Coming Home Newcastle - Alan Pardew CentralA prudent and measured bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48541/cominghome-fave.png2014-12-29T17:25:58+00:00http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/rss/stream/72063362014-12-29T17:25:58+00:002014-12-29T17:25:58+00:00Pardew out: Newcastle manager to Crystal Palace
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<figcaption>Michael Regan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Multiple sources have confirmed that Alan Pardew has left Newcastle United with immediate effect.</p> <p><span>Alan Pardew</span> has left <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle</a> United to become the newest manager of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace" class="sbn-auto-link">Crystal Palace</a>, according to multiple reports. His buyout, according to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph, will be <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fteams%2Fcrystal-palace%2F11316495%2FAlan-Pardew-set-to-become-new-Crystal-Palace-manager-after-agreeing-2.5m-package-with-Newcastle.html&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fcominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com%2F2014%2F12%2F29%2F7458393%2Falan-pardew-crystal-palace-cpfc-newcastle-united-nufc-manager-compensation" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">£2.5 million</a>.</p>
<p>Pardew was, of course, a player for Crystal Palace in the late 80s and early 90s, as evidenced by this gem:</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VomkssQel8g" width="420" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe></p>
<p>Pardew's time at the helm of Newcastle was marked by inconsistency. In his first full season, the Toon reached fifth place, their highest finish since returning to the Premier League, before falling to 16th the very next year. His time was marked by streaks of all types - a six-match winning streak here, a seven-match losing streak there.</p>
<p>By the end of his tenure, the majority of the Toon Army wanted him out, despite his now-famous Manager of the Year trophy win in 2011-12. The poor results to start 2014 were certainly a factor, but the negative tactics, odd team selections, head-scratching loyalty to unproductive players, poor record on set pieces, eccentric affinity with left backs, public feuds with popular players, pitiful excuses after poor performances and results, over-reliance on talismanic players, insistence on playing injured players against medical advice, mismanagement of youth assets, and a series of boneheaded incidents on the pitch resulting in suspension all played a part as well.</p>
<p>Fifth place was nice. That was a fun year. It was a fun year that happened because <span>Demba Ba</span> and Papiss Cissé each went on other-worldly scoring runs that happened to run back to back. Fifth place was likely never going to happen again under Alan Pardew.</p>
<p>Part of that is down to Mike Ashley. Any manager under Ashley's reign is going to have to accomplish some pretty amazing things with one hand tied behind his back to earn the trust of the Geordie faithful. There may not be a manager alive that can overcome Ashley's influence. However, to suggest that Pardew is and was the man for the job is utterly quixotic.</p>
<p>He is to be thanked for his service. It is now time to move on, for today is a good day for Newcastle United fans.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/12/29/7458393/alan-pardew-crystal-palace-cpfc-newcastle-united-nufc-manager-compensationRobert L. Bishop2014-12-09T14:03:04+00:002014-12-09T14:03:04+00:00Happy Anniversary, Alan Pardew
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<figcaption>Julian Finney/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Alan Pardew has been with Newcastle for four years now. We look back at his uneven tenure.</p> <p><span>Alan Pardew</span> was officially appointed as manager of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United four years ago today, on December 9, 2010. It was an unpopular appointment at the time, and he continues to be an enigmatic personality on Tyneside. We'd like to pause to remember a bit about Pardew's last four years.</p>
<p>Today, Newcastle United sit in 7th place, 13 points away from both first place <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> and last place <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/">Leicester City</a>. For a club that has finished 12th, 5th, 16th, and 10th since being promoted, it's somehow strangely poetic. Under Pardew, Newcastle have either been abject or on the verge of putting together something really special, but are never found anywhere in the middle, even if their position in the table signals mediocrity. Last season, where the Magpies sat in 6th place on Boxing Day and gained just 14 points afterward and finished 10th, is the most extreme example. It's worth mentioning that they only drew 4 matches that season, the lowest total in the league. Even the 2011-12 season was uneven. They started with a rather famous 11-match unbeaten streak, but many people forget that they immediately followed that with a 6-game stretch in which they earned just two points. The 16th place season also featured a run to the quarterfinals of the Europa League.</p>
<p>Periods of feast and famine have become the norm on Tyneside, and how you feel about that probably depends on what you've already decided about Pardew. If you're for him, you admire his resiliency and ability to pull the club out of a skid. If you're against him, the inconsistency is maddening.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Pardew era has been full of maddening bits, much of it real (negative tactics, inane waddle after a disappointing result, freezing out of promising young players) and perhaps much more of it imagined (players suddenly losing their talent under his tutelage, the halftime speech meme, a supposed inability to integrate French players).</p>
