Alan Pardew could well be managing his final game for Newcastle at Liverpool on Sunday in the final game of the season, and we just hope we can end the season on a positive note and get a result.
John Carver and Alan Pardew discuss tactics on Saturday
Is that too much to ask?
Yes, probably.
This is what Alan told the Shields Gazette today:
“I’ve got to apologize for the six games that went before Cardiff.” “At least, we’ve put it to an end. It’s not cured the situation, but we’ve stopped a difficult period.”
“We had winning momentum in November,” “But when momentum goes the other way, it can make you look worse than you are, which I think it did. It wasn’t that bad. We proved that.”
A question at the end of those comments – how and when did we prove it wasn’t that bad?
Certainly not against Cardiff City on Saturday – we were awful in that second half and a better side would have taken advantage – but Cardiff demonstrated why they are going down to the Championship – by missing their chances to score.
Maybe Alan is trying out some of the lines he will use when he meets with Mike Ashley and the Newcastle Board early next week, as they review the season, and presumably Mike Ashley decides Alan’s fate, and whether he stays on as Newcastle manager.
It’s simply been a nightmare for Newcastle fans since Boxing Day, but we could still finish in 9th place in the league, and if that happens it could be that Pardew even keeps his job, especially since the owner sold our best player in January.
But news today in L’Equipe that Newcastle are looking at St. Etienne manager Christophe Galtier, but he’s largely an unknown quantity, and the few French managers – apart from Arsenal great Arsene Wenger of course – who have tried their luck in the Premier League, have not been too successful.
Comments welcome.
189 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 10:56 AM
Comment #1REpost,
Is it not best to buy LDJ now before his value soars during the WC, oh hang on a minute, he’ll be watching it at home, best sign Shola instead before his value rockets, I can imagine Pardew now, explaining how he couldn’t get Shola over the line after his 17 mins in the group stages.
TDSarf,
It was an average season ? It was a complete implosion, what do I expect you ask, for starters for it at least look like we’re trying to win something.
Blofal
May 9, 2014 at 10:59 AM
Comment #2LDJ was played more as a CAM and asked to drop back and help the midfield so I am not surprised he didn’t score. He seems to me a decent holding striker though and I would snap him up if the price is right. I can see him forming a good partnership up front under another manager.
Ciaran
May 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Comment #3Morning folks,
Just letting you fine folk know that NUST are holding a comedy night in the Stand comedy club in support of JUST – the junior trust. This is a most worthwhile cause as it helps support junior coaching in the area. Tickets are £10 and it promises to be a really entertaining night.
For information about buying tickets simply check out NUST website nust.org.uk
Alternatively, if you want the personal approach, you can e-mail me and I can personally hand deliver them in town! My e-mail address is ciaran.donaghy@nust.org.uk
😀
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Comment #4Lilongwe
I don’t know why the PL would object. I’m sure they can choose whether to enter a B team or not. Although maybe some of the more honourable people will object as it will seriously hurt teams in the lower leagues.
This is just one part of the proposal that’s being highlighted and that’s unfair really. The idea is part of the overall strategy to give young English players more opportunity to play actual first team football, nothing wrong with that is there?
How is this a plaster for a short term fix? It’s not due to come in until 2017 and he’s admitted it will be for targeting the 2022 World Cup. There are lots of suggestions in the report that should benefit the England team.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Comment #5JfA
I didn’t call it an average season. Did you actually read my post??
I asked what you think would have made an average season this year. Do tell.
Mister Tuff
May 9, 2014 at 11:13 AM
Comment #6Percys’ spouting of “it wasn’t that bad” – takes my breath away. He certainly does spout some rubbish. His attempt to put a positive spin on things must be legendary now.
As far as de Jong goes – please don’t sign him -he will never make it in the PL. Those who think he will need to change their game -pronto – ladies rugby or netball I suggest.
Graeme
May 9, 2014 at 11:13 AM
Comment #7TDS – What would constitute a “Good” season depends on your starting point. At the start of this season, based on the previous fiasco, a “Top 10? would have been a fair ask.
