It seems that Alan Pardew did quite well today in his first day on Tyneside, and he admitted to being just a little bit daunted by the task that lies ahead of him.
Alan Pardew – at the press conference today
It’s also clear that either Alan was well briefed on what to expect from the Newcastle fans, or he knew that before he even got involved as a candidate for the Newcastle manager position.
He was asked whether he could win over the fans, and we thought he gave a good answer that his job was to win football matches, because if he does that he will win over the fans.
That’s exactly what Chris Hughton did, and once we all got used to his low key nature, we started to love the guy – Chris that is.
This is how Alan said he had to win games:
“The battles I need to win are on the pitch.” “The one love of this city is the club, the football, and I know the passion that’s here.”
“When I drove up on Tuesday contemplating coming here, I understood what was going to happen if I was to take the job, of course, and that was quite a daunting prospect.”
And another piece in the press conference we liked was when he referred to St. James’ Park as – The Cathedral on the Hill – as the revered Bobby Robson used to call it.
Alan admitted to knowing full well it was a daunting task he was about to undertake if he said yes to the job – and he’s dead right about that.
He also promised fans that he would play attacking positive football, and it’s easy to say, but we’ll soon see what kinds of systems he prefers – Saturday being the first chance we’ll see of him in action as the manager.
We also have heard he’s very good with the youngsters, and that’s an important facet of the manager job at Newcastle, since we will be bringing through a lot of our own young players.
Alan said:
“But when you see this stadium on this hill in the middle of the city, it’s something else and the chance of being manager is something that I couldn’t turn down.”
“I have always managed teams that have played attacking positive football, something I know the supporters here appreciate.”
“At the same time I intend to focus on developing exciting young players through the club’s excellent Academy and development squad, and I know the board here at St. James’ Park are very committed to that too.”
“I can’t wait to get started and what better way to kick-off than welcoming Liverpool to St. James’ Park on Saturday.”
I hope he considers Hatem Ben Arfa to be an exciting young player, because the fans love the lad.
A decent first press conference for Alan, and we hope he’s already put in a call to Hatem Ben Arfa in France, since the 23 year-old has got to be wondering what the hell is going on at the club, and what his position is at the club right now. So are we.
We have to believe Newcastle want to sign the lad, and we remind readers he was going to be fit as soon as the end of next month, before the you know what hit the fan on Monday.
Alan will be touching base with all the playing staff, but his main task tomorrow is on the training pitch, and preparing the lads for the crucial game against Liverpool on Saturday.
He will also no doubt have watched a few videos of our last few games.
And Alan will probably be wondering what team Newcastle have right now – good or bad – based on our up and down displays all season. So are we.
Comments welcome.
105 comments so far
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Comment #1pardew is s…e couldnt give a toss what he thinks we will be in championship next year and he will b just be another bad memory ,the guys on espn were spot on today he is sneaky longball liar who cant keeo his zip up cant wait to hear the fans crying about we have to support the team then
DarloGeordie
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Comment #2Words just words its actions that count. I hope he pulls it off but his history as a manager is pathetic.
alex84
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:26 PM
Comment #3im here to be proved wrong, but i cant see him doing that…and your right his record sucks!
alex84
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Comment #4they best sign ben arfa and keep our best players!
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Comment #5he is crap not fit to lace chris hs boots let alone manage our great football club
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:28 PM
Comment #6and ED loves him already great
nufclewin
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:28 PM
Comment #7http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Ashley-is-the-Worlds-Worst-Football-Club-Owner/176077812422408
Stardust
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Comment #8Save your spin you transparent back stabbing w@nker – cant wait till the day the same happens to you.
Oh the poor innocent you – how surprised you must have been on Monday to get the call to apply.
You obviously think we are all thick – stupid – just crawl back under your rock – creep.
GeordieGerman
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Comment #9howay lads, let’s give him a chance at least 2 games. Liverpool is wobbly but Birmingham that will be the proof of the pudding.
WriterChris
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Comment #10The thing is it’s immaterial how “well” he did today. He hasn’t been hired as a PR man, he’s allegedly here to win football matches and lets just remind ourselves as to how good he’s been at that:
In the 2006–07 season Pardew was criticised after seeing West Ham through their worst run of defeats in over 70 years which included a League Cup defeat to Chesterfield.Although Charlton’s form improved under Pardewhe was unable tokeep Charlton up, resulting in the first relegation of his career, both as a player and manager.
