Former Newcastle great Rob Lee had written yesterday that he thinks he knows why former manager Alan Pardew left Newcastle so quickly at the end of December last year – and Rob says it’s because he could see the current collapse coming.
Rob Lee – while at Newcastle
This is the gist of what the 49-year-old said yesterday:
“I think he saw what was coming, I really do. He knew it was going to get worse.
“It was a steady decline at Newcastle and he knew it wasn’t going to get any better. Alan Pardew is not stupid. He organises teams well but he could see what was happening.
“If he’d had an inkling it was going to get better you would not choose Crystal Palace over Newcastle United, would you? That’s no disrespect to Palace. He knew Newcastle were doing better than they should be.”
If Lee is saying he could see Newcastle’s collapse coming this year, that’s why he joined Crystal Palace that’s not what happened.
When Alan left the club Newcastle we had 26 points from 19 games played and were 10 points ahead of Crystal Palace, who were 3rd bottom.
Newcastle’s goal difference at the time was -6 and Palace’s was -10 and Palace were favorites to be relegated – just like they were last year at the same time before Tony Pulis came in.
Newcastle were comfortable after beating Everton 3-2 in Pardew’s final game in charge.
No, it looks like Alan Pardew left the club when he found out Newcastle would not strengthen the side in January.
And that turned out to be true and in fact they weakened the squad by allowing Davide Santon and Haris Vuckic to leave and didn’t spend one penny in January on any new players.
Alan had the chance to join Palace when they had only just sacked manager Neil Warnock in late December, and we’re sure Alan was also getting sick of the constant abuse he was getting from Newcastle fans – and the Sack Pardew crew.
But to say the Londoner foresaw the complete collapse at Newcastle this year is stretching it.
That has also been caused by injuries and suspensions to players like Jack Colback, Fab Coloccini, Moussa Sissoko and Papiss Cisse this year. and an inexperienced and untested coach who was put in charge.
Crystal Palace Chairman Steve Parish told his friend Pardew he would be willing to build a top side in London, and given the severe restrictions at Newcastle he jumped at the chance – and left very quickly – and he has already saved Palace who are on 42 points.
What Newcastle have been left with is a ravaged squad and a coach way over his head, but one who fits in very nicely with the powers that be at the club.
And Newcastle could still be relegated this season, but hopefully three teams currently below us in the league will not reach 35 points.
Comments welcome.
16 comments so far
beermonkey
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:51 AM
Comment #1jayphoto
that would be funny to willo and krul hauled off in the first few mins
I know nothing of this bloke does he have proven record of bringing through youngsters
sparky55
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:52 AM
Comment #2What I’m failing to grasp here is if the decision has already been made not to keep Carver as HC, then why stick with him and pretty much guarantee relegation and the loss of SD exposure that goes with that scenario rather than change HC role now to vastly improve the chances of premiership survival
jayphoto
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:54 AM
Comment #3Also another reason we’d never hire Paco is he would create too much affinity with the fans. Hes the kind of personality we’d take to and his philosophies on the game fit in with what we’d want to watch. No way Charnley/Ashley appoints an outspoken guy like Paco that could end up speaking out against the ownership and becoming too powerful with fan backing.
We’re getting Mclaren! My guess is theyre hoping Derby miss the playoffs and he’ll be in charge for west brom game! Only explanation i can fathom for why Carver hasn’t been sacked yet
Toon_Tom
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:56 AM
Comment #4Pardew left because Palace offered a lot more money, stability and less headaches and stress! bless him..
sparky55
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:57 AM
Comment #5dick advocaat’s job of motivating his team is dead easy
“It’s between us and newcastle as to who will be relegated…you will go down in sunderland history as the team that relegated newcastle in 2015…get out there and win”
wonder what carver is saying to our lads?
jayphoto
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:59 AM
Comment #6@beermonkey – his RV team are the only team this year to play barca and have more possession. Guardiola himself said the only teams he loves to watch are barca, bayern and Pacos vallecano. Theres some decent articles on him!
Not sure about the youth, hes definately used to working with no money though and improving players
Think hed suit players like anita, abeid and marveaux
BandB
Apr 30, 2015 at 8:59 AM
Comment #7Pardew said early in the season that 47 points, two fewer than last year, would be a tough ask this year.
It seemed at the time strangely at odds with his claims to have his strongest squad ever.
Stoke have already achieved that mark, while Swansea and Southampton, the sorts of teams fans are happy to compare us to, have easily surpassed it.
I thought Pardew would leave this season. His life was a groundhog day of having to front up bizarre club decisions. I think he knew perfectly well what was planned and what it would lead to.