However, we played far better than expected, performed better than anticipated and as a result we were sitting comfortably in 6th, pressing the teams above us and pushing for a place in Europe perhaps.
Then the wheels fell off when we reached “Safety” – the FA & League cups were sidestepped – then Cabaye was sold, which they had known was going to happen but chose to do nothing about it.
From 6th place we should have maintained a challenge, kept up the level of performance achieved and see how far we could go. Instead, we switched off, gave up the pretence and settled back for “Mid-Table Mediocrity” with all signs of ambition, competitive football killed off, the stuffing knocked out of the squad by selling Cabaye and making no real effort to replace him.
This team, with ambition, could well have maintened a decent run of points and should have done. It is the consequences of the abject capitulation; the clear lack of effort that has brought the conflict that P45DUE is now facing – and deservedly so.
Munster Mag
May 9, 2014 at 11:14 AM
Comment #8Darnsarf, I totally agree with you. All we can really hope for without proper funding iw to move up maybe two places. We have to give far great commitment to the cups though. Apart from that I agree with you. Without serious investment though we are goosed. These players have shown demonstrably that they have little love for a fight when things go wrong, and thats a serious issue for me.
Munster Mag
May 9, 2014 at 11:15 AM
Comment #9Anyway shut up you thick geordies. Go to southampton and get educated !! 🙂
Lilongwe Geordie
May 9, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Comment #10TDS,
It is short term because it is aiming at the professional game, when the malaise sets in at a much lower level. They should be concentrating on fixing the issues with the game at the very early stages.
Just cause more English players are getting a game doesn’t mean they will be better. It means that the product that the Premier league is selling is devalued and that means less income for clubs and the Premier league. If these kids are good enough they will get games, be it on loan, or in the first team. By creating a league especially for these players that may or may not make it at first team level we are just going to end up with similar calibre players as we would if they went on loan or came through the ranks of a lower league club.
Now, improve the quality of players joining clubs by improving coaching standards from bairns through to academies, and you will have a better standard of player coming through. An example of this is Belgium, who began the revamp of their coaching and youth football methods nearly 15 years ago now. The result is that they currently boast some excellent players, and have more coming through the system.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:21 AM
Comment #11Graeme
I will continue to dispute that we didn’t go for the cups. The teams that we put our were not far off full strength but we did rotate our squad for the cups like every single other team did. This isn’t unique to NUFC so I think that’s very unfair to say we didn’t go for them. Look at the teams we put out.
I agree with you on the second half of the season though, Cabaye was sold and the wheels fell off…no creativity and no plan B from Pardew…
I’d like him to be replaced but I still don’t see how this season as a whole was that much worse than the average we could expect.
mindshaft
May 9, 2014 at 11:23 AM
Comment #123-0 against Cardiff flattered us and they were well in the game until the 2nd goal went in on 87 mins – in fact they were all over us in the 2nd half up to that point so I’m not sure how Pards can say we played well.
Dread to think what the score will be on Sat, I hope we keep it to single figures
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:25 AM
Comment #13Munster Mag
That comes from the top doesn’t it? One reason I think a change of manager will shake them up a bit.
We could do it without serious investment but then we need extremely good management at all levels for an extended period of time. Arsenal managed it, Liverpool have done it for decades and Spurs and Everton have been doing it for about the last 10 years too.
There are only 3 ways to the CL places:
1 – MASSIVE investment as you say
2 – Exceptional management at all levels
3 – Outstanding season and a lot of luck
We nearly got the latter a couple of seasons ago…and I think that raised the expectations of some fans that we’re better than we really are…
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Comment #14TDSarf,
An average season would, I suppose consist of a run of very average results routinely throughout the season with an average cup run, not two polar opposites and early exits from the cups, a good season even if we had of finished eighth would have seen us at least within in a chance of finishing top six right up until the death and even an FA cup quarter final where upon exiting at least looking like we’d given it a go in an exciting match.
