Newcastle United v Swansea City - Official Build Up / Matchday Thread

Me, you, whoever, wanting the team to win, lose or draw isn't going to change results.
If I wanted to lose games, why would I go to the trouble of going in the first place.
What happens with Pardew will take its course, if he stays or goes is down to MA and that is still the root of the problem.

3 - 1 Win against Swansea.

 

Exactly. All I'm asking for is a sustained run in his prefered role. If, after that it's not working then I'll be the first to hold my hands up. Steven Taylor should not even be allowed to have another chance as he has had ample opportunities over the years only to beat his chest, let out some sort of 'war cry' (yeah right) and the proceed to embarrass himself beyond belief, time and time again.

 

As I said though, what about all the garbage games, or do we just ignore those because its a handy stick to beat Pardew with? They haven't all come at right back.

Also its not strictly true he was dropped for Colo. I could be wrong here, but I'm almost sure he had to move him to right back because Debuchy was missing - against Norwich maybe? Colo and Willo then performed well up until late Dec bar that game at Swansea when everyone was utterly ****.

All said and done I don't think anyone would dispute, we have looked at our best this season when the defence has had Colo, Willo and Debuchy in it.

Mbiwa has been one of our worst performers whether centre back or right back.

 

I agree he has been awful the last couple of months when he's played. I think his confidence is shot, although I may be wrong. One thing is clear though; he is definitely not a fullback.

 

I thought he at times showed some class, but the relentless nature of the PL is unforgiving. Just look at Sakho at Liverpool, sometimes it doesn't matter your reputation or class, or even the quality of the side you're in - it takes time, and even then nothings certain.

I don't think he needs to be villified though, and Pardew needs his fcking head looking at putting him at RB just because he's a defender. I remember he did that when Santon was fit and both Dummett/Haidara were available, but he sticks MYM there. MYM's only played CB, with a handful of games for Montpellier coming at left back as an emergency. How the fck Pardew comes to the conclusion he's a right back....just beggars belief, and this happened when we didn't all hate the manager!!!

We're just in a situation where fresh eyes are needed. We need someone from the outside to come in and understand again where these players should be playing and stick Youth players in when senior ones aren't free, instead of playing senior pro's out of position. We can't always have a Luke Shaw or Ward-Prowse coming through, but we've got ONE right back (assuming Santon's only going to be lb under Pardew), so why we send out our most promising right back on loan in Tavernier is fcking beyond me.

The most simplistic way to manage any squad, regardless of level is to have one main gameplan and one backup gameplan. One when you're supposed to win, the other when the opponent is supposed to. Atletico are a fantastic example of this, they hit on the front foot in most games but against bigger opposition they sometimes sit back and stop the relentless pressure. What you don't do is build your team around an individual when you're effectively a selling club, as that individual will inevitably shine and - ultimately - leave. It's about one of the worst fck ups of Pardew's entire time here, constantly trying to start with one player and bring the rest around him.

Just look at the squad we've got - have we got wingers? Have we fck. So stop fcking playing formation after formation that needs them. Do we have wing backs? No - so it doesn't matter if you have 3 or 4 centre backs, you don't then switch to 3 at the back when you haven't got the fcking wide men.

Inter Milan used to have a hugely effective and very narrrow 4-3-1-2 formation, with no wingers at all. That's EXACTLY how we could have played, with Anita/Tiote/Sissoko across the middle, two very athletic full backs covering the wing and a front 3 of any number of players, including Remy, Armstrong, Cisse, Luuk De jong, HBA and Gouffran (in his proper position). It just seems to me that Pardew's as limited as Sam Allardyce, just with weak hearted French players instead.

 

Not true. He played quite a few different positions for Montpellier including left back, right back and defensive midfield. His whole first season under Girard was as a right back and he spent the majority of his early years in the Montpellier team playing right back. Girard converted him from a right back to a centre back. Hence when he joined he was touted as beign able to play right across the back four and versatile. Its only his terrible performances that have led people to assume he has no experience of right back.

