We’ve thought ever since Alan Pardew came to Newcastle, that he was somewhat similar to Chris Hughton.
Alan Pardew – growing into the job at Newcastle
Both managers seem to have realized how lucky they are (were) to be manager of Newcastle United, a club that has had no success at all since 1969, but is still one of the best supported clubs in football.
Chris seemed to be inspired when he took over the club in the summer of 2009 following relegation, when it was at one of its lowest points for many a year, and he worked night and day to give the fans some success.
And success is what gentleman Chris Hughton gave the club, as the team gained a massive 102 points in their promotion season from the Championship, and gave the fans something to celebrate.
And Chris did well in the Premier League too, and it will always be a bit of a mystery why the Londoner was sacked, but Mike Ashley seems to be a law unto himself, so who knows why Chris was sacked?
But Chris Hughton did a great job for Newcastle, and the fans will never forget that.
And it seems to us that Alan Pardew is going in the same direction as Chris, and it’s just a little bit unbelievable that the side, at least at the time of writing this article, are in 4th place in the league.
And it’s been their best start to a Premier League season since way back in 1995, and they looked a good side yesterday at Villa Park.
While Newcastle missed out badly in not bringing in a top striker in the summer, the club’s other buys seems to have been good ones and bargains too.
Newcastle brought in Yohan Cabaye, Mehdi Abeid, Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan and Davide Santon for a total cost of around £14M, and most of those signings look to be good ones at the moment.
With Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton having departed in the summer, Newcastle had a small outlay of maybe around £2M in net transfer fees in the summer, but of course we’ll not even mention the £35M we recived for Andy Carroll in January, so there’s transfer money available.
To be brutally honest, we thought Alan Pardew would be utterly hopeless at Newcastle, and thought when he was appointed in December that it was just a terrible appointment.
But Alan has proved us dead wrong, and he’s done very well at the Tyneside club so far, and he has a lot of positives we didn’t even realize he had, when he was appointed.
He’s good with the players, a decent tactition, and just an excellent man-manager, which is so important when you have to bring through the youngsters.
We’ll not get carried away, and we still don’t know if Newcastle are as good as they look by their league position, but we’ll be very happy if Alan keeps surprising us, on the upside.
And it would be great, really great, if Mike Ashley makes up for the huge mistake in the summer transfer window, by funding say three new players in the January transfer window, especially if Newcastle continue their high position through the end of the year.
We’ll be hoping (and praying).
Comments welcome.
189 comments so far
niafron
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:29 PM
Comment #1Why Hughton was sacked?
Cause the total reshaping of the team was a long planed action.
archaeomag
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:36 PM
Comment #2Beginning to warm to Mr Pardew
Results results going our way with Liverpool & Scum winning[ hoping for a draw], at least ex-player are doing well with Woodgate & Bramble helping our cause!
archaeomag
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:40 PM
Comment #3*ex-players
Milking Mikes' bulging pockets
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:41 PM
Comment #4Next 4 PL matches, are all there for the taking.
shamsoftabriz
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:41 PM
Comment #5What I respect about Pardew is his professionalism. His ability to deal with the likes of Ashley and Llambias on the one hand and disgruntled players like Barton and Enrique on the other while remaining optimistic, focused, and calm is remarkable. He’s a very good manager and he’s perfect for our situation. And I think the spirit the team has shown on the pitch this season in the face of all the negativity is due in large part to his unflappable optimism.
archaeomag
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:42 PM
Comment #6& I like the way he talks about the tactical mistakes he has made – very open, and takes responsibility.
Dannyo
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:43 PM
Comment #7It’s hard to know why Hughton was sacked, one can only speculate.
Here’s two theories:
1. Hughton wasn’t relying enough on our scouting system, and was getting players after watching them once, or atleast it seems. Players like Routledge and Perch was brought in under his tenure. Altho we did make some good signings aswell.
2. DL and MA thought it wasn’t the time for having a unexperienced manager at Newcastle if they were to catch up with their 5 year plan.
Why they went after Pards, who knows. Neither MA or DL has a clue about football, and maybe Pards gave the best interview? Or maybe other options demands was too high for them.
