Alan Pardew

[Consortium of one]

Away at Villa. Come on...

 

 

He is still the one we know. He heavily relies on several key players to perform. Injury or lack of squad depth would still catch him up.

 

Maybe not.  Well, at least I hope not.  I liked that he subbed Tiote for Anita as at that point we needed a more physical presence in front of the back four.  Then he subbed Gouffran for Remy and Sammy for Cabaye.  To me, he made the choice to stay with pace on attack and not play too negatively.  He could have gone with Jonas and Marveaux (?) and invited Villa on to us.  Instead he chose to stay with attacking pace out wide which meant that the Villa FBs couldn't completely commit to attack knowing that Sammy, Gouf or HBA could easily get behind them.

 

 

[huss9]

Anyone else think that the steve harper testimonial came at a perfect time for us?

 

The current players realising the size of the club they are playing for and the world class players that have donned the black and white shirt in the past.

World class ex-Milan players gushing over the fans the stadium and the history of the club.

Ex players sticking the boot into the current regime.

The highest crowd of the season, together with the standard of ex-toon players and their immediate association with "the entertainers" would have given pardew a wake up call and hopefully made him realise what this club is all about.

 

The history and potential of this club is there for all to see.

 

Unfortunately, the only person it would have had no effect on would have been Ashley.

[henke]

Did we play 433 yesterday? Remy, Cisse, Ben Arfa up front? Ben Arfa running rings round the opposition, instead of playing as a 2nd RB?

 

I could have sworn we did but it's almost too much to get my head around.

[buzza]

Yes, very clearly was a 433, anita sitting and sissoko and cabaye box to box, ben arfa and remy relatively wide with cisse leading the line.

Thought Pardew got it all right yesterday and long may it continue. I don't mind losing a game if we went out positively trying to win it and played a team that had a chance of doing so.

Was a bit worried with the sammy substituition but it worked out quite well...

[Hanshithispantz]

He stumbled into the 4-3-3 in our good season and injuries to Jonas and Tiote seem to have made him do the same. Fair play to him for picking the team he did yesterday though, I wasn't expecting it at all. Just hope he sticks to it and that a couple of defeats don't scare him into going back to 4-4-2 Pardball.

 

I've got no faith in him sticking to it, like you say he stumbled into that formation, injuries forced his hand.  When Jonas and Tiote are fit they'll both start.

Tbf to Pardew I don't think he will as long as we're winning, his problems will likely show throw through when one or two of our front 6 are injured/suspended imo.

 

 

[alexthegreat]

I just think he has far more to work with at the moment than he did last year. These are the players who started more than 14 league matches last season:

 

Cisse 35

Jonas 34

Santon 31

Cabaye 25

Krul 24

Taylor 24

Tiote 22

Coloccini 22

Williamson 19

Perch 19

(Ba 19)

Simpson 18

Anita 17

Ben Arfa 16

 

I really don't rate about 5 or 6 of those players.

 

Our most common starting XI last season would look something like this:

 

                          Cisse        Ba

 

Jonas    Cabaye / Anita    Tiote / Perch      HBA

 

Santon  Coloccini  Taylor / Williamson    Simpson

 

                          Krul

 

Although that isn't really representative of what we put out as nearly half those players started less than 50% of the games. Which in itself shows what an ever changing side we had last season.

 

Ben Arfa missed most of the first half of the season, Ba was gone for the second half, Coloccini missed nearly half the season, Cabaye missed quite a few games too. I expect our strongest side was only available a handful of times.

 

And we had this side out yesterday:

 

    Remy      Cisse          HBA

 

      Cabaye  Sissoko  Anita

 

Santon  Coloccini  Mbiwa    Debuchy

 

                      Krul   

 

 

If you take Jonas, Simpson, Perch, and Williamson out and replace them with Debuchy, Mbiwa, Anita, and Remy then we will hit less long balls and play better passing football from the back as they are better footballers.

 

We also put out the same back 4 and goalkeeper for the 3rd game in a row, something we rarely managed last season.

 

I don't think Pardew has had some sort of epiphany or lucky break, he just had far more to work with yesterday than he did at any stage last season.

 

Hopefully we'll have our best players available for as long as possible, as we did at the start of the 2011/12 season.

[Sifu]

Credit where credit is due so well done to Pardew for setting us up correctly yesterday. Still has a lot to do before he can win back people's trust mind.

[Teasy]

He put out a positive lineup and went for the win, hope this is the start of some long awaited positivity from Pardew.  More importantly I hope he doesn't revert back to negativity after a few bad results.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He didn't bring Taylor back, he didn't bring Tiote back. Some credit for that.

[sempuki]

His test will be when Jonas is fit.

[Guest bimpy474]

Something is wrong with Pardews thinking, when if we get an injury or two, which we will as every team does. Rather than stay 4-3-3, he will almost definitely change to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 system to cope with them imo (hope he doesn't).

