Newcastle now have two home games in a row and must attempt to get point out of second top Manchester City, and rock bottom QPR, who have only 7 points form their 16 games, and no wins yet in the Premier League, and that’s the longest time any side has gone without a win in the Premier League.
Alan Pardew – we can still beat anybody
Alan Pardew is well aware of Newcastle’s now precarious place in the league table (why is that not a surprise?) – and he had this to say today:
“We have to keep an eye on where we are.” “It is difficult to get points at the minute.” “We’re a side that on its day can beat anybody.”
“We look more like a team.” “In the last three games the level has improved.” “But unfortunately we need to get results.”
The reality is that’s it’s just a little bit scary how Newcastle have imploded over the last seven league games where we only a draw at Liverpool and a win against 10 man Wigan to show for those efforts, and it’s not like we’ve been playing any of the top sides either.
In our second full season as a Newcastle fans’ blog we saw the team relegated, and if was a difficult season to say the least, and September of 2008 could have been the worst month in Newcastle’s history with all the negativity and confusion at the club, and Mike Ashley even tried to sell Newcastle, but he couldn’t find a buyer.
Things are a lot more stable now, but the scary thing is we are two points worse off after 16 league games than we were four years ago.
These are trying times at Newcastle, but if Alan is right, and we can still beat anybody on our day – let’s beat Manchester City on Saturday.
Then we’ll all feel a bit better about things. :D.
Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and +1 us on Google+:
You can also reach Ed at admin@nufcblog.com
=============================================
17 comments so far
Beattie25
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #1It shouldnt be down to being ‘on it’s day’.
It should be through hard work, determination and tactical genius that we can beat anyone, and that ‘day’ comes more often than not.
We have the ingredients for a souffle but Pardew gives us spotted dick.
Carryingcoals
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #2Let’s not all jump on him for one quote here – he’s right as we have proven on our day we can beat anybody.
But it’s one of these necessary quips that people will attack or come back on you.
The level of performance has been better recently as after we lost to West Ham/Swansea at home we offered hardly anything.
Pick up the points Pards, unfortunately can’t see that happening Saturday.
If any of you regulars are going I’ll be in Union Rooms after for post match ‘analysis’..
Rotonda heights
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Comment #3Yes remy, debuchy and douglas would improve us but it didn’t happen back in the summer so no faith it would now. Actually I think Corchia and M’Biwa or Sakho might be better bets than Debuchy and Douglas.
Despite the lack of investment in the summer , it’s just been stubborn stupidity from pardew in nearly every match that has put us where we are now.
At the moment we have a top 8 team and with a couple of tweaks even higher, but if a manager has a mindset that won’t be shifted then disaster lies ahead. As someone said if he can’t even see the problems how can he fix it?
Carryingcoals
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Comment #4‘We have the ingredients for a souffle but Pardew gives us spotted dick.’
– brilliant. haha
Beattie25
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Comment #5Carryinggoals
I have made a habit over the past 2 years of disceting Pardews quotations to the annoyance of many.
I’ll be honest it is a hobbie of mine, but to be quite frank you dont have to be a phsycology student to be able to read between the lines.
Reading between the lines Pardew hopes we are on our day this Saturday, if not we havent got a hope in hell.
Rotonda heights
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Comment #6beattie
superb analogy.
can you put that prospective manager list up again
Carryingcoals
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Comment #7Rotanda – good point. Pardew repeatedly makes the same mistakes which is the most frustrating thing.
Transfer Sage
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Comment #8Beattie
glad you are back…superb quote
Rotonda heights
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Comment #9pardew got the gig down to the old pals act, not down to any meritorious cv and it stinks. However, we have an owner who no one else will work for so the whole situation is insipid and 50000+ fans deserve so much better
Beattie25
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Comment #10Carryinggoals
Reading between the lines we are going to be relegated and PArdew is dreaming of that 8 year pay out.
Seriously though would anybody else not think of doing that? get an 8 year deal worth millions and then quickly get fired so you get a large lump sum of some geezer you hate anyway?!
IF I was manager of anyone but NUFC I’d do it.
Spoof
Dec 12, 2012 at 11:08 AM
Comment #11How anyone can blame Pardew is baffling, last season he had a mid-table side which due to good management and a little bit of luck over-achieved, this season due to a lack of support from the owner Pardew has got virtually the same squad, with Anita replacing Guthrie, however the good luck we had last season has turned into bad luck this season due to injuries, combining the bad luck with the additional work-load with the Europa league we find ourselves at the wrong end of the league table, with all due respect to Pardew, if you have an injury ravaged mid-table side with no quality in reserve you will struggle.
If Pardew had his way poor quality players such as Ferguson, Perch, Williamson, Sammy and Shola would not be his first choice reserves, they are his first choice due to Ashley refusing to buy reinforcements, how the hell can we blame Pardew for that
JARRAMAG
Dec 12, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Comment #12I remember at the end of last season a certain mr Pardue pointing out that we will be signing a commanding centre half who could score goals from set pieces and roll on 7 months no centre half and the same tactic is used,hit Williamsons head and hope for the best.Our tactical magician cannot see that is does not work,with this observation alone i fear the worst for our season-he has lost the plot
God help us
hatemorloveit
Dec 12, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Comment #13Tickets have gone on general sale for man city-all hope is lost
nufc 11
Dec 12, 2012 at 12:03 PM
Comment #14Seb Bassong wud have been a snip at 2.5mill cud have played LB aswel, Santon not a LB IMO more a RM than LB, Colo very shakie too, Saylor is a lost cause not a CB and just leaves the brill Willo and the caplable Simo god we do have problems at the back qwen will it end ..
Graeme
Dec 12, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Comment #15Beattie 25 – have you tried anti-biotic’s for your spots? It can help!!
Nice comment though. He certainly does have players available who, if given the correct roles, could certainly change the way we play.
With Tiote (or Perch) alongside Anita it will help cover the weakness in the back four. Use only ONE striker up front, EITHER Ba or Cisse (please keep Bambi on the bench). Use HBA, Marveaux, Obertan to provide pace and flair between the mid two and the striker.
There will be flexibility to defend with 6 or 7 or attack with 4 or 5. Its all about getting movement, both on and off the ball, which is just not happening at the moment!!
woolerbill
Dec 12, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Comment #16That’s it, Pardew has proved he has lost the plot. The only team we can beat are 10 men, he needs to walk away from football. Has he looked at our results, does he realizes he is the manager of Newcastle not Manchester.
Crawfordladd17
Dec 12, 2012 at 5:06 PM
Comment #17we have the ability no doubt about that, the performances is the thing. Cabaye, Ba, Ben Arfa, Coloccini, Krul and Tiote are all top players. Cisse could if he tried harder, So should Tiote, Santon will and is becoming. Anita is decent as are Marveaux, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor and Simpson. Then that is it is Jonas, Obertan, Williamson, Shola are poor. Perch is not great either but works very hard. The youngesters apart from Bigirmana I am not sure yet.
So come on boys we all know you are a top half team AT LEAST.
Hopefully if we get very good right back, centre back and striker, then we can start to look up not down.