In any case, good article by Ed, Pards has allot of my respect by now tbh. Not all of it tho, he’ll get that if we finish in top 8 this season and makes St.James Park a fortress.
Toon1978
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:44 PM
Comment #8Pardew is doing a good job and good for him. Carroll is getting a pasting from the Liverpool supporters again. Worst possible move Carroll could ever make. I think he may rue the day he signed for Liverpool.
lekech
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:44 PM
Comment #9Pardoo is lucky to have John Carver beside him.
pardew no 1
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:46 PM
Comment #10elliot
kardar
perch
saylor
raylor
marveux
abied
tiote
sameobi
loverkrands
ba
that is a decent team for tuesday
Dannyo
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:50 PM
Comment #11Will be interesting to see who Pardew fields and who he places on the bench.
Think it’ll show who he really rates.
Toon1978
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:50 PM
Comment #12Peter Crouch is a terrible player. 10 million quid…don’t think so lol. Just watching him for Stoke. How Stoke are 5th i will never know but i suppose the same can could have been said about us after the QPR game.
niafron
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:55 PM
Comment #13Didn’t Pard say himself he waas their cause his speciality was to rebuild teams?
For me, when he came, the departure of the seniors players, and the change of play style, was already decided.
Hughton was sacked cause maybe to close from his players, and maybe not tha man for a total football Kind change.
nufc90
Sep 18, 2011 at 3:59 PM
Comment #14think pardew is doing very well.
comparing the fixtures we’ve played so far this season to the same ones last season we’ve managed to get an extra 5points. that’s a decent bit of progression
Dannyo
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Comment #15@niafron
I think that sounds like a sensible thing tbh. Hughton doesn’t have enough experience to establish a new team where/when needed. Pards had to do that a bit it seems in his past tenures.
And he wasn’t that close to the players either. only been there when summer came since middle of December.
Toonboy_84
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:02 PM
Comment #16Remember only 1 or 2 % wanted Pardew here when that poll was done, just before he signed.
I think he has won a lot of fans over (me included). Seems to handle the media quite well too.
Should Cashley get credit for Pardew’s appointment?
Dannyo
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:05 PM
Comment #17Aguero scores… Carroll worth the £35 million we got for him compared to the £35 mill City payed for Aguero?
Dannyo
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:08 PM
Comment #18Man Utd takes lead through Smalling.
wattos
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:11 PM
Comment #19Right folks, I’m going to make a possibly contoversial statement, “Alan Pardew best manager at Newcastle since KK (first time round)” Debate!
magpiebop
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Comment #20I think we should get carried away and just get behind the team like nowt else on earth. It’s much more fun when we all get carried away. The partying before and after the game is much more upbeat, the singing inside the ground is more constant and louder too!
Dannyo
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:15 PM
Comment #21@wattos
Faaaaaar too soon to debate that even remotely.
He needs atleast 3 years at the post, and needs to improve the team and where we end up at the league table each year.
GS
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:17 PM
Comment #22Wattos:
How long have you supported NUFC? I think we had one of the truly great managers after Keegan. Bobby Robson ring a bell?
toonthompson
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:21 PM
Comment #23any streams fot the games
Sholameobi
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:22 PM
Comment #24@wattos in my opinion SBR was the best manager we ever had, probably the best manager we’ve had since SBR though
wattos
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:25 PM
Comment #25GS,
Have supported Newcastle since I was a wee bairn (about 120 years ago!) got smacked in the face at the leazes end by a wayward free kick from Alan Gowling in 1976…
Agree about Sir Bobby (hence why I said it was a potentially controversial comment) however didn’t SBR have a better squad at his disposal?
Actually think there is a lot of similarity between AP and SBR in so much as Pardew seems to be a great man manager and gets the (Leon) best out of players that might just be average elsewhere…
BigAl9
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:27 PM
Comment #26I think we are lucky to have him, like the vast majority I was totally underwhelmed by his appointment, but the balancing act he has had to do between fans/players/board has made it harder than it should of been for a manager. He`s done if fantastically well by the way, and what a brilliant perfrmance yesterday!!! with Ben Arfa and Santon to come back into that side it`s happy days.