 

The squad is better playing 4-3-3, why not just place a player possibly not as suited to a position in a 4-3-3, say such as Jonas (hear me out) wide left of the front 3 as an example. And keep the system most of the squad are suited too and more comfortable with, Rather than go to a system that nearly all the squad are very poor in.

 

I'd rather see a player or two slightly out of position covering injuries, than a whole team struggling. Anyway imo we have cover in a 4-3-3, Gouffran for any of the front 3 positions, Sammy/Obertan for both wide positions up front. Tiote/Marv/Jonas/Gosling/Bigi/Haris while not great cover the central midfield 3. Shola (haha) covering Cisse down the middle. I dont get changing the system because of a couple of injuries.

 

And tbh why we haven't been using 4-3-3 for so long either, there's simply isn't an excuse for not using it for over a season until now when you look at the players Pardew has.

[Tiresias]

Something is wrong with Pardews thinking, when if we get an injury or two, which we will as every team does. Rather than stay 4-3-3, he will almost definitely change to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 system to cope with them imo (hope he doesn't).

 

The squad is better playing 4-3-3, why not just place a player possibly not as suited to a position in a 4-3-3, say such as Jonas (hear me out) wide left of the front 3 as an example. And keep the system most of the squad are suited too and more comfortable with, Rather than go to a system that nearly all the squad are very poor in.

 

I'd rather see a player or two slightly out of position covering injuries, than a whole team struggling. Anyway imo we have cover in a 4-3-3, Gouffran for any of the front 3 positions, Sammy/Obertan for both wide positions up front. Tiote/Marv/Jonas/Gosling/Bigi/Haris while not great cover the central midfield 3. Shola (haha) covering Cisse down the middle. I dont get changing the system because of a couple of injuries.

 

And tbh why we haven't been using 4-3-3 for so long either, there's simply isn't an excuse for not using it for over a season until now when you look at the players Pardew has.

 

Yep his comments about not being able to put out an attacking side since Ba left (like we played well first half of that season lol) really reveal his problem, he's too scared of losing that the only way he'll take the handbrake off our team is if literally everyone is fit. Admitably with some injuries we are blunt but he doesn't even consider that setting us up more attacking gives us opportunities, to Pardew if his players aren't on the pitch it's all hands in defence better hope for a point.

 

It's nice to see even so after all this time that Pardew can even take the handbrake off and let us play, and the players remember how. Hopefully it won't be kneejerked back on anytime soon.

[Guest bimpy474]

Something is wrong with Pardews thinking, when if we get an injury or two, which we will as every team does. Rather than stay 4-3-3, he will almost definitely change to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 system to cope with them imo (hope he doesn't).

 

The squad is better playing 4-3-3, why not just place a player possibly not as suited to a position in a 4-3-3, say such as Jonas (hear me out) wide left of the front 3 as an example. And keep the system most of the squad are suited too and more comfortable with, Rather than go to a system that nearly all the squad are very poor in.

 

I'd rather see a player or two slightly out of position covering injuries, than a whole team struggling. Anyway imo we have cover in a 4-3-3, Gouffran for any of the front 3 positions, Sammy/Obertan for both wide positions up front. Tiote/Marv/Jonas/Gosling/Bigi/Haris while not great cover the central midfield 3. Shola (haha) covering Cisse down the middle. I dont get changing the system because of a couple of injuries.

 

And tbh why we haven't been using 4-3-3 for so long either, there's simply isn't an excuse for not using it for over a season until now when you look at the players Pardew has.

 

Yep his comments about not being able to put out an attacking side since Ba left (like we played well first half of that season lol) really reveal his problem, he's too scared of losing that the only way he'll take the handbrake off our team is if literally everyone is fit. Admitably with some injuries we are blunt but he doesn't even consider that setting us up more attacking gives us opportunities, to Pardew if his players aren't on the pitch it's all hands in defence better hope for a point.

 

It's nice to see even so after all this time that Pardew can even take the handbrake off and let us play, and the players remember how. Hopefully it won't be kneejerked back on anytime soon.

 

I'll tell you i'm encouraged about the overall passing being much shorter, but i was very encouraged by the subs, something he has been asbolutely awful with. He got them spot on, Tiote to add a bit in the middle, Gouffran obviously filled the Remy position comfortably but it was the Sammy sub. It was imo a clear sub at trying to catch Villa on the break as they pushed forward.

 

Something he would have been shit scared to do normally, he usually trys to defend a lead but he didn't which was good, we slightly sat back with Tiote on but in a counter attacking stance which i thought was excellent management.

 

That being said, for me it's now keeping it up, and not overreacting to a defeat. I'm hoping he keeps this unexpected brave streak for him up.

