Alan Pardew was upbeat, but also matter of fact, when he was interviewed today by Sky Sports at St. James’ Park, during the open training session that took place today in front of Newcastle’s young fans.
Alan Pardew – we can have a great season
Alan was asked if top 10 was again the target for this coming season:
¨Well the average for this club over the last 10 years in the Premiership is 48 points, and I think if we can get that or anything above that it will be a good season for us.¨
¨But you know at this stage of the season like all clubs we dream higher than that, so we’ll just have to see where we go and we have another window to get through in the winter and that caused us damage last time.¨
¨Hopefully we can conduct our business well in that window, and strengthen again, and if we can we can have a great season.¨
It depends which quotes you concentrate on, from what Alan has said above, during a rather lengthy but very good interview today.
Maybe if we get 48 points it would be a good season for us – will get some coverage in the press – but that’s kind of taking his quote out of context.
That seemed to be a low mark for the season, the way Alan was talking to Sky Sports.
We would like the target to be a top six finish, and it may even be a stretch target, but nobody at Newcastle is going to say that in public, since the Newcastle officials seem to want to lower the expectations of Newcastle’s fans – whose expectations are always on the high side.
And they should be too.
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218 comments so far
toon kk
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:28 PM
Comment #41Rotonda
Fair enough with Debuchy, I’m not saying we had a poor squad just an average one .
Our Toon
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:28 PM
Comment #42Toon King
You
Beatroll25
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:28 PM
Comment #43MArkaccus
That sounds delicious.
Where can I get a recipe?
Transfer Sage
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:29 PM
Comment #44beefman
I think the comment from Pardew about 48 points is shocking….why should we aim for the clubs average in the league?
We have had all sorts of extremes in that time so surely we should be assessing our competition and our own abilities and setting the target from there, not from historic data when half the teams over the prem league history are no longer in it and money has changed massively from early times.
Slank
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:29 PM
Comment #45Lil @ 28
Tiote’s role is very specialised and there aren’t too many like him around.
I agree about Sissoko. He is fine in a three man midfield where the other two allow him to bomb forward.
Our Toon
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:30 PM
Comment #46Toon King
I’ll start again seeing as I just dropped my phone (idiot I am)
You gave a paragraph or minimum a couple of sentences to describe all the other managers etc. Let me describe pardews claim to fame:
JOHNSTONE PAINT TROPHY
Transfer Sage
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:31 PM
Comment #47lilongwe
All I can think is that the club is of little real interest too him….even the 10mil profit is nothing when you consider his total wealth…I think all he seems to want is the club to tick along until somebody comes in and offers him silly money.
It’s also a good vehicle to advertise and link his sports company to a known ‘brand’ (in NUFC) world wide…a club known for exciting football is a good partner to have.
Markaccus
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:31 PM
Comment #48Beatroll
Apply in writing to the NUFC canteen. The only ingredient i can confidently say is NOT in the onion soup, is onions.
Beatroll25
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:32 PM
Comment #49Markaccus
Did you sell the onions to make a massive profit and replace them with a cheaper option in order to patch up the mistake you made in flogging the main ingredient?
Transfer Sage
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:33 PM
Comment #50beatroll
You do realise that carrots are known as french onions, or is that dutch onions these days…..so really we are no worse off haha
Markaccus
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:33 PM
Comment #51Our toon
he also won the award for the manager who looks most like a Thunderbird Puppet. (Probably which ever Tracey brother spent his time in the space station)
Our Toon
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:34 PM
Comment #52Toon KK
Pardew has been backed at this club but not as much as he’d like to have been but he was also backed at other clubs, most notably West ham when he couldn’t get his head around Tevez or Mascherano.
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:34 PM
Comment #53Markaccus,
But an improvement in the coaching side and staff side would improve revenues and increase monies in from player sales. He can still keep us mid table doing that, he will just get more back from selling players.