<p>We've spilled plenty of digital ink calling for his head for these and other reasons, but today, we celebrate the resilience of a man who has done what nobody would have thought possible in 2010: he's survived Mike Ashley. So far. Whether it's been his decision or not, he's overseen the departures of the likes of Yohan Cabaye, <span>Demba Ba</span>, <span>Andy Carroll</span>, and a ton of effective complementary pieces. He's also remade the team in his own image, whatever that is. After 4 years, I'm still not 100% sure what Pardew's system would be if he were given total control of personnel. In any case, he's survived, despite numerous sideline confrontations and almost as many demonstrations and walkouts at St James' Park. In all competitions, he's amassed a record of 67 wins, 41 draws, and 69 losses, which sums up his tenure just about perfectly.</p>
<p>Happy anniversary, Alan Pardew. You made it four years, and you are currently the second-most tenured manager in the Premier League. Only six and a half years left to go.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/12/9/7330567/newcastle-united-nufc-alan-pardew-anniversary-retrospectiveRobert L. Bishop2014-11-12T15:26:12+00:002014-11-12T15:26:12+00:00NUFC's recent win streak doesn't vindicate Pardew
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<figcaption>Michael Regan</figcaption>
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<p>Newcastle are looking good at the moment, but that doesn't mean Alan Pardew is the best man to lead them.</p> <p><a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle</a> United are flying high at the moment, sitting in eighth place and nursing a five-match win streak in all competitions following a dreadful start that had them in the relegation zone after eight matches. So...now's the time to talk about <span>Alan Pardew</span>, right? He's receiving plenty of much-deserved praise, and the Save Pardew crowd are gloating in their apparent victory. I'm happy for the team and for the man, but I'm still not convinced he's the right one for the job.</p>
<p>Newcastle achieved their sixth win of the 2014 calendar year on 26 August when they defeated League Two Gillingham in the League Cup. Their Premier League win total from January through September was just five, and then they went on this five-match winning streak. It's an incredible turnaround, and in truth, the streak would be quite impressive even without the specter of how terrible they've been looming in the background. In any given season, wins against the league champs, runner-ups, and sixth-place finishers in the span of seven days are cause for celebration. Sure, <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a> was in a cup match, and both <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a> and <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tottenham Hotspur</a> are in a bit of a tailspin, but you don't look down your nose at those results. Not now, not ever.</p>
<p>Given the recent history, I'm not inclined to overlook the other two victories either. <a href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Leicester City</a> is newly promoted and a serious relegation candidate. Last season, Newcastle lost to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city" class="sbn-auto-link">Hull City</a> at home, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/west-bromwich-albion" class="sbn-auto-link">West Bromwich Albion</a>, Fulham, and drew with Norwich City. All of those teams finished in the bottom five. This team has a history of inconsistent play, so to actually take care of business is impressive in its own right. It's also what made this most recent result against West Brom so surprising. The fixture had "LET-OFF" written all over it.</p>
<p>Certainly Alan Pardew deserves a lion's share of the credit for this most recent run. If we're going to take him to task for how poor Newcastle have been over the last ten or so months, it's only fair that we give him his due when they put a string of positive results together. The players clearly have confidence, and for the most part, they're being put in positions to succeed, which in my mind is the primary task of the manager.</p>
<p>So, here's what I'm not doing in this space: (1) I'm not complaining about wins. (2) I'm not disputing that Pardew has had a hand in this turnaround. (3) I'm not writing this article to be "edgy." (Twitter, I hate you sometimes.)</p>
<p>There are two sides to every story, however, so here are some more things I'm not doing: (1) I'm not falling for the fallacy that Process = Results. (2) I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses just because the team is winning. (3) I'm not forgetting the context in which this winning streak has occurred.</p>
<p>If you've spent any amount of time on the internet, you've probably seen this image, or some variation thereof:</p>
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<p>The idea, of course, is that it's completely possible to accidentally win a match, just as it's possible to lose despite being the better team on the pitch. This is why Alan Pardew is always in spin control after a loss or disappointing draw. He believes, and wants the fans to believe, that the process is good, and that if the team can continue to play well and trust the process, more often than not they will achieve the desired results.</p>
<p>We as fans do the same thing. Phrases like "deserved to win" and "scoreline flattered them" are recognition that the result doesn't always line up with how the teams played, and certainly doesn't line up with how they were set up to play.</p>
<p>This is why I'll reject out of hand any argument that cites as its own evidence that the team has won or lost x amount of games. That Newcastle only scored 16 points after Boxing Day last season is shocking and probably points to a run of bad play. For starters, it's a (relatively) huge sample size. More importantly, they played like garbage, and anybody who watched them play would say that 16 points is about right for the level of performance.</p>
<p>So, too, would it be inappropriate to point to a five-match winning streak or a fifth-place finish three seasons ago as evidence of Pardew's prowess without discussing the manner in which these results were achieved. For the most part, I'm happy with how they approached these matches. I love that <span>Mehdi Abeid</span> was given a chance, I'm grateful that <span>Paul Dummett</span> seems to have found his calling in the middle of the defense, and I'm impressed and over the moon that they took the game to City rather than sitting back like they always do.</p>
