Another day, another Alan Pardew rant.

As the post-match analysis drew to a close and the expectant feeling of joy that usually settles in when I see Sunderland take a good thrashing still hadn’t arrived up popped Paolo Di Canio for a post-match interview.

Yet the brief moment of joy I got when his face arrived on the screen as he was clearly (and rightly so) fuming at his team’s 6-1 defeat to Aston Villa quickly disappeared and turned to anger, not towards the Italian but towards Alan Pardew.

Pardew and Di Canio

Di Canio uttered the words that I’ve never heard Pardew say at his time at either Newcastle United or indeed West Ham:

"If the team has performed in this way, the first person responsible is the manager"

Di Canio stood up and said – you know what I got it wrong. He didn’t open the book of excuses, he didn’t blame the red car of Stephane Sessegon (even though he possibly could have as it was dubious) he didn’t blame it on injuries or any other feeble excuse, he simply stood up and took it like a man. Like a team.

Pardew could take note from this, for I have not once seen Pardew stand up with his team – not once have I heard Pardew admit he got it wrong and not once I have I heard Pardew just admit that they were beaten not because of Europe or injuries or referee decisions, simply just because he got it wrong. 

The Newcastle United manager seemingly lives in a world of his own, on a planet where he is the greatest manager of them all. Where he’s never wrong and he’s always right even if we lose but especially if win. He’s a man in it for himself, not for the team but solely for Mr Pardew. The self-proclaimed tactical genius spoke of ‘my team’ this weekend after Liverpool turned Newcastle over 6-0, his teams are apparently ‘renowned for being on the front foot’ -  from my memory he’s play one upfront all season and his tactics have favoured the hoof the ball approach rather than the get it down and play style.  Go out and ask any West Ham United fan and they’ll laugh at that quote, front foot? The guy is deluded and it’s about time Mike Ashley cut him loose now because if Newcastle United survive and right now it is hanging in the balance, the club will face a battle to hold onto their star players.

There haven’t been many of them this season but it has largely  been down to the tactics of the great silver hair genius, who had restricted to Yohan Cabaye and co from reaching their full potential – his defensive tactics, sorry ‘front foot’ tactics have stopped the team reaching its full potential.  If he remains, you’ll see a flurry of transfer requests – it’s not just about this season it’s about the future, Pardew has lost the dressing room and they’re not playing for him; Saturday evening proved that.

Pardew’s unfounded self-confidence and belief are going to drag this club down, I never thought I’d want to see us share similar traits as Sunderland but I’d love to have a manager able of admitting he’s wrong instead of reeling of the same sorry excuses week in week out.

  

Alan Pardew - Undermining the Tyne Wear Derby

Nearly two weeks since that fateful day at St. James Park and the defeat to Sunderland still hurts, its only football but when the chance of winning silverware or competing for Champions League football is remote, the fixture takes on a new meaning.

A meaning of pride: pride of North East, it’s not much but up here it matters.  Yet Alan Pardew hasn’t fully grasped the meaning of the Tyne Wear Derby much like the players who seemingly were just at lost at the fanfare around it.

You can (just) excuse the new signings and those who have never featured in the fixture before for not fully understanding how important winning was, but you can’t excuse how bad they played.  Of course the excuses by Pardew have been wheeled off and analysed over the past fortnight to the very last detail and that’s fine, we should swallow our pride, accept defeat and move on, right?

If only it was that easy.  The defeat itself isn’t the issue with many Magpies for the majority accept that they were beaten by the better side on the day, Sunderland simply wanted it more than Newcastle and deservedly handed out an absolute mauling. That we accept and we have no qualms in accepting defeat regardless of how much it hurts, where the problem lies is in Alan Pardew, who seemingly cannot keep his mouth

Coming out on the day and trying to defend the indefensible was bad enough, and continuing that through the week is fine albeit pointless but that’s part of football but today Pardew took the matter to a new level and effectively undermined the important of the derby.

