http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1430635-newcastle-united-5-things-alan-pardew-is-getting-wrong I especially agree with the excuses part. We've been served up some stuff that just doesn't add up. Blamed the Europa League a lot, admittedly extra games but on average 8-9 changes for short away trips (Belgium and Portugal hardly that far away) but say's we're tired. The only thing I will accept is less time to prepare for the weekend game but this is something he knew he'd have to deal with a long time ago. Injuries. Yeah lots of injuries to key men but only HBA and Cabaye missing against Soton and we played like we couldn't pass the ball 5-10yards. Injuries to Raylor, Vuckic, Shola and Gosling.... wouldn't be in the team if everyone were fit anyway. Blamed the Swansea defeat on Cisse not being available, if anyone thinks him being on the pitch would have made a difference I'll gladly beg to differ. Swansea had more experience too, strange given he has much more prem experience than Laudrap and they had some debutants playing. And finally the tactics- worst and least effective in the league. Long ball doesn't work with BA and Cisse together in a 4-4-2. Why is it taking him so long to process this fact. Persisting with something that isn't working for half a season is plain stupid. Optimistic about tonight given the better display at Stoke but very worried also. Wigan play better football, simple as that really.
Key players missing is unfortunate but explain to how West Ham can beat Chelsea without key men such as Carroll who is pretty integral to how they play
All teams go through a period of poor form - Newcastle United are no different... we'll claw it back. I'm not going to start jumping up and down, complaining about a manager and team that qualified for Europe last season. Looking to pin the blame squarely at the door of our manager is pure stupidity.
Is it though? He chooses the outdated formation of 4-4-2, he chooses our long ball game plan which all but nullifies the threat of Ba & Cisse, he prepares our pitiful set plays on the training ground, he instructs our back four to play a suicidal high line when we lack pace at the back. He's the manager, it's his job to prepare the team and he's not done that to anywhere near the standard required this season. Last season's achievement's are all well and good, and I congratulate him for that as it really was a brilliant feat...unfortunately you don't get points on the board this season for last year's performances. You and others may call it fickle to be fair, but I'd call it factual.
The players have to share a reasonable portion of the blame but tell me why I can't help thinking if Martinez was our manager we'd be playing much better football (not that he'd come to manage us anway).
I'm not suggesting Pardew is blameless, but all the vitriol seems to be aimed at him - surely the players must take their share of the responsibility?
A very small proportion of it in my opinion (Southampton game aside). Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Ba & Cisse can't do anything with the ball if it spends more time in the sky then it does on the ground. It all stems from the back four's incompetence on the ball. Colo & Santon have the ability to bring the ball out of defence and feed it to Tiote & the above mentioned players, Willimson, Simpson & Taylor (less so) lack said ability in that area, he should therefore be working with them day in, day out to improve this side of their game. As I'm yet to see improvement in this area I can only assume we're not working on improving this on the training ground, Krul also plays a big part in our long ball love in.
Undoubtedly for me, with Willo and Krul needing serious work. Krul is young enough to change, Mike is just playing at a level beyond him. They can work with him all day everyday, its just beyond him. Steven Taylor and Simpson are instantly better when Colo is there to lead them. The players are taking the easy option for me of punting it because the heat is on. There's a feeling of "hot potato" for me. They start each game playing it around but soon panic and go back to type.
We played decent football to earn our win tonight... ...no doubt there is some negative explanation for it all though
Much better. Of course you know the "it was 10 men" brigade will be out. Its true but even before that we were trying to play. I think we often do and its only when it gets squeaky bum time we give up on it. That to me is obviously down to confidence. Its too easy to just say its the manager all the time. Krul has a problem but I've noticed he is going back to throwing it out and has even tried a couple of passes to full backs in the last couple of games. Mike even tried a few passes into feet last night although Kone did rape him on two or three occasions