<p>However, problems persist that will rear their ugly head sooner or later. Bombing the ball at a lonely, tiny Ayoze Perez will sometimes yield a world-class play, assuming <span>Daryl Janmaat</span> can also get involved. Counting on that is a bit fool-hardy. More than that, there's the issue of Pardew putting his job security ahead of the health of his players. We're all glad that Papiss Cissé rescued a victory from the jaws of defeat against Hull City earlier this season, but <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/20/pardew-newcastle-cisse-against-medical-advice">he shouldn't have played</a>, and now he's unavailable. Any fan invested in the long-term success of his club should not be okay with a manager that <a target="_blank" href="http://youtu.be/djoM1MHOGsU?t=1m16s">regularly plays players against medical advice</a>. Now Rolando Aarons is out for the same reason. (First link via Louise Taylor of The Guardian, second link a video on NUFCTV's Youtube channel featuring Pardew's interview following the cup win against Manchester City)</p>
<p>This winning streak isn't going to last forever, and that's true no matter who is in charge. The question in my mind is about how we feel about the team moving forward. It's true that they're playing with confidence, but we could have said the same thing on Boxing Day last season. This December features the following stretch of opponents: <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a>, <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arsenal</a>, Tottenham Hotspur (League Cup), <a href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Sunderland</a>, <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a>, <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Everton</a>. We didn't give this team much of a chance heading into the Spurs - City - Liverpool stretch, and they surprised us. It's possible that they'll shock us again, but I would prefer to head into that stretch with the team and manager that give us the best chance for success.</p>
<p>I'm grateful to Alan Pardew for navigating tough waters and inspiring this team to its recent heights, but I'm simply not convinced he can do it again. Give me somebody that doesn't leave his not-really-a-guy-that-holds-up-play striker on an island, doesn't run his players into the ground in the name of short-term success, and doesn't have a recent history of letting his team quit because they're assured tenth place and a bonus check.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/11/12/7203123/newcastle-united-nufc-alan-pardewRobert L. Bishop2014-04-22T10:00:01+01:002014-04-22T10:00:01+01:00Alan Pardew's most ridiculous public comments
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<figcaption>Mike Hewitt</figcaption>
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<p>Alan Pardew said this week that he would have stopped the last goal Swansea scored (a penalty in stoppage time) if he had been on the touchline. Where does this quote rank on our list of his most outrageous comments?</p> <p>Alan Pardew unleashed a <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/4/19/5631488/how-would-pardew-have-stopped-that-last-goal">whopper of a comment</a> following <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle's</a> 2-1 loss to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/swansea-city">Swansea City</a> on Saturday, and it got me wondering about all of the nutty things he's said to the press over the years. As I searched through the archives, I found nine that stand out to me as particularly ludicrous, and I have a feeling that if I'd kept digging, I would have found more. I didn't consider insensitive comments made on the pitch at West Ham or while working for BBC. Nor have I included sideline confrontations with <span>Arsene Wenger</span>, <span>Manuel Pellegrini</span>, Martin O'Neill, David Meyler, assistant referee Peter Kirkup, or anybody else. Every one of these comments was made in front of a television camera or to a journalist holding a pen and paper, with the full knowledge that said comments would then be disseminated for public consumption. Here they are:</p>
<p><b>9. <a target="_blank" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4792270.stm">"Flying the flag for Britain"</a> - 10 March 2006</b></p>
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<p>I saw a headline saying <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> are flying the flag for Britain. I kind of wondered where that British involvement actually was when I looked at their team. It's important that top clubs don't lose sight of the fact that it's the English Premier League and English players should be involved. Foreign players have been fantastic. We have learned from them and from foreign coaches. But, to some extent, we could lose the soul of British football - the English player. We have a young team at West Ham and we are proud we have so many Englishmen. The soul of this team will remain with at least three or four English players as long as I am West Ham. I think that's important, I really do.</p>
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<p>This one is funny in the sense that the same charge could be levied against Pardew today (and such a comment would be just as xenophobic now as it was then). Of course, he did say that his policy wouldn't change while he was in charge of West Ham, so technically he's not a hypocrite.</p>
<p><b>8. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sport.co.uk/football/transfers-the-chairman-wants-to-be-a-bit-risky-about-it/53866">"The chairman wants to be a bit risky"</a> - 31 May 2011</b></p>