I remember watching him at centre back against Arsenal in the CL two years ago, had a pair of nightmares then and Wenger went cold on him thereafter. My problem is these guys like HBA, MYM and Sissoko (to a lesser extent) - its not like we can blame Pardew. Debuchy and Cabaye came from the same league and flourished. Why? They were up for the fight, they knew what they were walking in to. Those guys are linked with moves left, right and centre.

They couldn't wait to get HBA out of their club in France and there has hardly been much clamour to get him out of Newcastle. MYM - Hardly any interest. If he was simply out of position and is actually a very good player, would good managers not spot this and be trying to get him? The only club to show any interest is Montpellier taking him back!

Its the same with Sissoko. the clamour for him to play centre midfield is strange. When he has, he has been awful. Whether in a 442 or 433. Why? Gets lost and didn't seem to want to work. It was only putting him on the right did we manage to get something useful out of him. Ah its the manager again. Sorry I'm not buying it personally. Too many excuses being made for them and way too easy to just say, its the manager. Its like we don't want to front up to our players being not quite up for it?

These lads maybe aren't as good as we hoped. I still think Sissoko offers something but HBA is a lost cause and MYM has it all to prove. We bought quite a few from France over a period, only two have truly been a success. Maybe its time to adjust our policy?

 

Would never happily see my team get beat.
But... I expect it so his sacking would be a decent fringe benefit.

 

I may want Pardew out the door, but, I can safely say I don't hate him.

Not sure where you get Tavernier as promising from.
Playing in third tier football with Carlisle/Rotherham, and 5th tier with Gateshead doesn't make him promising, it makes him someone shunted out the door because he's not good enough. He'll be 23 yo this year and if he was at PL level he would be in the squad by now. I have absolutely no problem with him being out on loan.

MYM was bought as a versatility player, in the James Perch mould which is one of the reasons he was sold, but it simply hasn't worked to date, I hope he is a success, however, I just cant see it.

We have got wingers, its just the ones in the first team squad aren't good enough, or we loaned them out.

 

Disagree, played at CB in three of ur four games in November, we didn't concede a goal and won them all, Pardew got manager of the month. He then got dropped/played out of position and it shot his confidence...been all downhill from there for Yanga and Pardew.

 

Cheers Freddd.

 

Hell this Pardew is a popular fella in these parts, hope we give you boys a good game whatever the outcome, we are desperate for 3 points though!.............

 

Pardew is as popular as a fart in an astronaut suit fella.

 

He had to be played "out of position" (he was bought to provide this versatility as he had in France) because we had no Debuchy. He did do well in three games against top sides. Man C 2nd string in the cup, Chelsea and Spurs. Then the manager was forced to use his versatility. Its worth noting at the time he did ok against Norwich and West Brom at full back. His confidence got shot by his own poor performances. That's when things went downhill. What about the garbage games at centre back which everyone wants to ignore? Everton and Hull were before his mini spell of good games, comical performances from Mastinkypoo.

Based on performance this season at centre back who have been the best two? You can't seriously be suggesting its MYM based on one Carling Cup game against a weakened Man C, and two PL games. Willo and Colo have had more good games than bad. MYM is the opposite.

As I say people are using Pardew as a scapegoat to excuse sub standard performance from MYM. The basics of his game are not great. Positionally he has problems, he doesn't read the game very well, his passing is shocking and he struggles to control the ball at times. The latter can be down to confidence, the first are worrying traits as a defender. I hope he turns it around, **** knows we need him to, but lets not try and heap all our problems at Pardew's door.

Its laughable - HBA is fat because Pardew doesn't love him, Mapou can't pass a football because Pardew doesn't treat him right. I worry about our supports mental stability at times.

 

A hated man without doubt. I think you'll find our bunch of surrender monkeys very accomodating in your search for 3 points.

 

Don Hutchinson's bull**** take on things, regarding our foreign element. I couldn't quite believe the amount of w**k in the last paragraph. The very notion Shola cares about the club is sheer insanity:

 

Incredible xenophobia. Shola's been arguably the worst of all in the past decade for doing less than enough, yet constantly getting a contract. If he was that bothered, he'd have stepped up years ago. Loathesome individual.