Many expected Charlton to bounce back from relegation into the Premier League with signings such as Chris Iwelumo and Luke Varney in the 2007/08 season. But Charlton failed to mount a serious promotion challenge and finished the season in 11th. This put Pardew under pressure going into the 08/09 season but Charlton started the season off well with victories over Reading and Swansea. However, Charlton’s form very quickly deteriorated and they were near the foot of the table after 8 games without a win. After an inept display in a 5-2 home defeat to Sheffield United hundreds of supporters remained for more than an hour to condemn their manager, chanting, “We want Pardew out” and “We want our club back” after Charlton had slipped into the Championship’s bottom three.
Pardew led Southampton to the 2010 Football League Trophy Final at Wembley, where they won 4–1 against Carlisle United. The win gave the club their first trophy since 1976. Five months later Pardew was dismissed by the club amidst reports of low staff morale and conflicts between Pardew and the club chairman…
Howay The Lads
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:38 PM
Comment #11I don’t get it.
Our fans constantly complain about the media calling us deluded and writing lie after lie about our club, but when it’s convenient for them to listen to the lies, they lap it up.
Sorry, but it goes two ways. If you’re willing to believe the Pardew rumours written by the papers with no evidence then you have to believe everything unfounded that they say.
Edd Case
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:39 PM
Comment #12I still have mixed feelings about this but I can’t see it being all bad.
I love the idea of getting our local lads through.
Think of the players Newcastle and Gateshead have produced. This is something Ashley holds dear, whether it’s money driven or not, we can’t be sure yet but he’s obviously keen on it, which I like.
I can’t help but feel Pardew will fair no better this season than Hoots would have, mid-table at best.
It’ll be next season I’ll judge him on, nevermind 5 year contracts, it’ll get torn to shreds if he buys players of the Best/Perch/Strola ilk and flops.
Colo, Smith, Perch, Raylor, Campbell, Routledge, Guthrie, Best, Xisco, Harps, Saylor, Nolan, Strola, can all be sold if you ask me.
We have to keep Carroll, Ranger, Tiote, Enrique, Krul/Forster, other than that, it’s completely there to be re-built.
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:39 PM
Comment #13go on stardust that the attitude lets let him no how we feel he will s…e himself saturday
Geordiedoonsooth
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:41 PM
Comment #14Don’t believe a word he said all wind & water no subsidance. Ashley puppet
DD2
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:47 PM
Comment #15you are all complaining about pardew but haven’t given him a few games to prove himself to you all. give him a chance for god sakes.
davybtoon
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:47 PM
Comment #16some of u have very short memeries coz i remember ch being told he wasnt good enough for are club n we wud never get promoted with a no2 in charge, he is a ashly puppet n part of cockney mafia bet it was the same ones calling pardew b4 he took one game, the same ones who now love ch
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Comment #17howay the lads the papers didnt write these rumors it was on espn today shaka hadnt a good word to say about him none of them did infact one of em dont no his name really insulted him said no players enjoyed playing for him and his ego nothing to do with paper talk
ganiyu
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Comment #18Congrats alan pandrew wish you the best in nufc.carroll is going smith is a first team player-tiote goes to the bench and we get promoted to d championship
DarloGeordie
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:49 PM
Comment #19Edd case – Colo, Smith, Perch, Raylor, Campbell (not so much), Routledge, Guthrie, Best, Xisco, Harps, Saylor, Nolan, Strola can all be sold. Do you support Newcastle at all?? thats nearly half the squad…
With the right manager a few of the players listed could be turned into good players maybe with time CH could have done that as he has done with Carroll n others. Pardew will not do this.
Cant get over the length of his contract its going to be a large payout when he gets sacked for getting us relegated
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:52 PM
Comment #20davybtoon these give him a chance fans are more than likley the one that said give ashley a chance too and look where thats got us
Howay The Lads
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:52 PM
Comment #21davyb, I remember loads of people moaning Chris was a ‘yes-man’, yet he gets sacked for holding his own.
People only hear what they want to.
It really does amaze me the effect of the media…
g300, I didn’t see it, so won’t comment, but I won’t begrudge the man for being a bad manager. I’ll be pissed at Ashley, but not him.