Six days ago Pardew labelled the criticism of the derby as ‘heavy-handed’ today he illiterate his belief that some journalists had gone too far in their coverage of the derby result.  The journalists, particularly the local journalists live and breathe Newcastle United, they have to if they want to understand their audience and they were well within their rights to report the derby as they saw it and as it was: absolutely crap.  Yet their coverage was not calling for Pardew’s head, it merely asked for the reasons behind such a poor display and reported the game as it were and for Pardew to not once but twice bring it up suggests he’s worried that the press, like some of fans are turning against him.

That’s not true, Lee Ryder and co. at the Evening Chronicle have not suggested Pardew should go, they’ve not exactly backed him either but have hinted that stability is the key and that next season without the burden of Europe will show Newcastle United and Pardew in their full light. So what is Pardew worried about? I think he’s realising just how tough this job can be when things go wrong, there is nowhere to hide and the press aren’t going to fabricate the stories, especially when their audience go to the games week in and week out and can see first-hand what is going on. The Evening Chronicle to a certain extent is there to summaries and recap, their readers can see the facts and if Pardew feels by labelling the coverage as heavy handed will get the press onside, he’s sadly mistaken.

Moreover though, his opinion of the coverage indicates that he feels the players performed well on derby day, performed to a good enough standard not to receive the criticism they did.  I hate to remind Pardew but he got comfortably 3-0 on home soil against the local rivals, the first time that has happened in over 10 years.  Even further, it suggests that Pardew feels the players have been performing to a good enough standard all season and that the defeat to Sunderland was just a one-off.  

Pardew and Di Canio (Mirror.co.uk)

Maybe his arrogance is getting in the way of the facts? Does Pardew need to be reminded that Newcastle have won only 1 game in the last 16, have in that 16 only picked up 8 points, have the 2^nd worst away record in the league and have only won once back to back. There will be more shocking statistics out there but Pardew will no doubt brush them off with some feeble excuse about tiredness or injuries: Ryan Taylor and Davide Santon prolonged stay in the injury room will no doubt feature somewhere in the post-match press conference on Saturday when Liverpool even without Luis Suarez have beaten us.

Yet the criticism wasn’t as noted all that brutal and it wasn’t just by the press, a large proportion of it has come from the fans and rightly so. After all they’re the ones who have to go to work and take the digs from the Sunderland fans.  Yet Pardew in what seems like one of his daily press conferences had the cheek to somehow blame the fans for increasing the pressure and expectation of derby day:

"In retrospect, maybe the fact that our performance was so strong and that the crowd had such a great reaction [against Benfica], played a part in the Sunderland game. Perhaps even our fans thought we were going to win that game [the derby] comfortably, but it doesn't work like that."

No, Alan maybe it was just expected that the players would play with a bit of fight and you’d eventually play the right tactics? Maybe the root of the problem is your arrogance? Your beliefs that you’re a great manager, oh and your relentless capabilities to blame anyone but yourself, maybe in retrospect these issues have played a part?

And is it not also the case that the criticism that erupted after the Sunderland game is combined anger and frustration that has been harbouring away all season?  A combined lash out at Pardew’s poor tactics and even worse excuses, I find it amazing that he can label Europe as an excuse yet that is meant to be where all players aim for…

All in all Pardew is trending a very close line to some, his quotes of recent days may be read simply as they were but to many they will be seen as coming very close to undermining the biggest fixture of the season and criticising the very people who keep the club going.. just wait until next week after the defeat to Liverpool when Alan once again calls for the ‘fans to stick behind the team’… Well maybe he should start looking closer to home before point the finger of blame. 

Alan Pardew: Not good enough for Newcastle United

This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to a thrashing by our local and fiercest rivals, this is a feeling that has been brewing and voice by me for some time, Alan Pardew simply isn’t good enough for Newcastle United.

Today’s defeat to Sunderland was fully deserved and we were somewhat lucky it stayed at three, for they had a few more chances and could have pressed for more. Newcastle United meanwhile pressed but with no end product, urgency, penetration or creativity and not for the first time this season and yet again it’s down to Pardew and his tactics.

Pardew continues to play Papiss Cisse up front by himself until on the hour mark, he suddenly realizes that Senegalese striker isn’t presenting enough of a threat and throws on Shola Ameobi or Adam Campbell. Yet this is nothing new, it has been the same all season even before the departure of Demba Ba.  Even before Ba left for Chelsea in the New Year, Cisse who was often given the chance upfront at the expense of Ba failed to perform to the standard of his fellow countryman yet Pardew continues to play him in the same role.