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<p>It’s always fraught with dangers and difficulties. We won’t play safe. We could play safe and finish 14th or 15th in the season for the next 4 or 5 years, but where is the ambition in that? It won’t inspire me, the fans or the chairman. The chairman wants to be a bit risky about it, and to hope that we can get players that can take us a lot better than that. That is what we are trying to find. I think next year will be difficult for us. The euphoria of promotion has gone. We will suddenly start thinking we are Premier League people, and we could get a nasty surprise, so we need to make sure we don’t start the season like that. We need to get momentum and improve on our squad by bringing in some key offensive players. We need a bit of pace in the team and if we do that we will see where it takes us.</p>
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<p>That Pardew is constantly in the dark about his own team's transfer policy has become a running joke, but he revealed that he knew absolutely nothing about his boss when he asserted that Mike Ashley would (a) show ambition, and (b) make risky financial decisions. Pards would probably point out that Newcastle finished 5th the year after he made this statement, but I would point out that they were lucky, and we would go round and round in circles.</p>
<p><b>7. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-stronger-two-years-5671462">"Southampton...are in a much stronger financial position than us."</a> - 7 August 2013</b></p>
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<p>When you look at the teams now and the money that’s being spent, you have to be honest and say it’s going to be difficult replicating that fifth-place finish. But our ambition must be to try to do that. Demba (Ba) went to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>, and that was a big blow for us last year. I think the fact that we never really replaced him got missed a little bit. We brought in (Yoan) Gouffran, but we weren’t really able to replace Demba like for like. If I can replace Demba into this team, I think this team is stronger than the one that finished fifth. But I think the task of finishing in the top five is more difficult for us because of the growth of some of the other clubs who were just below us. In particular, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> and Spurs have spent a lot of money, and other clubs such as Swansea and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton</a> have coordinated their financial strength really well. You look at a club like Southampton, and they’re in a much stronger financial position than us in terms of purchasing players. Even though my team might be slightly stronger on paper once we replace Demba – team and squad – it’ll be even more difficult to get fifth. I’m very proud to be manager of this club, and I don’t say that lightly. There’s so many things that excite me about being here. When things have happened in the past and you might question certain things that have gone on, the overriding strength of this club is that I know I am the manager of a very big club, I think one of the biggest in the Premier League. Therefore, my vision and my philosophy must be to bring success, and I must drive that regardless of what obstacles get in my way. If there’s an obstacle in my way, I just have to jump over it. I think I’m the second longest serving Premier League manager, and longest serving manager at this club since Sir Bobby Robson. I’ve kind of earned my spurs, and sometimes in adversity I think the fans admire you more. I like to think last year I didn’t buckle and wasn’t negative about the players, the fans or the club. I just got us over the line, and I think that was very important last year. I’m hoping I’ll get the rewards of that this year. I like to think the fans understood I was honest and respectful when we finished fifth, and when we finished 16th.</p>
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<p>Hoo boy. There's a lot here. From Pardew's transfer strategy (replace <span>Demba Ba</span> - recall that this interview took place in August) to his assertion that he's "earned his spurs" and everything in between (apparently he's never been negative), this interview provided enough material to fill columns and blog posts for weeks. The headline, however, was his head-scratching misunderstanding of Newcastle's financial situation. Neither Southampton nor Swansea have the income or expenditures that Newcastle United do, so the soundbite was easily dismissed as Alan Pardew preemptively making excuses for a season that was yet to get started, or more accurately, for his and Joe Kinnear's failings in the transfer window. With one breath, he assuages the fans in his own mind (they admire him for overcoming the adversity of the self-created nightmare of 2012-13, after all), and scores points with his current and one of his former employers. By the way, we're still waiting for the next Demba Ba, and Newcastle turned a profit last year.</p>
<p><b>6. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-372858/Souness-sour-Pardew-attack.html">"Waffle that is nowhere near the truth"</a> - 30 December 2005</b></p>
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<p>The one thing I hate about other managers is waffle that is nowhere near the truth. I would never conduct myself like that. My honest assessment of the Newcastle game is that we were great and, but for a few errors that were clinically punished by <span>Michael Owen</span>, we would have won with a bit to spare. Standing on the side watching our team outplay and outmanoeuvre Newcastle, and listening to the comments coming from their bench and the frustration of how the game was unfolding, it was ironic to hear Graeme Souness say afterwards that our two centre-halves were scared. I thought that was complete nonsense. He should have known better than to criticise players on the opposite team.</p>
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<p>On 17 December 2005, Michael Owen scored a hat trick as Graeme Souness' Newcastle United defeated <span>Alan Pardew's</span> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a> 4-2 at The Boleyn Ground. Souness, happy with his striker's performance, suggested that West Ham's defenders were "scared" of Owen's pace, and Pardew hit back with the quote you see above. It's somehow comforting and alarming all at the same time to discover that Alan has always been inflating his own team's performances, thinking that if he blows enough smoke about his squads being unlucky or just short, the fans will follow suit. In other words, here we have yet another example of Alan Pardew's waffle.</p>
