They're finishing 9th, the gobsmacking arrogance of the black and white ****es is amazing. Right back to "too big to go down" to this, I despise the geordie fookers.
That is exactly the response that makes them so right, like them or not. They have employed him to do the job of manager and, to some degree, he has done okay. But he accepts boardroom interference with alacrity and then, when they most need focussed management, he nuts (ish) Meyler and gets himself a highly destructive ban. Include that with the lack of focus since Xmas and you really have to wonder when you look at what others have done. They have every right to give him as much **** as they want.
He may be a twat, but their expectations are wildly optimistic if they think 9th isn't good enough. The logic that because they had a good first half of season and poor second half doesn't make much sense to me. They cancel each other out, that's how a league table works. You can't just focus on the results you fancy to make a point. Also, in general it irritates me when fans criticise managers for basic tactical decisions like playing players out of position, as if the manager isn't aware that it's not the player's usual position or hasn't thought it through like they have. I can understand criticism of style, results, management of particular players, etc. but when people moan about a manager's tactics as if they understand it better than him I just find it a bit daft. Like when Barmby was here and people used to say things like "He should have signed a striker in January, it's his inexperience." Because of course it takes years of management experience to figure out that strikers are good. Still it's a good song
I'd put 9th down to the players rather than Pardew, who's been quite an embarassment. Sissoko Tiote Krul Coloccini Remy Anita Not the only good players but heck, they should be in a top half team. With the right manager and backroom setup they should be pushing the top 6 along with Everton, who broke in again this year fantastically under Martinez. Given relative resources the league probably should be broken up like this: Title challengers Man City Chelsea Liverpool Man Utd Arsenal Trying to break into top 6 Everton Tottenham Newcastle The rest --- Southampton have really been outstanding but I'm not sure they'll repeat it next season with the bigger clubs looking to poach their stars over the summer. If you look at the points this season, Newcastle on 49 are way behind Tottenham on 66 in 6th and even Southampton a good chunk ahead on 55. If Stoke beat West Brom and Newcastle lose to Liverpool tomorrow that'd then see the Geordies drop to 10th. They're safe, but I can certainly understand them seeing this season as a disappointment. Pardew for me is not someone to take them closer to the top 6.
Their squad currently is a bit behind Everton/Spurs but they have a cracking core group of players - just need to expand on that for depth.