Cisse has scored 5 goals in the last 7 games for the Magpies yet all of these goals, some which have been huge for the club, have come in the second half when he’s had a striking partner with him. It’s not rocket science, Cisse needs a striking partner. When he plays upfront by himself, he drifts out to the wing and is always looking for the ball but often his touch is terrible and sends the ball back into trouble or should he manage to control it – there is no one beyond him. 

It’s clear that he’s frustrated and it’s great that he wants to be on the ball but by him seeking it, he leaves no one upfront and that at the end of the season could prove costly.

Make no mistake Newcastle United are very much in a relegation dog fight and with Liverpool, Arsenal and QPR ( in other words Luis Suarez, Lucas Podolski and Loic Remy) still to play – it’s difficult to see where Newcastle can pick up the points.  We don’t score goals and we can’t defend. Now with Tim Krul out, Davide Santon showing that he’s more a left-winger than a left back and Steven Taylor seemingly back to his inconsistent self, Suarez and co. could have a field day.

Pardew is not a good manger, his history proves that and the only thing that has saved him so far is that ridiculous 8 year contract and the run in the Europa League.  Firstly, the 8 year contract was one of the most idiotic things ever seen in the Premier League, there is stability and then there is stupidity and this was very much the latter.  The players in my opinion don’t play for him, they know there is a very good chance that no matter what he’s not going to get the sack – and therefore he’s protected somewhat from ramifications of his shocking tactics, poor man management and motivation skills.

Secondly, the Europa League without doubt has affected Newcastle United. It does take it out of a team but that doesn’t quite excuse the shocking league performance, we made it to the quarter-finals without even playing well in most games. Remember that four of the starting eleven today didn’t even play against Benfica, so how does the tiredness of Europe excuse fit with that? It doesn’t but Pardew wasted little time in whipping out his book of excuses going onto claim that those that didn’t play in Europe midweek, weren’t fresh enough and didn’t train as much as they should have.  

The man is a joke, who can’t admit when he is wrong.  His constant tactics prove his stubbornness and failure to see that he’s calling it wrong.

Next year Pardew won’t have the excuse of the Europa League but will he even be here next season? Undoubtedly yes, Pardew is a puppet for Mike Ashley who despite his brilliant work financial is still without doubt looking for an easy and cheap ride. However, I fear that if he remains we’ll go down – or by very close to it.  He’s not a good manager and it’s quickly showing through.  I want him gone.

The question of course would be who could replace him? Laurent Blanc would be a good shout and would keep the French link going and of course many more names would be thrown into that hat, including Mr Rafael Benitez but before that we need to make sure we secure our Premier League survival.

Hold onto your hats. 

Sunderland AFC: The Next Manager

In the last few hours Premier League football club Sunderland AFC announced the sacking of manager Martin O’Neil just hours after a 1-0 defeat to imminent champions Manchester United. The decision to sack the Northern Irishmen will come to no shock for many but the timing will raise a few eyebrows, for instance; why sack him after an international break? The board had nearly 14 days to replace him yet waited until tonight, it’s a strange one. 

Martin O'Neil - Sacked by Sunderland

 However it is clear that the owner Ellis Short has a plan in place with the club statement reassuring supporters that a successor ‘will be appointed in the next few days’ – something again which questions the timing of this decision, after all what would have happened had Martin O’Neil won against Manchester United? Would the man who is waiting in the wings have suddenly disappeared from mind? Of course the burning question is who is next to take the reins at the Stadium of Light?

The Candidates  

Steve McClaren

Steve McClaren is the surprise favourite with the bookies with the ex-England manager out of work since his resignation from Dutch side FC Twente back in February of this year. His domestic record is one that stands out; the 51-year-old had previously guided Middlesbrough to a League Cup victory in 2004 as well as the Uefa Cup final in 2006 before guiding FC Twente to the Dutch title in 2009-10 in his first spell there. 

Yet his failings as England manager as the team failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, is arguably what he will be remembered for.  He also briefly managed at German side VfL Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest however both spells brought little success.