We gave City a good game but that is long forgotten and doesn’t erase the memories of all our other cup humiliations.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Comment #15Lilongwe
I agree with you on the coaching and I’ve been saying the same thing for years. But I still think having 18 and 19 year olds getting PL level coaching but playing regular first team football is a good thing for them. Some PL clubs have good quality 22 year olds who have barely played a first team game.
Not all PL clubs want to send players out on loan to a lower league club with poor facilities and coaching. Sometimes they want to keep them under their wing.
I don’t understand why you’re shooting down something that will be good for young English players. Just because it doesn’t fix everything, doesn’t mean that it can’t be part of the solution.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:28 AM
Comment #16I really like the sound of this guy. Team didn’t fall apart when they sold P.E.A and he plays attacking a football. What’s not to like
The 47-year-old has been in charge at Saint-Etienne for five seasons, winning the French League Cup last term and incredibly guided his side to fourth in Ligue 1 this year, requiring just a point to ensure Champions League qualification, despite the sale of star striker Pierre Aubameyang.
With a penchant for free-flowing, attacking football and a well-organised defence Galtier, who is also interesting Aston Villa, seems to be the perfect candidate to take over at Newcastle should Ashley dispense with Pardew during the summer
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:28 AM
Comment #17attacking football, not attacking a football!
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:31 AM
Comment #18TDS
I think PL B teams in league 1 would be excellent. Don’t get the lower league clubs problems as the Beams can’t get promoted so what’s their beef?
If it’s good enough for Spain…..
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Comment #19“I’ve got to apologize for the six games that went before Cardiff.”
What about all the other matches, I was at the Palace match, it was painful and apparently the Villa game was just as bad, does he believe what he tells him self, he is going to wish he was never born come next season.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Comment #20B teams even
Geremi's Prosthetic Leg Fund
May 9, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Comment #21I am truly truly sick to death of this guy. Please acknowledge the form since Christmas Pardew! For God’s sake, stop palming it off as the last 6 games. He’s an absolute wretch of an individual.
Also from previous thread, trying to sign De Jong stinks of our desperation to sign players. He is nowhere near good enough for this level, he hasn’t got the attributes not a case being unlucky. I’ll be extremely disappointed if that goes through.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:33 AM
Comment #22JfA
We’ve only been in 2 cups this year…and as you say, we gave City a damn good game.
I know the 2nd half of the season has been dire (and the reason I want Pardew to go), but if I tossed 5 heads in a row and then 5 tails in a row, it would still be average. We possibly overachieved in the first half of the season and then severely underachieved in the second half of the season. Overall, I’d say we’re just under average.
Our cup performance has been dire for years and that’s sad but I still don’t think things are as bad as some fans make out.
Let’s say average was:
8th place with 55 points
FA Cup 5th round
League Cup Quarter Final
1 win/1 loss against the dirty mackems
In fact, I’d have been pretty happy with that so maybe it’s above the average that I expected…
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:34 AM
Comment #23Jail
I lost count of the actual stats but wasn’t it something like 13 out of 18 games lost prior to Cardiff and not scored in 14 out of 18 or something like that.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:38 AM
Comment #24TDS
What a lot of people don’t get is that it’s got to the point where the results are almost secondary, we’re just so desperate to see some free flowing attacking and exciting football, not this endless ”containing” drivel.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:38 AM
Comment #25Rotonda
Because it would push lots of other clubs down the ladder effectively. The 50th ranked club in the football league pyramid suddenly becomes the 60th ranked club or worse. Some sponsors would go for the Arsenal B team rather than Leyton Orient and some fans would go to see B team matches rather than their local lower league A team. Also there would be fewer PL young players available to be loaned by lower league teams.
There are absolutely no benefits to lower league teams.
It works in Spain because they’ve been doing it for a long time and their system is already heavily biased towards the top clubs.
In our country we have teams like Hull, Wigan and Fulham who rose through the divisions to the top and actually manage to stay up I don’t think that happens so much abroad.
