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This Joke Isn’t Funny Any More
39 mins ago by Paul Patterson
From the outset let me make one thing clear, I’ve always supported Alan Pardew. The reason for this is simple.
He has had to put up with an absent owner and as of June this year, a crazy grandparent type figure for a Director of Football.
AP0012_alan_pardew_newcastle_united_nufc_770That last joke (innear) may be funny to those outside NE1, but for those of us who watch the team with more care than just to write a few sentences to go in a newspaper article, the joke (innear) is no laughing matter.
It’s clear the owner has a no ambition/no spend policy, but still expects the team to finish top 10, as we have been told is the target. This can’t be achieved by cutting money from the first team squad, legally taking out money (£??m+), penny pinching on transfers (Gomis, Aubameyang, Bent, Bony, Douglas etc), selling squad players for peanuts (Perch, Simpson), blah, blah, blah.
That brings me on to Alan Pardew and his Everton team selection.
On the one hand, you have a striker (Cisse) crying out for goals and confidence. He gets one against Leeds in the cup – Dropped!
You have a creative midfielder with an eye for a goal, playing his way back into favour with the fans (Cabaye) – Dropped!
Two defensive midfielders (Tiote, Anita) deployed for some reason, with Sissoko and Ben Arfa asked to do goodness knows what. Plan???
Defensively we looked awful, with Mbiwa and Debuchy looking like they had never played at this level before. Even Tim Krul looked nervy and erratic. While I’m on, shame on everyone for slating Mike Williamson (to which I have had my chips at in the past) but we kept a clean sheet with him on and let’s not forget, he played a huge part two years ago, in the last ditch, stout defending that got us 5th.
In the 2011/12 season, Tim Krul was worth an extra 10 points, Demba Ba and then Papiss Cisse the same. These players got us 30 points without a worry, with Cabaye, Gutierrez, Tiote and Coloccini taking the points total beyond any fears of a relegation scrap and even mixing it with the big lads. It’s 2 short years to the day since we beat Wolves away and we can’t look further from that optimistic and adventurous team we once had, with much of the same personnel.
Buys haven’t been good, sales haven’t been good. Reputations have deteriorated, trust has been lost. Gutierrez, Krul and Tiote aren’t the same players. Best, Ba, Guthrie and Simpson have been sold. Their replacements have flattered to deceive. Alan Pardew’s decisions look clueless and brainless. The attitude towards the owner was starting to warm, now it couldn’t be colder. Virgin Money now reads W**ga. Any idea of going out and buying a Papiss Cisse for £10m to kick us on to 5th is now a pipedream.
It’s not entirely his fault but Alan Pardew is hiding something. He has to be. Kevin Keegan told his employers where to stuff it, when his reputation was at stake and has left with only a minimum amount of it tarnished, plus a few million quid.
Pardew is either spineless, doesn’t care, or is happy to take his pay without kicking up a fuss with the owner. As let’s be fair, if I was being undermined and made to look weak and not up to my best, I’d be telling all and sundry and be on the phone to my agent quicker than you could say, “Director of Football.”
There`s me gannin cuttin and pastin agin aah wunder what WL thinks of it aaal!!!!
I've seen Newcastle United win silverware!