<p><b>5. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/mar/28/alan-pardew-newcastle-education-southampton">"A different type of catchment area"</a> - 28 March 2014</b></p>
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<p>[Southampton] have a huge catchment area and it's a different type of catchment area. There is a big working-class community down there but there are also a lot of middle-class kids who have good educations. The players who come out of Southampton are quite intelligent and there might be something in that. We have to put more intelligence into our players here. That's another side of the academy. It's very important to not just look after the football side of it but to also bring the right personalities through. We want them to be level-headed. Look at Bale, Walcott, Lallana, Shaw, they're all comfortable with the media, they're all together sort of guys. That's not down to location. That's down to education.</p>
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<p>Ever eager to praise Southampton at every chance, Pardew took the opportunity to wage a little class warfare at the North East's expense prior to Newcastle's match with the Saints less than a month ago. At the end, he denies that the argument he has constructed based on location and class is not so, but the real offense is in the presumptive attitude it must take to evaluate players on their intelligence less than a month after a headbutting a player on the pitch.</p>
<p><b>4. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chroniclelive.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Ffootball-news%2Falan-pardew-local-press-not-6982537&ei=UehVU6b6JYeS8AGc44CQAw&usg=AFQjCNENbgdUpe10osddWzjCU_92mj_ywA&bvm=bv.65177938,d.b2U">"I don't think the local press have helped"</a> - 12 April 2014</b></p>
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<p>Four defeats for Newcastle is going to bring its own pressure. I don’t think the local press have helped.</p>
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<p>The North East press have not exactly been Pardew's biggest advocates in recent weeks, and part of it might just be the four defeats in a row that he mentions here. Perhaps he had The Chronicle's "Pardew Excuse Generator" in mind when he made the press his latest excuse for a poor Newcastle performance.</p>
<p><b>3. <a target="_blank" href="http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/12/alan-pardew-arsenal-can-beat-newcastle-4-0-for-all-i-care-3756457/">"I don't really care if Arsenal win 4-0"</a> - 12 May 2013</b></p>
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<p>I don’t really care if Arsenal win 4-0 [next weekend], if I’m honest. I’m sure Spurs will, but I only care that our fans enjoy themselves.</p>
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<p>Newcastle had finally achieved safety one week from the end of the season last year, and some reporter asked Pardew how his team would perform in the final weekend against Arsenal, who were leading <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> in the race for a Champions League place by just one point. It's easy to see what he was trying to say - something along the lines of "I'm just happy we're safe; nothing else matters," but the quote takes on new meaning in light of the way this year's team quit as soon as it was evident that everybody would be collecting their top-half finish bonuses.</p>
<p><b>2. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDMQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com%2F2011%2F12%2F8%2F2620674%2Fnewcastle-united-nufc-injury-crisis-steven-taylor-fabricio-coloccini-danny-guthrie&ei=Q-xVU4L7C-H92QWpiIDgCQ&usg=AFQjCNE1Dx8hqvovEsxXXdrZ-iMS7506zA&bvm=bv.65177938,d.b2I">"We put in more effort"</a> - 8 December 2011</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>It just goes to show how important these refereeing decisions are. The biggest problem from the referee's decision that changed the game was that we put in more effort against Chelsea than we've done in any other game this season and that has cost us injuries to Taylor and Guthrie. It's left us up against it. I'd have felt really confident going into this period of the season if I had my full squad available but I haven't.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the 4th minute of what would eventually be a 0-3 loss to Chelsea, <span>David Luiz</span> committed what was by most neutral accounts a red card offense on Demba Ba, but Mike Dean declined to give a foul, probably because of the unwritten (and really dumb) rule that players shouldn't be sent off in the opening stages of a match. <span>Steven Taylor</span> would later rupture his Achilles' tendon, and Alan Pardew was livid that his players had to play against 11 men, which apparently made them work harder and led to Taylor's injury.</p>
<p><b>1. <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/4/19/5631488/how-would-pardew-have-stopped-that-last-goal">"I would have stopped that last goal"</a> - 19 April 2014</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>I'm pretty sure I would have stopped that last goal if I'd have been there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I still haven't figured out what Pardew was trying to say here. Was he watching the match?</p>
<p><b>BONUS: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/alan-pardew-admits-newcastle-united-6468956">"Science against me"</a> - 4 January 2014</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>For the last three years I don’t know, it’s science against me.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>"It's science against me." - Alan Pardew. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NUFC&src=hash">#NUFC</a> <a href="http://t.co/c7EhfaxHMW">pic.twitter.com/c7EhfaxHMW</a></p>