He would a surprise candidate for this job, and not first choice by any means but he’s shown that he can guide a club to success given the chance – he seems a quiet man who will be happy to work as instructed by the owner but if he becomes manager without the backing from the stands it might prove troublesome.

Gus Poyet

Gus Poyet is my pick for the job; the current Brighton Manager was no.1 choice for Reading but after talks last week with the Royals turned the opportunity down.

Brighton currently lie a point within the playoffs but given the fact Poyet talked with Reading shows that he is willing to leave the AMEX stadium should the right job come along.  With Sunderland indicating that they have the new man ready to take the role, could it be that Poyet turned down Reading because he had an unofficial chat with Sunderland?

He’s loathed by Newcastle United supporters, as the man who as both player and manager always seems to win against the Magpies and in that case he’d be ready made for the Black Cats.

Roberto Di Matteo

Roberto Di Matteo would be the sensible choice, proven and out of work meaning no compensation to pay but after the taste of Champions League football would the Italian drop down to a relegation threatened side?

There is a big difference from managing a title challenging side such as Chelsea where funds are readily available to spend and trying to save a club such as Sunderland. However Di Matteo did a good job at West Brom and may feel in his comfort zone at this sort of team.

The ex-Chelsea player and manager, who is still adored by the Blues faithful – sets his team up to play attractive football, something O’neil failed to do at Sunderland and while there is no doubting he would be an attractive choice for both club and supporters, it will all come down to Di Matteo’s ambition.

Paulo Di Canio is another Italian linked to the job but it would be a risk for Short to appointed the eccentric striker as manager as he’s only ever plied his traded at League 1 Swindon Town and while admittedly performing well under difficult circumstances,  his off field behaviour and lack of experience might deter Sunderland.

Other names linked include Mark Hughes, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Brian McDermott.  However Hughes did more bad than good to his reputation after his poor time in charge of QPR, McDermott hardly set things alight at Reading and while Solskjær needs to come to Premier League management soon if his Manchester United fairytale is to prove fruitful, Sunderland just isn’t the right fit.

For me Gus Poyet is the man to get Sunderland out of trouble and save their Premier League status, he shows ambition, passion and plays attractive football something that the Black Cats are screaming out for.  Keep an eye on this race for the job, it’s going to be an interesting one. 

The Football Association, time for a change

'I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd because that's exactly what I would have done'

Those were the words of the always confident and witty Brian Clough, the best manager England never had. Now you can interpret his words how you like but I like to think that by ‘run show’ Clough meant that he would totally overhaul the Football Association.

That meant getting rid of the doctors, the businessmen and the bankers that sat on the board then and continue to do so today,  now it’s a long shot that Old Big ‘Ed meant this but 30 years later his words don’t half ring true.

I like to think that he wanted the Football Association ran by men of football, men who knew the game, men with an opinion that thought more about the players on the pitch than the money in their back pockets. 

Maybe Clough could see that the FA was becoming ran by inexperienced men who might make the game some money but in reality did nothing but harm it on the pitch, men who had little football knowledge. 

Maybe Clough saw the beginning of an organisation distance from the people that it was supposed to represent , an organization that it is inconsistent, easily influenced and ultimately weak.  It sounds a bit like the FA today, doesn’t it?

As Massadio Haidara lies in a hospital bed somewhere in Newcastle wondering if he’ll ever kick a ball again, Wigan youngster Callum McManaman sleeps safely in his bed knowing that the board of directors at the FA had let him off with arguably the worse challenge of recent times.

There are a few things wrong with the decision to let the 19-year-old get away with the tackle, namely it was bordering on GBH or the ramifications and example it sets to young kids especially once they read the FA’s statement on the matter.    Yet first let’s address the main problem, that of the FA and the people that sit on the board and run our beautiful game without any real footballing experience.

'Clean as a whistle' 

The chairman – David Bernstein although the ex-chairman of Manchester City is a businessman, as is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Manchester United David Gill and the list continues with people that have never played the game at a Sunday league level let alone a professional one.  Now you can point out they’ve held positions of chairman or chief executive at football clubs but they’re not footballing men – they’re money men and in it for to make a profit.  Yes they may know the best way to promote or sell the game but they sure as hell don’t know how to police it.