Robby Bobson
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:58 PM
Comment #22Gonna be singing my heart out for the Toon on Saturday….Pardew deserves a fair shot at it, not to come in to boos or an unsettled atmosphere.
Those who protest or boo must be so dumb….what happened last time the fans created a bad atmosphere…team spirit went, we got relegated.
davybtoon
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:58 PM
Comment #23g300 apart from a couple mangerial desicions that hav been crap what has ashly done wrong the club is or nearly debt free he has improved the academy, he sacked allardyce when we wanted him to, he brought in keegan n shearer for us, kinnear was a joke, hoots was only giving it coz no one else wanted
Stardust
Dec 9, 2010 at 10:59 PM
Comment #24To the tune of Que Sera – maybe a better way of displaying our anger and supporting the team…
“Play for Chris for Chris
He’s better than you and me
Knifed in the back by Ash er ley
Play for Chris for Chris
Play for Chris for Chris
He has so much dignity
Wants us to play at Wem ber ley
Play for Chris for Chris
Play for Chris for Chris
Our gaffa was taken from us
Hope Llambias is hit by a bus
Play for Chris for Chris”
Robby Bobson
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:01 PM
Comment #25Edd case…
You think we should sell a plyer who has got 8 goals this season, a player who has been great at centre back, a keeper who has been here for more than 15 years, our ionly right winger, guthrie who hasnt been on form this season but fantastic last and the season before and Shola Ameobi who has been here all his career and always been a good servant for the club.
Pffft what ya chattin man seriously.
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:01 PM
Comment #26he says he is not long ball but shaka said they were told to hoof the ball to harewood or ashton at every chance, now i am not again hoofball but tell the truth he just sayin what he thinks will win over our more fickel fans not one pundit has come out to back him
davybtoon
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:01 PM
Comment #27this is finally his first real appointment that he wants if ryt or wrong only time will tell, we can hate ashly all we want but he aint goin any were unless u kno someone with 500 to 600 mill to buy the club coz am tellin u he wont sell it for less
Isaac Hunt
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:02 PM
Comment #28Bring young geordies through the system and then sell them. Cash cow for Ashley! Middle of the table mediocrity for ever.
davybtoon
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:04 PM
Comment #29g300 well if play long ball football all of shud love him bcoz thats exactly how we played with hughton, if it dosent wk wit jonas n jose giv to cbs n hit long
Isaac Hunt
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:05 PM
Comment #30The only way Ashley will sell the club now is if it haemorrhaging money.
Lew Davies
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:05 PM
Comment #31FFS! He’s gone stardust. Cant bring him back. And if he has any sense atall he would never come back, not even if fat dick went down on bended knee.
Happy Birthday Chris and thats it.
GAME ON.
Isaac Hunt
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:07 PM
Comment #32We are now a selling club and Pardew is little more than a storeman, rotating the stock from the back of the shelves to the front.
g300
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:07 PM
Comment #33davybtoon he has made us the biggest joke in football he stabbed 3 of our greats in the back he got us relagated he hates the fans and if this c..t was in charge off any other club the fans would have got rid by now
davybtoon
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:07 PM
Comment #34isaac hunt as long as were in the prem the club will never b haemorrhaging money
Isaac Hunt
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:08 PM
Comment #3570% off!
milburn 77
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:08 PM
Comment #36stop whining on “your not giving him a chance”. no we arent, we dont want him why should we?
and give the “support the players” line a rest while your on, youve been saying that since ashley came in and hes done nowt but shit on the fans and club.
i dont condone pitch invasions but dont sit there at your keyboards and tell real fans to just turn up, pay good money and pretend everything is ok, it makes me sick
Isaac Hunt
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:10 PM
Comment #37Davy: Yes. Mid table mediocrity for ever.
daffy
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:10 PM
Comment #38Stardust – dont think Shakespeare or Chaucer would be too worried bout your poetic skills.
davybtoon
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:11 PM
Comment #39g300 ya talking out ya ass, no fans hav the power to get rid of owners, n ashly didnt get relegated he it was the gutless players who got us relegated, he also got us promoted bcoz he cud got rid of every single one of those players on big wages
Howay The Lads
Dec 9, 2010 at 11:12 PM
Comment #40g300, I know the omens aren’t good, but I will judge him as I would any other manager; how well they do for US.
If he does well, I’ll praise him. If he does bad, I’ll be disappointed and eventually slate him