— Mark Wardle (@mark_wardle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mark_wardle/statuses/419781765692399616">January 5, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/4/22/5638700/newcastle-united-alan-pardew-ridiculous-comments-quotes-excuse-bingoRobert L. Bishop2013-12-05T17:07:16+00:002013-12-05T17:07:16+00:00Alan Pardew: Wallpapering Over The Cracks
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ls3bnwK0qmXjqkw8F-uGl-1C8AU=/3x0:3996x2662/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24552285/453553305.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Stu Forster</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>WHERE ARE YOU #PARDEWOUT PEOPLE NOW AWFULLY QUIET AREN'T YOU?</p> <p><i>Author's note: The vast majority of this piece was written directly on the heels of the victory last weekend over West Brom. This is only important to note for two reasons: 1) There will be a certain amount of anachronism about it as it will at times not acknowledge the Swansea defeat, and 2) This is not a sky is falling piece. One result is one result, and patterns are patterns. One result (or four) won't change that substantially.</i></p>
<p>The art of "discourse" in the world today has been essentially ruined. Establish two sides of an argument and whomever shouts the loudest and interrupts the most surely must be the winner. We can leave the name calling component out of this particular discussion as it's not particularly germane to this situation, but the reduction really remains the same: one opinion is enough, thankyouverymuch and if you don't hold it, you must be mocked. "Awfully quiet from the #PardewOut folks, innit?" "Funny how the #PardewOut folks disappear when the club is winning". We are still out here, and the foundation of our argument is still just as valid.</p>
<p>On the heels of the embarrassing derby defeat, things have happened - namely a string of 4 consecutive victories that are providing the ammunition for those who want to have a go at those who have been and still are lacking confidence in our manager. Make no mistake, the run of results has been as gratifying as it has been unexpected (3-point results against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> and Tottenham most specifically) - but the actuality has been a step or two away from "sheer dominance" that the on-paper view will suggest years from now. </p>
<div class="pullquote">What we essentially have is a huge house that has significant damage to the exterior walls. The last several matches have wall-papered over the cracks and we're sitting inside feeling really great about ourselves and how beautiful it all looks.<span></span>
</div>
<p>12 points from the last 4 matches brings our total on the season to 23 points on the season, a plateau not reached until the 29th of January (the 24th league match) last season and more than half-way to that mythical 40-point safety level that seemed a more likely target for the season than any sort of European talk (let alone Champions League). As some have pointed out, there are difficulties with taking this vein of results as a sign of Newcastle in true ascendancy. There have been warning signs even if the players have done enough on each particular day to earn 3 points. Lessons from the 2011-12 season linger, and one of them includes what can happen to a team whose ultimate league position is incongruous with its goal difference. While 19 goals scored puts Newcastle squarely in good stead with their most immediate neighbors in the table, the unfortunate fact remains that 18 goals conceded puts us in the bottom half of the league table. In a pure goal difference world (which is admittedly too simplistic), the difference between ourselves and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city" class="sbn-auto-link">Stoke City</a> — the team level with us on number of goals conceded — is the scorching form of Loïc Rémy, a player that a) isn't even ours and b) is the subject of increasing talk that he will not end up joining us at the end of the season.</p>
<p><i>Auth. note - HA! Remember when it was fun when we had a + gd?</i></p>
<p>When you boil down exactly what has led to our "great run of form" (up to the Swansea match, of course) you are left with the fact that Alan Pardew is uncomfortable at best with the players at his disposal. 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 are all relative — formations are necessarily fluid in nature during a match — but the 2013 "preferred XI" of our manager is hinged upon employing players out of position. Many people came away from the Swansea loss saying that <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle's</a> players looked "tired" (#tiredbodies) which belies another problem in the management of the playing staff. Even our internationals played no more than 6 matches in the month of November... but if they were truly tired, there are players of enough quality in our squad that there are rotational (if not formational) permutations that should allow them to rest... yet they were not rested. We were fortunate enough during our winning streak to catch a couple of teams severely out of form - <span>Alan Pardew's</span> hammering his square-peg squad into a round-hole formation did not defeat Chelsea or Tottenham... and once we ran into a squad that was managed well and performing at a high level, the results showed themselves clearly. While the winning streak and its expression in the league table feels great, the truth of the situation is that things can easily and quickly go as badly as they have gone well recently. What we essentially have is a huge house that has significant damage to the exterior walls. The last several matches have wall-papered over the cracks and we're sitting inside feeling really great about ourselves and how beautiful it all looks. When the winter comes, however...</p>
<p> </p>
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<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet">
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https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2013/12/5/5157238/Alan-Pardew-Newcastle-PardewOut-form-Premier-LeagueJim McMeachin2013-11-12T19:47:25+00:002013-11-12T19:47:25+00:00Should Our Recent Results Get Pardew Off Hot Seat?