It’s not even the fact that they’ve never played football at high level which is the problem; it’s the pound signs in their eyes that overrule common-sense in the policing of the game that is the issue.  

These are not men who have stood on the terraces or least they don’t anymore, they’re distance from the real man and reality of the game that it is damaging it.  

Why not replace them all with ex-professionals?  People who have played the game, men who would have thrown the rule book out the window and smacked Callum McManaman with a deserved ban – men who know the game. 

Yet we’re left with idiots who enforce ridiculous rules and are more worried about their reputation than actually doing the right thing.   We’re left with men who favour certain people and leave the less influential picking up the pieces of their inconsistent punishments and rules.

McManaman clearly deserved a ban every man and his dog (except Wigan chairman Dave Whelan) agreed that it was a shocking challenged and warranted punishment, yet the FA seemingly thought otherwise and why? Because apparently they don’t want to ‘re-referee games’ -  yet they’re happy to rescind red cards? Surely that is ‘re-refereeing games’?

John Carver confronting McManaman 

Fair enough they don’t want to undermine the officials but when something as bad as this was missed then surely it is time to draw the line? If the referee apologies to the manager at half-time then surely that would be a good indication that it wasn’t just a bad challenge but an absolutely horrific one.

Yet the most frustrating thing of the FA’s decision is that they don’t condone challenge nor criticise it but by not condoning it – they’re essential admitting that it was terrible challenge yet they see fit not to punish the boy? It’s going round in a horrible circle.

And the worse thing is that couple the lack of punishment with the words of Dave Whelan – ‘Our lad went for the ball and took it clean as you like. He won it clean as a whistle’ – it sets a worrying precedent not just for future tackles like this on the professional stage but also in the grassroots of the game. This was the chance for the FA to make an impression on the youngsters playing football on a Saturday morning, yet they’ve failed and you’re going to find tackles like this flying in all other country with those kids thinking it’s alright.

The funny thing out of this is when this sort of challenge happens again and it will, the FA are going to follow the same path but with their past experience don’t expect them to stick to the same ruling.

Roberto Mancini - Stay or Go?

With Manchester City losing today against Everton the title race is, if it wasn’t before, most certainly is over.  The red side of Manchester will be celebrating tonight as their side sits comfortably at the top of the Premier League by an uncatchable 15 points.

As the reality sets in around the Eithad, it will be quickly followed by the increase in speculation over manager Roberto Mancini whose job has never been 100% secure even with a title to his name.  The inevitability that his side will lose out this season will see Mancini brought under even more pressure and the rumours of a replacement waiting in the wings come the summer will do nothing but grow.

Yet is Mancini to blame for this failure? And even if so, should it cost the Italian his job?

The reason for defeat will be debated across the nation but you can look no further than to the poor transfer activity in the summer, where instead of strengthening a team to make sure the grip is tightened on the title, the squad arguably went backwards.

While Sir Alex Ferguson wasted little time in rebuilding Manchester United, City pondered and hesitated and when they did eventually enter the market they walked away with £53m worth of average rate players.

Javi Garcia, Matija Nastasic, Scott Sinclair and Maicon were all signed on the last day of September, some would say rather desperately as Mancini looked across the city with envy after he missed out on Robin Van Persie who signed for Sir Alex Ferguson instead.

Of course no one knows who was heading the transfer activity at City, Mancini has frequently blamed City’s Football Administrator Brian Marwood for the summer’s failure to capture the club’s top targets and their power struggle has been not been hidden from the public view.  Mancini didn’t refrain from showing his discontent as Van Persie signed on the dotted line for Manchester United:

‘After four months [of chasing Van Persie]I don’t know what to say, you need to ask Brian Marwood. I am not the sporting director. I can’t say anything about players. I am not happy but I don’t what to say.’

Yet thankfully for City and Mancini it appears Marwood has been revealed of his transfer duties with Txiki Begiristain, the new director of football and Chief Executive Ferran Soriano set to work with the Italian this summer.

One thing is certain; Mancini did not get the players he wanted: Daniel Agger, Daniel De Rossi and Eden Hazard were all linked yet none arrived.   Why? It would be a fair bet that the imminent financial fair play rules soon to become law would have had something to do with it, indicating that City didn’t actually enter the market for these players, arguably some of them amongst the best in Europe.