Slank
Apr 30, 2015 at 9:01 AM
Comment #8Interesting theory Rob but I don’t buy it.
Pardew went to Palace for the same reasons your best mate Shearer came to Newcastle and not ManU which was the best club in the Premiership and continued to be so for many years thereafter.
jayphoto
Apr 30, 2015 at 9:01 AM
Comment #9@sparky my guess is Carver tells them he needs the job and that he can’t get it if they lose so help him. As a guess, only talks about himself in interviews so why would teamtalks be any different?
Either that or Carver bases his teamtalks around Geordie pride (even though we only have 1 geordie in the team)
jayphoto
Apr 30, 2015 at 9:05 AM
Comment #10Pardew to Palace is a no brainer on so many levels.
More money
More control on team matters/transfers
Less stress/pressure
Honest bosses
Family lives in Surrey
Is a hero with Palace fans
He’ll rocket his reputation if he gets palace into the top 10 in next 2 years and would be in contention for england whereas top 10 for nufc would see him criticised despite the fact it’ll probably be easier to finish 10th with palace
Ibizatoon
Apr 30, 2015 at 9:11 AM
Comment #11BandB…No matter what anyone thinks or thought about Pardew, the one thing that was apparent is that he wanted to be at the club.
If, at last, Ashley was starting to see the light and was planning a summer turnaround, why the hell would Pardew leave now? As soon as things were about to change?
If Ashleys biggest mouthpiece didn’t think it would happen, why would fans?
croftus5678
Apr 30, 2015 at 9:16 AM
Comment #12i think we can get a result next game and with it we will survive !
think siem has his head screwed on right in looking after his own fitness as he knows if he’s not 100% fit he has more effect coming off the bench where he can give 100% for his time and have time to assess how to break a team down.
and i reckon pards just got fed up of us fans on his back which is what we intended to happen ! lets not pretend he left us as it was us who forced him out ! just because its backfired a little is no excuse to change what really happened.
get a win on sat / keep pressure on ashley (not that i think he will sell ofc) but i’d hope it forces him into recruiting decent players and a manager and not selling our better players.
BoyDoneGood
Apr 30, 2015 at 9:33 AM
Comment #13OP wrote:
“It’s beyond pathetic hoping for others to fail for us to succeed!”
Sparky thinks even that is too optimistic, and that we are doomed to relegation.
That’s with 4 games to go and all of them against bottom half teams – i.e. winnable. The form table shows that NUFC have lost 7 in a row; but 6 were against (currently) top half teams, and therefore eminently loseable. (The other was the Sunderland derby – unpredictable as all derbies are.) what kind of fan looks at their team with 4 winnable matches to play, and already almost certainly safe, yet says we need other teams to perform badly to save us? (Answer: a whingeing Jeremiah.)
The Chelsea-Leicester result was always irrelevant to our survival. QPR, Burnley and Sunderland are in the frame, with Leicester, Villa and perhaps Hull as understudies.
At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, why would Charnley replace Carver at this moment in time? In the hope of turning (say) 14th into 12th? That would involve terminating Carver’s contract and hiring another coach (someone here suggested ‘Arry – a joke worthy of Welshy himself, I thought) at some cost and disruption.
Instead of bemoaning our imaginary relegation, why not focus on the next real issues for the club: this summer’s appointments, and next season’s performance. This one is over in any practical sense. Take each of these four matches one at a time, as either consolation victories or frustrating failures, but don’t fool yourself into thinking they will affect our destiny (or, indeed, Carver’s – even 4 wins won’t get him a top 10 finish).
Moonraker15
Apr 30, 2015 at 10:54 AM
Comment #14Ed
I think Rob Lee is suggesting Pardew was told no signings in January and Santon etc going ang he knew it was gonna be a struggle but he would always be tempted by Palace cos of his roots and higher wages. He had taken Newcastle as far as he could cos of low ambitions of Ashley.
Good move for Pardew but he’s really not good enough for the Toon; he will struggle next season at Palace. Also defeat be Chelsea on Sunday will be 3 on the trot. Familiar ?
Sav
Apr 30, 2015 at 11:40 AM
Comment #15More crystal ball than Crystal Palace methinks, Rob. I don’t think he foresaw the current collapse. I think he saw the ongoing soulless drudgery.
Carl819
Apr 30, 2015 at 12:56 PM
Comment #16Pardew left because he could do no right according to the ‘informed many’, offered more control, less restrictions and more cash. In the only full season when he didn’t have his best players either sold from under his feet or long term injured (squad not big enough, not his choice I suspect) we played good football, even though lots won’t admit it, and finished fifth. His treatment was disgraceful and we are now in the mire because he left. No more than we deserve.