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<img alt="Is this sustainable?" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2gPicIjyYARSacblxzQOEvmjqjk=/0x178:4000x2845/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23025011/187553365.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Is this sustainable? | Jamie McDonald</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In spite of two famous wins on the trot, my fundamental feelings on Alan Scott Pardew, Esq. have not changed. Here's why.</p> <div align="center">
<blockquote>
<pre>ROS: Heads.
(He picks it up and puts it in his money bag. The process is repeated.)
Heads.
(Again.)
ROS: Heads.
(Again.)
Heads.
(Again.)
Heads.
GUIL (flipping a coin): There is an art to the building up of suspense.
ROS: Heads.
GUIL (flipping another): Though it can be done by luck alone.
ROS: Heads.
GUIL: If that's the word I'm after.
ROS (raises his head at GUIL): Seventy-six love.
(GUIL gets up but has nowhere to go. He spins another coin over his
shoulder without looking at it, his attention being directed at his
environment or lack of it.)
Heads.
GUIL: A weaker man might be moved to re-examine his faith, if in
nothing else at least in the law of probability.<br></pre>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div align="left">The opening scene of Tom Stoppard's stage play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead involves a coin flip. A series of coin flips, actually. By the end of the flipping 92 consecutive coins (confirmed to be struck with both heads and tails), flipped independently of each other, have come up heads. Speaking purely in terms of probability, this very same situation could well express itself - each independent flip is a 50/50 chance to express itself heads or tails. Of course by the time 92 coins are considered, the cumulative odds that each of the coins comes up heads is miniscule.</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<div align="left">
<div align="center">
<blockquote>
<pre>Syllogism the second: one: probability is a factor which operates
within natural forces. Two, probability is not operating as a factor. Three,
we are now within un-, sub- or supernatural forces.<br><br>---<br><br>Keep tight hold and continue while
there's time. Now - counter to the previous syllogism: tricky one, follow me
carefully, it may prove a comfort. If we postulate, and we just have, that
within un-, sub- or supernatural forces the probability is that the law of
probability will not operate as a factor, then we must accept that the
probability of the first part will not operate as a factor, in which case
the law of probability will operate as a factor within un-, sub- or
supernatural forces. And since it obviously hasn't been doing so, we can
take it that we are not held within un-, sub- or supernatural forces after
all; in all probability, that is.</pre>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div align="left">Things can happen - even within the constraints of the laws of probability. A slight departure - I'm not much of a gambler. I don't bet on sports and don't frequent casinos. Neither "the loosest slots in town" nor the allure of table gaming have ever spoken to me very much. Perhaps it's because money has always been an object. Regardless - I don't often gamble. On one particular occasion, however, I did play table blackjack. As a mathematician or statistician, I'm about as far from the MIT Blackjack Team as you can get. This night, however, I sat at the table and within a short amount of time had quadrupled my initial stake. I had drawn the attention of the pit boss who was conspicuously observing from over my right shoulder. (Exactly why, I'll never know... my initial stake was $20.) In his song The Gambler, Kenny Rogers sang "<i>You got to know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em</i>" - I didn't know when to fold them. I could have walked away from the table with a tidy $80 and gone to the bar to lose it all honestly. Instead, I lost all $80, chucked a further $20 at getting it back and ended up with a total loss of $100 for the night.</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<div align="left">What, you are likely asking yourselves, does any of this have to do with Newcastle United - and rightly so as this is a Newcastle United blog, not cutting room floor clips from Taxi Cab Confessions. Following <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/kentucky-derby">the derby</a> <strike>loss</strike> non-performance, the heat underneath <span>Alan Pardew's</span> seat must've felt uncomfortable. He had stated heading into the stretch of matches including the makems, Chelsea and Tottenham that two of them were winnable - and starting with a loss to the team rooted to the bottom of the table was not the way to start. Fast forward and Newcastle have beaten Chelsa 2-0 and Tottenham 1-0 in consecutive weekends and proved the Prophecy of Pardew correct. In turn, of course, the fire under Pardew's seat is completely and utterly extinguished because Sky6 and suddenly we can compete, yes yes? It's really not that easy.</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<div align="left">What we have just done in these past weeks is the Premier League equivalent of having quadrupled our initial stake. Much of what has happened has not been of our own creation. I am not saying that there is no credit to be given to our beleaguered manager - since reverting to his 4-4-2 comfort zone, the results speak for themselves. On paper. A certain amount of credit has to go to Pardew and the players for getting results against Sky6 clubs (don't forget - "We can't compete wiv the likes ov them")... you still have to manage the match and perform on the day. Here is the thing... our spectacular 2-match winning streak - which will surely be germinal in our ultimate mid-table finishing position - is at least if not more down to the lack of performance by our opponents.</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<div align="left">