Toonboy_84
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:37 PM
Comment #27Great goal by Nani. Absolute scorcher!
~~San-Toon~~
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:51 PM
Comment #28Not looking forward to the games against the two Manchester sides… especially United….
Man United’s success however can only do wonders for the England team…
With Smalling, Phil Jones(My god what a buy he was), Young and Rooney all on super form. Welbeck on superb form as well before injury….
GS
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:51 PM
Comment #29Wattos,
I remember Gowling well, was the Shola of that era, so I am not surprised you got hit in the Leazes end. Keegan and Robson are legends of the game, that’s why I might have seemed a bit snippy with you.
If you want a debate, I will ask you why Malcolm McDonald is always griping about everything Newcastle?
GeordieToon89
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:51 PM
Comment #30Man Utd are pretty scary haha
Nani ——————– Young
—–Rooney—-Hernandez
~~San-Toon~~
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:53 PM
Comment #31@Wattos…
Only problem I’ve got with Pardew (in recent games) is his belief that we have 11 men on the field when Shola Plays…
Andy
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Comment #32Mackems done us a favour. Still 4th place! Nice to see us there for a bit even if it is short lived
wattos
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Comment #33GS,
One word “bitter and twisted”…
…that’s three words actually ;->
GeordieToon89
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Comment #34GS – Mcdonald is a full scale bell end lol goes on as if he’s in the know with newcastle yet the things he says are complete cr*p hes not even a geordie and clearly doesnt no a good player nowadays when he sees one the way he slates some of ours..cant stand him on the legends
GeordieToon89
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:57 PM
Comment #35only ManCity and ManUtd have better goal diffrence than us ha
wattos
Sep 18, 2011 at 4:57 PM
Comment #36Seriously though (and a point made on MOTD last night) outside the mega-bucks clubs think we are quietly building a very good squad…need some luck with injuries until the Jan Transfer window, but if we can bring in a decent CF and CB then we should do well this season.
Andy
Sep 18, 2011 at 5:02 PM
Comment #37I hate motd now. So ill informed pundits. It is their job to be informed and know players but they seem to far up their own @rse to do it. Lawro comment last night. “Came from France but we don’t know a lot about cabaye” Well Mr Lawrenson you had how long to find out? You get paid to speak about teams and players so the least you could do is do a little bit of research! Getting paid to pass comment on football and not knowing a french double winning french international is ridiculous. Same with Shearer last year about Ben Arfa.
gorgonzola
Sep 18, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Comment #38Liverpool filth got hacked…
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/09/18/tottenham-4-0-liverpool-match-highlights-video/
kilcline
Sep 18, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Comment #39Pardrew has done a good job taking into consideration the players that have been sold against his will. I still feel he needs to do the following to truely get all of the toon army behind him:
1. Don’t let Shola anywhere near our first team again.
2. Go out and buy a striker in Jan, just get the deal done for a top quality striker.
3. Play Obertan as a sub, he will be brilliant as an impact player.
I am very excited for when Ben Arfa and Santon come in 😉
HWTL
P.S maybe we should try and gring in Hooper from Celtic?
@WWJJB Hooper?!!!!!
catchy in norway
Sep 18, 2011 at 5:16 PM
Comment #40im still far from convinced that he is any better than CH
he said he is good at rebuilding teams,??? for me this team is a step backwards, we dont have goals in it,
out of all the summer signings , only cabeye has shown us anything, that we can say yes he is better than what we had,
i think that the guy, like all the other managers sees something in strola that none of us will ever get,
ppl say CHs tactics wherent there, but to be honest , AP dont have a clear cut plan that i can see,
obertan , that guy, omg, he will never ever make a forward or a winger, he loses the ball every time, and can not cross a ball,
Marveaux, , this guy seems to be good, but can not get in the team???
where the hell is mehdi abeib,, one of our best players in pre season, ??? never gets close to the team now
no for me, he has a lot to prove, and when the league sorts itself out, we will start drifting down, teams that dont score dont finish high
i still think he is in the pocket of one mr cashly, but im cynical like that,
he still is a puppet