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 11:38 AM
Comment #26TDSarf,
Interpret how you want with the law of averages, it was a dire season, what’s all that about two cups, I am fully aware we were only in two cups, I’m not stupid I worked in Southampton once.
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 11:39 AM
Comment #27Rotonda,
What’s that stat about from allof our 3-0 or more hidings Pardew has seen most of them.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:40 AM
Comment #28Rotonda
I 100% cannot argue with you there. That’s exactly the kind of thing I wish fans would join together and campaign for. I’m bored of the “Ashley out” cr*p, but I’d 100% support a campaign demanding more attractive football. We should put pressure on the owner to doing the right things for NUFC and its fans.
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 11:41 AM
Comment #29TDSarf,
If we had more attractive football and some ambition shown there wouldn’t be any Ashley out crap.
Munster Mag
May 9, 2014 at 11:42 AM
Comment #30Rotunda, we know little about this guy in fairness. If he wasnt french we wouldnt care, and we may be leaving the french model anyway ( an error IMO ) . Whats hjis level of english like?? I dont want to sound like a little englander ( I’m irish after all ) but not many get away with that, bar Pottecino
Lilongwe Geordie
May 9, 2014 at 11:43 AM
Comment #31TDS,
You assume that the B team will have the same standard of coaching as the first team when you say Premier league coaching. That is highly unlikely to be the case as essentially it would require 2 different sets of staff coaching 2 different sets of players. It would just mean that current reserve team coaches would become B team coaches.
If the young players are good enough they wouldn’t be going on loan to poor sides with poor coaching set ups. The top youngsters, the ones that may benefit rom this get loans to decent clubs anyway. There is very little to say that English players would be the beneficiary. There would likely be huge numbers of foreign players in the B team.
I’m shooting it down because it is ill thought through and unlikely to work. The development league was meant to solve these exact same problems of player development and increase the number of English youngsters at the top level. It won’t work until we start from the right point, which is upping coaching standards and the way the game is played at the youngest level.
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:45 AM
Comment #32JfA
You must have learned your grammar in Southampton, clearly you can’t have been educated in Newcastle… 😉
We were closely beaten by a very good City side but our team on the day was virtually full strength and they have a fantastic squad. Cardiff we definitely should have beaten.
But it wasn’t a dire season then. What would you say last season was or the season we were relegated? What about the season we finished 5th. I think too many Newcastle fans are either boom or bust…there isn’t much inbetween…
Mister Tuff
May 9, 2014 at 11:45 AM
Comment #33Percy………………………………………………………….OUT
Tubbs………………………………………………………..OUT
Mischievous leprechauns………………………….OUT
ToonDarnSarf
May 9, 2014 at 11:48 AM
Comment #34Lilongwe
They would have access to the same facilities as the first team most likely and the club who owns the players has control over the coaches and the coaching. They can also be influenced by first team coaches and the first team manager too.
Upping coaching standards is correct, but I don’t see why this B team league can’t add value to the overall proposal.
I still think it won’t get approved because of the objections from lower league teams.
There can only be 11 players on the pitch for a PL team so surely it’s good to give as many opportunities for young players to prove themselves in a competitive environment. Haven’t you seen the calls for our young players to get first team football? Surely you could see the benefit of allowing them to play League One football with their NUFC team mates while maintaining ownership so we can better monitor their progress and expose them to higher level coaching sometimes.
mag
May 9, 2014 at 11:49 AM
Comment #35Jail your production of rubbish and various effluent is on a industrial scale.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:49 AM
Comment #36ed
How many french managers in EPL have there been in fairness? I can only really think of Wenger and Houllier and they have both done pretty well.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:53 AM
Comment #37Munster
that’s the point he wouldn’t have to, it’s virtually a french squad
Jail for Ashley
May 9, 2014 at 11:54 AM
Comment #38TDSarf,
This season was dire, last season was really dire.
stuart no9
May 9, 2014 at 11:55 AM
Comment #39Another stupid comment from pardew _ sack him now.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2014 at 11:56 AM
Comment #40jail
lost count on that too!! from a man who spends 4 days out of 5 coaching defense!!