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea's</a> performance was so poor that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a> said after the match that he felt like he had made "11 selection mistakes". We can accept that this is a little bit of hyperbole from The Happy One - I don't think that there's any doubt that <span>Petr Cech</span> is an automatic choice when healthy, so at best there were 10 selection mistakes. The fact remains, while we did enough on the day to earn the result we did... Chelsea were in fact THAT bad. Add in to the conversation a healthy dose of we still only played 45 minutes (another incomplete match...) and you've got a decent amount of evidence for reasonable doubt. If Chelsea are playing anywhere on the + side of average, they take us apart as we sit trying to weather a storm that never arrived in the first half. Again - credit to Pardew for actually playing the match in the second half... but...</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<div align="left">Spurs presents a little bit of a different proposition. For a second consecutive week, we did just about enough to earn the victory. For a second consecutive week, we relied upon an underachieving opponent to create our opportunity for the result. From Andres VIllas Boas' post match interview:<br>
</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<blockquote>
<div align="left">We didn't play well in the first half. We didn't recognize our game. They were on top of us. Still, we had a couple of chances that could have gone in in the first half. Probably giving them that advantage was bad for us. Either way, I think that we came out really really strong in the second half... really up to tempo. Played a different game.</div>
</blockquote>
<div align="left">Typically for Alan Pardew Newcastle, the arrival of Tottenham's "different game" coincided with the arrival of the 45 Minute Conundrum on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle's</a> side. But for a super-human effort from <span>Tim Krul</span>, the day could have turned out so, so different. In a way, the Spurs match was a glimpse of 11-12 Newcastle United... score early and ride your luck from that point. If you get a second goal, more's the better... if not... fling your bodies around and hope for en epic performance from one or more of your back 5. Glimpses of 2011-12 Newcastle are always going to be encouraging. We finished 5th that season... and it was awesome. We were pushing for a return to the Champions League. History has shown us, however, that the 11-12 model of success was not sustainable. Nor will this be. We are riding a streak that is demonstrably leaning onto the luck side more than skill... betting that we will be able to sustain an unsustainable model for success. Mr. Kenny Rogers:<br>
</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<blockquote>
<div align="center">"Every Gambler knows</div>
<div align="center">that the secret to survivin'</div>
<div align="center">is knowing what to throw away,</div>
<div align="center">knowing what to keep.</div>
<div align="center">'Cause every hand's a winner</div>
<div align="center">and every hand's a loser</div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
</blockquote>
<div align="left">We're gambling. Gambling on the team to play 45 good minutes that coincide with 45 poor minutes from our opponents. Gambling is going to get us a Chelsea or Tottenham result. Gambling is going to get us a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city">Hull City</a> or Makem result just as often under Alan Pardew. While the Law of Probability may suspend itself and allow for this gamble to be a success (2011-12), recent history has shown us that there will be a Newtonian equal and opposite reaction if it does so. The facts remain these: Alan Pardew can still not get this team of internationals to perform for 90 good minutes. Alan Pardew cannot get this team of internationals to perform with pride and heart on a weekly basis. Alan Pardew can still not manage to deploy his players to maximum effect with regards to formation and tactics. We must be careful that we do not let ourselves be deceived by our recent results. They are flattering - but in the end just that.<br>
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https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2013/11/12/5096158/Newcastle-United-Alan-Pardew-Pardewout-hot-seat-manager-sackJim McMeachin