I also didn’t just mean for manager or coaching. Appointments throughout his tenure here have been awful. Occasionally he hits lucky, Carr being a good example, but Vetere, Wise, Jimenez, Kinnear, Llambias all examples of poor appointments. I imagine if I delved deeper you could find other failed appointments in more junior executive roles.
He could use a lack of knowledge initially, but surely after this long he would have learnt a bit more about the industry, maybe he has, hence his spot on the board now. I doubt it though. He will always appoint people he trusts.
Slank
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:34 PM
Comment #54The fans wouldn’t care less how the team played if the club won a trophy.
I cannot recall the Arsenal fans complaining about the style when they won so many trophies when everyone else said ‘boring one nil Arsenal’
Beatroll25
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:35 PM
Comment #55Sage
Ha ha.
Next you’ll open up the doors to the fans saying that French Onions are no good and they should be replaced with local English ones.
Our Toon
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:35 PM
Comment #56Markaccus
Haha never thought of that, oh dear that is funny.
Does anyone else think the Tiote thing will end like cabaye? Is he really injured or is he being saved from injury?
Markaccus
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:35 PM
Comment #57Beatroll
Yes, basically. Also, if the carrots work out well, i will flog them on next year and gamble on using 8 radishes and a potato. It will still be called onion soup.
Rotonda heights
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:37 PM
Comment #58Should have paid whatever it took to get marcos Rojo. Would have totally transformed the defense.
mecannylad
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:38 PM
Comment #59Next season, whichever club he is at Tiote will probably miss 6 games through suspension, six through injury and a further six through ACON …… That’s why he’ll be shipped out by NUFC.
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:38 PM
Comment #60Sage,
“A club known for exciting football” Not for much longer at the rate we are going! 😉
catchy in norway
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Comment #61toonking transfer
im not sure how you can say you what you are saying about it being the players for the 5th and pardew when its 16th
for me its is a simple as black and white,,
we finished 5th though a lot of luck, some our own and some other things nufc had no control of i,e Chelsea and Liverpool had a mare of a season due to Manager problems, and we benefitted from this,
our luck was we got battered in many games but hung on to get a point or 3, this is also fine we can not expect to win every game,
but when for the most part we are getting battered by Fulham 5-1 after taking the lead then trying to just hold on to that 1 goal for 80 mins (just a guess at the time), not going for more goals, this then becomes a pardew problem, this is the football he wants us to play. when it does go wrong for us, we have no idea how to set it right.
Ba got 16 goals before Xmas that season, not a goal or assist when Cisse came, Ba hardly touched a ball from feb to the end of the season yet he was on the pitch, this is a manager problem, trying to keep players happy and playing them out of position just so they get a match.
this problem was reversed when Cisses was played as a right winger, because pardew was trying to please a player who would not commit to the club and was gone in Jan, this is a manager problem
the season we finished 16th, we got 1 signing, Anita, who is not a bad player, just pardew has no idea where to play him, but that season, we should have been on a high, we finished 5th we were in Europe but pardew could not handle 2 games a week, bare in mind that we made as many as 9 changes for the first few European games , many kids and reserves played Mid week first teamers weekend,
the excuse book really came out that season, he blamed injuries, but like i have proven many times, the teams we were playing at home and loosing against were still inferior to what we had on the pitch, football is not about your best 11, he gets paid to many things at the club, bring on the kids, bring on the reserve team, this he fails at.
the cup games vrs Brighton, were they played us of the park twice, they gave us a football lesson on how players should move off the ball, how to keep the ball on the ground,, you have to ask yourself why can they do that ?? esp when our team on paper is filled with French ARG EU21 add many other top players, this is a manager problem, he coaches the team, and it does not take a team of top internationals to play good football, it just takes practice,
we naturally sit deep as a team, we have had little movement up front in which ever season it has been, this is all coaching,
i think it gets forgot about, but Carver came out and game an interview where he said that they train on attacking 1 day a week the rest is all about defending,
that embarrassing when you see how many goals we concede,
we have shown now for 3 seasons our corner and free kick routine is look for Williamson , amazing, look for the 6ft5 guy, im still to see the guy score 🙁
if this was a horse race, there would be a stewards inquiry at the end, they would conclude that the jockey (PARDEW) was deliberately pulling on the horse (the TEAM) to slow him down. he would face a 6 month ban.