Yet while the transfer debacle perhaps doesn’t fall at the feet of Mancini, the lack of urgency, gaps at the back and failure to kill of games or even establish a winning position like last season does warrant the blame of the Italian.

The man is a talented manager but something is amiss in his team, the lack of goals – only 51 compared to United’s 69 – speaks volumes and highlights just how important a signing Robin Van Persie was.  Yet at the back  City have slipped and conceded needless goals and have at times been awful with Joe Hart a seemingly former shadow of himself as he commits some terrible errors.  Whether this is all down to poor training or simply complacency within the team, it’s cost City dearly and it’s Mancini’s responsibility.

Other events such as the disastrous Champions League campaign and Mancini’s constant defending of Mario Balotelli, add up to a disappointing season for the Italian and City and leaves him very much treading water.

It is very difficult to see Mancini remaining at Manchester City come the summer, even if they win the FA Cup but it would be nice to see a top club break the norm and stick by their man. He’s a talented manager who will have City challenging next season but with Jose Mourinho available next season whilst not forgetting talented managers such as David Moyes, Frank Rijkarrd and Atletico Madrid’s Digeo Simeone all being linked to the role, if Mancini survives it’ll be just as big of a miracle as the one it’ll take for his side to retain the title. 

David Moyes: Hot Property

David Moyes - Staying or Going?

Words: Andrew Musgrove

Current Everton manager David Moyes this week revealed that he will wait until the end of the season to decide his future at Goodison Park. 

The Scotsman who has been in charge of the Toffees since 2002 is regarded as one of the most talented managers in the Premier League and his achievements at Everton on a relatively tight budget have been noted by everyone in the game, with constant rumours that a step up to a richer club is just around the corner.

With Sir Alex Ferguson bordering on retirement, Arsene Wenger struggling at Arsenal, Rafael Benitez looking increasingly unlikely to be hand the reigns at Chelsea full-time and even Roberto Mancini struggling to match expectations at Manchester City; there may well be no shortage of big spending clubs after Moyes – something Evertonians will be all too aware of.

Everton chairman – Bill Kenwright provides David Moyes will the funds when he can afford to and the Scotsman has in the last 10 years spent expensively at times but the financial support unfortunately is inconsistent providing a hindrance to Moyes as he tries to build a top four side.

With a pot of money that doesn’t rival the likes of those top teams rumoured to be interested in Moyes as-well as teams around like Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur it is likely that Everton will see another summer of a lack of signings able to take them into the top four. Therefore the threat that their best players such as Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini will be tempted by the title challenging teams increases and is something that will frustrate the Goodison Park faithful.

Moyes has guided Everton to seven top eight finishes in the last eight years but at times must feel as if he is banging his head against a brick wall as he looks to strengthen the team to go onto the next level but with the understanding that just isn’t possible with the funds currently available.

While there are number of teams in this position such as Newcastle United, there is no manager as talented as Moyes in the same predicament which makes him hot property.  It is unlikely that should City sack Roberto Mancini after his failure to retain the Premier League, Moyes would replace the Italian but there is a feeling among pundits and fans alike that he could do a very good job at Arsenal or Manchester United.

Expectations and pressure would obviously be higher than at Everton at both these clubs but funds would be more forthcoming and would eventually give Moyes that chance to challenge for the honors that so many feel he could do.

Fellani - A Great Talent

He has a clear eye for talent, Fellaini and Baines – who could quite easily fit into a Manchester United or Arsenal side and Moyes is also a dab hand at developing talent with youth products such as Leon Osman a talented example – which many would suggest means Moyes would fit the Arsenal role like a glove.

Finding talent would not be the problem but having a large access to funds brings towering pressure, something which would be new for Moyes and this indeed would be a great test of character for the 50 year-old.

However I would side with those who would love to see Moyes take the next step and could quite easily see him in charge Manchester United should Sir Alex Ferguson retire or at Arsenal if the supporters’ patience eventually wears thin as they endure another trophy-less season.

Of course Moyes may remain at Everton and that would be another option I would like to see, particularly if extra investment is found and Moyes can mount a challenge on top four with a fully strengthened team.