The thought that you MUST be a Geordie to 'hurt' when your team loses is fcking bonkers. How come we're the only club in the World that applies to?

 

The Full Article from Don Hutchinson, which I find to be quite a good one and I suspect resonates with a lot of NUFC fans.

Much if not all the article makes a lot of sense.
All the players whether English or foreign need to take a good look at themselves as does Pardew, because DH is right, they don't seem to care one iota just now.

Hopefully, the Swansea game will see a change in attitude, particularly, if both Remy and Debuchy return as being mooted.



Time is running out for Alan Pardew.

Newcastle United are a debacle and if Mike Ashley really cared about his club, Pardew’s job would be under threat. Or rather it wouldn’t, because he’d have been sacked for gross misconduct last month for headbutting Hull City’s David Meyler.

But having passed up that opportunity, now is the not the time to make changes.

Ashley needs to get to the end of the season then really take stock about the problems at his football club.

Perhaps the biggest one is there just don’t seem to be enough players at Newcastle who care. You could make the same accusation about Sunderland too.

Both clubs really need more home-grown players coming through. You just cannot sign the amount of foreign players they have recently.

You’ve got to have a core of British players who understand what it means to the fans.

I get the impression that when either North East side loses, too many of their players don’t really hurt that badly.

In a year’s time, when they’re ex-Newcastle or ex-Sunderland players, they won’t care about the club.

I was only at Sunderland for a year and I never played for Newcastle United – although I did used to stand beneath the scoreboard at the Gallowgate End watching their matches – but I think I care more about those clubs than lots of players who have played there for years.

If that sounds a bit harsh, I don’t think there are many people in the Newcastle squad – maybe Steven Taylor, the Ameobi brothers and Paul Dummett – who could put their hands up and say I am out of order.

I must admit, I only realised what a big club Liverpool was after I had left.

I joined West Ham United – another club with an impressive history, but you could see it wasn’t anywhere near the size of Liverpool. I think in the next few years the penny will drop with some of these players what a big club they used to play for.

If Ashley bides his time until the end of the season, there will be some good managers interested in taking the job.

It seems as if Tim Sherwood will be looking for a new job this summer.

If Harry Redknapp cannot get Queens Park Rangers back into the Premier League this season, he might be doing the same.

One of the first things Sherwood would probably do would be to bring Les Ferdinand with him as his assistant. That would instantly get the fans on his side.

For Pardew to keep his job, Newcastle will have to have a fantastic finish to the season, scoring goals and winning games playing entertaining football.

Unfortunately, I just can’t see it happening.

The situation cannot be allowed to drag into next season.

The new manager needs a couple of months to take stock, sign the players he wants and get his ideas across in pre-season.

Ashley needs to take his time and get the right man in to do that.

 

Very good piece. Certainly resonates with me bar the bit about Shola.

I'd like to see a mass clear out. Manager, coaching staff and players. This buy cheap experiment works to a point. i.e. when things are going well. The likes of Ben Arfa, Gouffran, Sissoko, Mbiwa, Shola, Cisse, Santon all wanna know, bang up for it. When things sour (which they always will for a club of our size and current resoucing), they just are not interested. I've said for a long time now you simply must have a english/British core to your side. Pochettino, SAF, Mourinho, Pellegrini, SBR, KK - all managers who have spoken of the need for it. We had ours a few years ago in Barton, Nolan, Perch, Carroll, Willo, Raylor, Saylor, Simpson, Harper. We sold the majority and instead of replacing them, decided foreign options could give us added quality. We forgot to make sure they had the heart. Only 2 or 3 have shown the required gusto to get down and dirty so to speak. Cabaye, Anita and Debuchy. The only teams that get away with squads full of foreigners are the ones who have mountains to spend and can buy the very best.

Couple this with our owners desire to keep the numbers down (which creates motivation problems through lack of competition), and the whole grand plan is based around counting pennies rather than pursuing glory.

 

Exactly what everyone would like to see. Even seeing the back of Remy has its benefits, it's so shallow having your best player actively saying how he can't wait to leave.

 

We don't need mackem-shirt-kisser DH to tell us what's wrong with our club. We already know.