[Tiresias]

I think he'll do ok if we get some momentum and the threat of relegation shrinks away (some time away still), part of the reason we did so well season before last was we basically felt pretty safe early on in the second half of the season (check out the points graph immediately after we hit 40 points, we shoot up and up) and the team just started enjoying themselves. Pardew I still maintain is a decent man manager and keeps the squad onside. With momentum Pardew's fear of losing recedes and he becomes an acceptable manager. His problem is he can't get us out of bad times at all as he just gets too scared to set us up to win games.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think he'll do ok if we get some momentum and the threat of relegation shrinks away (some time away still), part of the reason we did so well season before last was we basically felt pretty safe early on in the second half of the season (check out the points graph immediately after we hit 40 points, we shoot up and up) and the team just started enjoying themselves. Pardew I still maintain is a decent man manager and keeps the squad onside. With momentum Pardew's fear of losing recedes and he becomes an acceptable manager. His problem is he can't get us out of bad times at all as he just gets too scared to set us up to win games.

 

Yep, basically what I've been saying all along. He's capable of sustaining a positive run but for some reason he's overly affected when things are going the other way.

[Mick]

You can tell a manager is shit when he gets high praise for picking an obvious starting 11.

[colinmk]

I think he'll do ok if we get some momentum and the threat of relegation shrinks away (some time away still), part of the reason we did so well season before last was we basically felt pretty safe early on in the second half of the season (check out the points graph immediately after we hit 40 points, we shoot up and up) and the team just started enjoying themselves. Pardew I still maintain is a decent man manager and keeps the squad onside. With momentum Pardew's fear of losing recedes and he becomes an acceptable manager. His problem is he can't get us out of bad times at all as he just gets too scared to set us up to win games.

 

Yep, basically what I've been saying all along. He's capable of sustaining a positive run but for some reason he's overly affected when things are going the other way.

 

I know the reason. 

 

[Tiresias]

You can tell a manager is s*** when he gets high praise for picking an obvious starting 11.

 

this so much this 

 

It occurs to me that Kinnear is a massively cunning plan by Ashley to get fans behind Pardew for fear of Kinnear taking over and to divert any toxic feeling away from the players / manager

 

Of course that is waaaaay too benevolent / machiavellian  :lol:

[quayside]

You can tell a manager is s*** when he gets high praise for picking an obvious starting 11.

 

I know you aren't a fan of Pardew and never have been    I think there have been suggestions on here (maybe not from you) that his ineptitude had squashed or killed the ability in the players he has at his disposal. I think yesterday showed that, for the most part, they can still play, and whatever he did allowed them to play in a way that suits their talents. And fwiw I thought we never stoped trying to win the game rather than attempt to play it out for a draw (which away at Villa is a result most would take tbh). I'd concede that the season has barely started and we didn't have Cabaye or Remy available early on -  but we've played 4 games so far and surely you would agree that (from a horrible start admittedly) we've got better each time. Maybe he should at least get some small amount of credit for that?

 

 

[TRon]

He didn't bring Taylor back, he didn't bring Tiote back. Some credit for that.

 

He'd get more credit for it if he picked the right side in the first place instead of stumbling on it through injuries. Pretty much the same thing happened two seasons ago when we finished 5th.

[TRon]

You can tell a manager is s*** when he gets high praise for picking an obvious starting 11.

 

I know you aren't a fan of Pardew and never have been    I think there have been suggestions on here (maybe not from you) that his ineptitude had squashed or killed the ability in the players he has at his disposal. I think yesterday showed that, for the most part, they can still play, and whatever he did allowed them to play in a way that suits their talents. And fwiw I thought we never stoped trying to win the game rather than attempt to play it out for a draw (which away at Villa is a result most would take tbh). I'd concede that the season has barely started and we didn't have Cabaye or Remy available early on -  but we've played 4 games so far and surely you would agree that (from a horrible start admittedly) we've got better each time. Maybe he should at least get some small amount of credit for that?

 

 

 

Personally I enjoyed the game against Fulham more because we really passed it around and controlled possession like the best teams do, but obviously we didn't have the attacking menace that we had yesterday with Remy in the starting line up.

[Guest Haris Vuckic]

Who's fault is it when things go wrong? Pardew's.

 

 

Who's fault is it when things go right? Chance!

 

[Interpolic]

We were also playing against a team that wanted to try to win the game, which wasn't the case against Fulham.

[Interpolic]

Who's fault is it when things go wrong? Pardew's.

 

 

Who's fault is it when things go right? Chance!

 

 

Nah man, you've got it all wrong.  Getting it right a handful of times in the last 40 or so league games isn't going to appease everyone though, it'll take a little while yet.  Personally I'm really encouraged by our last 2 performances, if we don't suffer from too many injuries then maybe we'll do alright.

[Tiresias]

Who's fault is it when things go wrong? Pardew's.

 

 

Who's fault is it when things go right? Chance!

 

 

One result doesn't outweigh an entire season, and it's arguably like clapping the last kid in a class to work out that 2+2=4 a year after the rest of the class, but credit where it's due, he got it right, hopefully he will keep this up