

“We need to make sure we have a milk and honey year next year rather than a lean year.”

 

Sir Alex Ferguson’s imminent retirement has given Pardew pause for thought, with the Manchester United manager having been under intense pressure in his early years at Old Trafford.

 

Pardew was in the Crystal Palace side beaten 1-0 in a replay in the 1990 FA Cup final which handed Ferguson his first trophy as Man United manager.

 

“You’ve got to remember I played in the final,” he said. “Walking down the tunnel after the 1990 game I remember seeing him in the tunnel.

 

“He knew he’d got away with it – that’s how management can change.

 

“He’s been an unbelievable manager. Like all managers, you do need some patience, and a little bit of luck. He’s had that, and he’d be the first to tell you that.”

 

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/pardew-why-i-don-t-fear-for-my-job-at-newcastle-1-5661869

[Dave]

Spies.

[Rich]

Interesting to see he didn't rule out going back in for Remy. Not sure those above him would share the view, mind.

[Darth Crooks]

Crocodile metaphors. He's flipped his lid the geet basketcase.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Spies.

Our set pieces are shit but could you imagine what Alex Ferguson would do if one of the papers published his tactics before he played a crucial game?

[OoOGazOoO]

Interesting to see he didn't rule out going back in for Remy. Not sure those above him would share the view, mind.

 

Indeed, can't see Remy coming here now in all fairness.

[Darth Crooks]

Just caught up on the recent speight of for and against arguments on binning him. I could understand more the 'time to gel', fixtures and poor ownership decisions arguments (some of which I agree with; if there was one single redeeming factor in the way he has set up at any point this season. Emphasis of solid defense. Massive goals against. Influx of talent. Fails to play to any of their strengths and displays any ability to adapt. You can blame ownership for the state we're in and believe me I do to a large extent but we're stuck with them hook or crook. They're the unfortunate constant. What we can hope for more realistically; is that the bloke who has been responsible for moulding the turgid football we play is removed. We then have to trust our dear leaders to make a correct decision (akin to finally backing pardew in January) as we're stuck with them, but fortunately the current manager is a threat we can dispose of a lot more easily.

[NG32]

 

“I’m hurting about results – we should have had better results. Some of the performances have been good. But we haven’t got the points.

 

 

You get what you deserve in my book, especially over a 38 game season, with only two games left of the season.

[Parky]

Seems to be talking about his job a lot at the wrong time imo. Keep quiet and focus on the next game fishface.

[NG32]

Seems to be talking about his job a lot at the wrong time imo. Keep quiet and focus on the next game fishface.

 

Agree.

[colinmk]

Seems to be talking about his job a lot at the wrong time imo. Keep quiet and focus on the next game fishface.

 

Agree.

[Optimistic Nut]

"Gouffran, Cisse and Coloccini to far post".

 

We can't even beat the first man never mind clear the whole crowd in the middle of the box man.

[littlelunchbox]

Love this Pardew also blaming Ashley malarky.

Whilst he is totally correct saying this, it seems that Partridge has totally forgotten that he told everybody last August that our squad was more than big enough and strong enough for the season ahead and that we had a better squad than the one that finished 5th.

 

What a fuckin' bumbaclart! 

 

At a lower league position , playing a lot worse before Ashley gave him all those signings in jan,

 

Try and excuse your way out of that one then Pards?

 

 

[Jack Flash]

Considering Pardew's history with clubs when they start going do i'd say we do....

 

Southampton, West Ham and Reading, once they went south he couldn't do anything to prevent the slide.

 

 

When did Southampton go 'south' under his time there?

 

It's lazy accusations like this which undermine this "history of Pardew suggests he'll be shit" argument.

 

They appointed Adkins a few weeks after Pardew was fired and now, only 3 years on, they're on course to finish above us so that's how easy a job it was for a good manager.

 

What are you trying to infer here..?

 

I can't see how what you've written supports the assertion that Southampton were on the slide when Pardew was fired.

 

They'd just been relegated and he spent considerably more than any other team in the league but still couldn't make the play-offs. That's only backwards movement, especially compared to what Adkins did soon after.

[Ketsbaia]

I thought his corner routine would just say "Score!" like Ince's pad, so there's one surprise.

[Mick]

Pardew is a massive fraud, he's trying to re-write history in his recent interview yet some idiots will fall for it.

[LRD]

Pardew is a massive fraud, he's trying to re-write history in his recent interview yet some idiots will fall for it.

 

He's a bloody good sales/con man, I give him that.

[Varadi]

"Gouffran, Cisse and Coloccini to far post".

 

We can't even beat the first man never mind clear the whole crowd in the middle of the box man.

 

I'm guessing they're the decoys to create space and the routine actually involves Taylor winning the header in the middle - presumably the reason Jonas need to block his marker.

 

Still a shoddy thing for the paper to publish mind - think we might be seeing another banning shortly!

[jimmymag]

Did he really say he prides himself on his tactical knowledge? 

[Ryan_Taylor]

Think he fancies his payoff.

[Spider Jerusalem]

To be honest that set penis looks typical of the management this season with the '2nd Phase Score' bollocks.  Basically it's directing a few players and with a bit of luck it's going to fall to one of our players when it's missed it's intended target and we'll score from that.