pardew can not take credit for wonder goals that win games, most of these goals are things you can not practice for, that’s why players get the credit, and yes in my eyes the team can take criticism if they play bad, but if they play bad nearly every week, the finger has to be pointed else were,,
and yeh yeh, MA, he has his failings as an owner, and no, i don’t want him at my club, but he has nothing at all to do with how pardew plays football.
pardew should be able to train any team kids or pros to pass a ball,
Transfer Sage
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Comment #62slank
It’s like I said though…nobody minds dour football when it gets trophies but when it’s used for mid table footy people don’t enjoy it as there is no real bonus to having to sit through it.
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Comment #63Beatroll,
You should always buy local produce. Don’t want these weird french onions. They don’t have the spirit that your proper hardworking british onions have.
Slank
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:40 PM
Comment #64Lil @ 53
I wonder whether the appointment of two Geordie coaches was to appease many of the xenophobic fans ?
Would two southern coaches, irrespective of how good they were, be acceptable to the fans given the ‘cockney’ abuse that still gets an airing ?
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:41 PM
Comment #65mecannylad…and shipping him out for the right price would be logical for those reasons alone I think!
…as long as he is replaced with a better player
Slank
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:42 PM
Comment #66Transfer Sage
Very true. It didn’t bother the Arsenal fans.
T.T.V.V.T.
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:42 PM
Comment #67Pardew’s obviously crapping himself now that the season is just around the corner.
He’s waffled on about ‘pushing on’ this season and aiming towards the champions league. Now he’s realised the time for talk is over, and he’s back tracking.
He’s probably hoping a few Pardew sympathisers (the likes of Ethiotoon) will get on side and quiet those who don’t have such short memories.
He spins one propaganda exercise after another, and this time it’s one aimed at keeping the wolves at bay if the team have an awful start to the season.
The man’s a maggot. Ship him out. I’m sick of his hot air. Anyone else will do.
Glenn Hoddle? Well ii’d rather him than Pardew at least.
Markaccus
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:43 PM
Comment #68Lilongwe
Thats something else i wanted, for both Ashley and Pardew to learn from past mistakes.
Ironically, with regard to ashley employing people he trusts, those are the people who have let him down the most! Its so sad when you look and see how close we are to being a big club again, yet having blindingly obvious things hold us back!
toonking
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:43 PM
Comment #69TS
i’m not consider pardew’s quality anywhere near that of them manages it’s base more on the teams that they managed when winning those trophies in comparison to the teams they were poor with.
RH has used things from charlton athletic and WHU in coparison to newcastle, which is like comparing spurs to QPR and the english team compared to his milan team.
newcastle united in my eyes are a team who will not be top 4 contenders and never ever will be unless we get a arib owner.
we can see from the state of the national team that academies are awful all over the country which means the only way to build a team is spend money.
also as we see from southamptons team now it’s always going to be difficult to keep hold of the players we bring through as passion for playing at the club they love has be ruined by the love for money
we can see from the past that newcastle have only had 2 good managers since the start of the premier league era with an above average quality and they were both locals.
the best players now cost 30 mil+ we only willing to pay 10 mil at max for a player no chance we will see the very best join
we had the chance to build on our european entrance but didn’t and like we see happen to so many others it’s proof you need a massive squad for europe
wages are now getting massive.
i do hate it when he does this but the truth is i expect all managers to do it now “fielding the weaken teams in cup games”
Transfer Sage
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:44 PM
Comment #70Catchy
I do agree with a lot of that, and I do agree the manager ultimately holds responsibility for his team…same in any occupation, if you can’t control your team and get results then there is no point you being there.
