Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Pards on the table

According to reports, our new manager is to be Alan Pardew. That's right. The man who took Charlton down, and kept them there, who couldn't get Southampton out of League One and who didn't play Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano when he had them in his squad at West Ham.

Now, don't get me wrong, I would dearly love Pardew to prove to be a runaway success as Newcastle manager. I'd love to see him succeed in the post, and to guide us up the table and oversee strong (and ultimately fruitful) cup runs in due course.

However, what concerns me is that he is reportedly a buddy of Jabba and Llambiarse having got to know them in a casino that Llambiarse was running. Having already had our fair share of disastrous appointments as a result of cronyism (Paul Kelmsley, JFK and worst of all the Poisoned Dwarf) another decision in the same vein is a big worry.

Secondly, does anyone really think that Pardew is going to do a significantly better job than Hughton? The fact that we were reportedly talking to Pardew ten days ago, when Hughton was still in post, whilst pragmatic in one sense, remains deeply disappointing in another, showing as it does both our (and for that matter Pardew's) contempt for Hughton.

All in all, it seems a distinctly underwhelming move which is more likely to destabilise the club than it is to bring success on the field.

I can only hope that I am proven very wrong.

Update

A supportive piece has appeared on the Telegraph website, claiming the man likely to be named as boss tomorrow is "a far better coach, far more innovative manager and has the strength of personality to thrive in the top half of the Premier League". Tell that to those who responded to yesterday's poll in the Ronny Gill - Pards polled just 2% of the votes (14) out of more than 1000 cast...
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7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mate
I'm a Charlton fan and I can assure you he IS useless .
The tactics are all over the place
He constantly changes the team and in our case he bought a load of complete duffers.
Sorry , but its not a good result for you

5:22 pm  
Blogger Lanterne Rouge said...

As a Reading fan, I went to a lot of games at the outset of Pardew's managerial career. I think his potential appointment at the Toon could be due to cronyism for sure, but also his ability to market himself well and come up with quirky ideas that one could describe as groundbreaking or nutty.

Early on, he fostered a long ball style that aimed to make the Royals a tougher proposition for the opposition: Martin "Mad Dog" Allen was on board as his assistant and it's a shame for Sunderland fans that the two subsequently fell out as the prospect of a few swimming sessions in the River Tyne would have been an amusing spectacle.

He then abandoned the Charles Hughes stuff in favour of a sparky, attacking, grassbound style and did well to take a newly promoted side to the play offs - but then he jumped ship to Wet Sham and, although he deserves some sympathy for having the whole Mascherano and Tevez business thrust upon him, his career has, as you say, been in decline since. It would be a truly odd choice - although maybe in keeping with the previous recruitment of Souness and Kinnear!

6:37 pm  
Blogger Ben said...

Not that a good appointment would in any way justify Hughton's sacking, but if Pardew is confirmed as manager tomorrow then this just makes Ashley's decision look even more stupid and bizarre. I simply can't understand how someone sacked by a League One club (albeit admittedly one with high expectations) could be appointed manager of a Premier League side who already had in place an astute and dignified overachiever with the backing of the whole dressing room. Two days after the event and the sacking looks no less ridiculous.

12:19 am  
Blogger ZaXXoN said...

It is simple. Chris Hughton was doing too good. Fat Ash had set his sights on selling the Mags for £100mil. No takers. Last season, sadly the Mags were relegated. BUT, FAT ASH saw the Parachute Payment. He will offload the wage earners in January and run a slim squad till the end of the season with the aim of becoming a 'YoYo' club to get the cash (all the fat twat thinks of) he wants. Alan Pardew is a yes man who is known for screwing as many wags as he can. He has done bugger all, and is the piss from the wind that Chris Hughton sent out when he last got caught in the wind and rain.

If I were a Wolves - Wigan - West Ham supporter (current bottom 3) I would relish this appointment. It has relegation written all over it. So 1 of those 3 will escape.

As fans you can get behind Pardew - But as Realists. Beware! Ashley is killing Newcastle United. He is unfit to be an owner of a UK soccer team - NOT EVEN Horden Colliery Welfare 3rd team.

12:42 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry for your loss, Newcastle. I was enjoying your return to the Prem. Especially the way you were playing. Another former Pardew victim here. In summary, any club he gets involved with becomes 'Pardew United'. Yup -it's all about 'Big Al'. As long as he gets his money, he does not give a toss, about club, players or supporters. He is crass, ill mannered and has way too big an opinion of his self importance. Can't understand how he is mate of your owner.......

1:59 am  
Blogger Stanley said...

"He is not often lost for words which has also helped him pick up media work in between managerial jobs." As viewers of Match of the Day 2 will remember.

No laughing matter for the Toon, though. That Mike Ashley would boot the impressive Chris Hughton out of the door is no surprise. But the appointment of Pardew (if confirmed) is astounding, even by the standards of the current regime at St James's. Reports that the deal was done over the blackjack table at Lambias' casino are telling. The preening Pardew has become what the pundits' fraternity call a `character', and for most in football that still seems to count for more than quiet achievement.

11:35 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I echo all of the sentiments. This situation is pure lunacy. To sack Hughton was ridiculous but to appoint Pardew as his replacement just adds insult to injury.

I remember the day we went down clearly but somehow this situation feels worse.

1:44 pm  

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