So of course I would like a change and think a manager like pochettino would have us playing a heck of a lot better and probably picking up more points with that better football….I still think the players don’t help themselves enough.
I really don’t understand Pardew’s (and most managers thinking)….I’d try my way, if it wasn’t working I’d be asking my coaching staff and players what they think is wrong (and even just a friend/fellow professional on the outside of the team for a fresh air of eyes) and look to see what I needed to improve.
Whether it would be players, another coach to help me in an area I was weak, etc….especially when you know in football that even if your lose your job to the man you bring in to help you, you are nearly always guaranteed another well paid job somewhere.
Slank
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:45 PM
Comment #71T T V V T
Glenn Hoddle ?
What another Cockney ?
Markaccus
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:45 PM
Comment #72LILONGWE
“Beatroll,
You should always buy local produce. Don’t want these weird french onions. They don’t have the spirit that your proper hardworking british onions have.”
Genuinely made me LOL that did!
toon kk
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:46 PM
Comment #73Our toon
I agree we could do MUCH better than Pardew but we hadn’t a strong enough squad to cope. I would love to see more attacking football but we would have been taken apart. Most of our squad haven’t the pace especially when Remy was missing.
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:46 PM
Comment #74Slank,
I would put decent money on the main reason Carver being brought in as the number 2 was down to the fact that fans were up in arms against Pardew, and Carver was still remembered as Sir Bobby’s assistant, and therefore placates the angry mob.
Would he have got the job based on his career since leaving NUFC? No chance!
Stone could well be the same, but I don’t think there is the same affiliation with the fans as Carver despite being a geordie. Was a thorn in our side more often than not as a player. I think he was probably cheap and they didn’t have to pay any relocation costs.
Transfer Sage
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:47 PM
Comment #75toonking
I know top 4 would be difficult but that’s why we should be looking to follow southamtons academy structure to get lots of good players through to either stay or sell for big sums to pay for other players.
I know it’s not easy to crack the top 4 but if you show you can challenge you can hang on to a lot of players.
A lot is made of wages/fees being so high but the TV/sponsorship money is also at record levels so it does balance out…we might not get the top 1% of world players but no reason we can’t shop in the top 10-15%.
Slank
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:50 PM
Comment #76Toonking
An Arab owner ?
Only Man City have an Arab Owner. The top teams have a mixture of Russians, Eastern Europeans, Yanks and Brits.
The days of buying success like Man City and Chelsea may be over because of EFP rules.
Ethiotoon
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:50 PM
Comment #77ttvvt
could you explain what exactly is the wrong doing
regarding the club mgr?
catchy in norway
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:50 PM
Comment #78Transfer Sage
i think it is simple, its one of 2 things, pride, if he thinks he is weak in an area and asks for help, its like admitting defeat, (not in my eyes) how would the owner look at it is another question
the 2nd thing is he just does not see the problem no matter who tells him, this is arrogance , which he is in my opinion.
stuart no9
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:52 PM
Comment #79Basically, what pardew is saying is ,, our aim is to stay in the prem and not get relegated, 46-48 points just about gives you quaranteed safety in the prem these days , with the smaller clubs spending and giving it a go, 44-46 might not make it. so, thanks alan , another great season to look forward to.
kevymartins
Aug 12, 2014 at 3:52 PM
Comment #80I swear to f**k if we sell Tiote I am not watching Nufc again. It would make me sick..
He is the heart of our team, he is our warrior.
Fuc***g sick of these c**ts why won’t they just let a player finish his career at Newcastle instead of cashing in on them. Only player they won’t do it with is Colo.
If it hada been MA that bought Shearer guaranteed he would have been sold on a season or 2 later to Man u for double the money.
MA We wan’t our hero’s not fu****g cash you fat pr*ck.