Knee Jerks...

I think watching non-league football can be really refreshing as it helps you appreciate the difference between quality football and 'doing the basics'.

I remember one point under Cuggy when I was getting frustrated with Spartans' style of play I went to a Blyth Town match, put things into perspective.

We're not playing as well as we can but the players just need a little kick up the bum and Pardew needs to go back to playing to our strengths. I think January will see a bit of a shake up but we're far from a crisis as some seem to be hinting at.

 

Whereas I might disagree with where we'll end up you see the same needs I do. It'll take the onus off Benni if we went and got a Zaha or Ince (or someone along those lines if we can't afford). Centre back is an obvious priority and we're still short of a full back. I'd like a left back but won't complain if its Debuchy.

 

I'm not fearful we'll go down. We are too good for that. It's like you say though, West Ham had to do nothing to beat us. I thought they were awful in truth but if we're honest they were deserved winners, which in itself tells you how bad we were on the day.

I think the biggest frustration was that if ever there was a season where 4th was up for grabs it was this one. Arsenal lost RVP, Spurs lost Modric and VDV, Liverpool rebuilding. It would almost be criminal to not attack the league with everything we have. Pardew was badly let down in the summer, however that doesn't excuse our form to date.

 

I don't think I'm overreacting at all. The questions about Pardew's tactics aren't new, they were asked for a lot of last season too. I remember after a lot of games last season the general opinion was that we weren't playing that well but were managing to get results. As I said earlier in this topic there were a lot of concerns about the amount of long ball football we were playing back then. A lot of people don't like to admit it but last season we had a lot of luck on our side and almost everything was going our way, this season it's not, and I just don't think Pardew has the ability to keep things going when luck isn't with us.

I've stated plenty of times now that the results aren't the sole reason for my criticism of him - If we'd been outplaying teams but still losing I'd still be supporting him. We've been outplayed by everyone so far this season though, and everyone who has beaten us has thoroughly deserved it (and to be honest West Brom and probably Norwich deserved something too). It's true that we haven't had a lot of luck with injuries or suspensions, but they don't change the fact that none of our players can cross properly, that Krul's kicking has been suspect for a while now, our ridiculously poor setpieces, etc. etc. These problems were there last season and if anything they've just got worse over time.

I hope I'm wrong and that he will turn it around, because I would genuinely like to see him succeed, but I just can't see it happening.

 

Time will tell

 

Those two harsh sendings off probably cost us 4 points against the mackems and Liverpool, they they might have cost us more over the last two games.
But our wng play and finishing is still below par.

Pardew's got a job on his hands.

 

Time is a great healer .................................. or finder out.

 

Have to say I'm less convinced by every interview Pardew gives of late. He's been bleating on about not having all of our top players available, how many teams ever have all of their top players available at once? Very few is the answer in fairness.

Following the news on Cabaye, he's simply said that means he won't have his first choice midfield of Tiote and Cabaye available until February, bid deal. Arsenal haven't had Diaby and Wilshere available at the same time for about two years, Spurs have been missing Kaboul, Dembele, Adebayor and Ekotto all season. It's almost as if he's getting excuses ready before we even play a game, I find it worrying.

I know this is another negative comment from me (there have been a few from me lately) but I can only call it as I see it. I mean apparently we lost to West Ham because we were missing Tiote, now we've lost to Swansea because we were missing Cabaye. He'll be missing for the next 12 or so games, it's Pardew's job to make the team less reliant on these two, to under perform just because one of them is missing is unacceptable and not a good enough reason/excuse for the rest of the team to put in weak showings.

I'll be first to hold my hands up if I'm wrong, I'm just hugely underwhelmed by our manager lately. I want him to get it right and bring us out the other side of this mini rut just as much as the next fan, it's just that it's only a mini rut by results standards, based on performances it's a 12/13 game rut which is again concerning.

Here's to hoping Pardew proves me wrong I guess.

 

We haven't played well once in the league this season. Of course Pardew and the players(moreso the players) are going to get criticised and rightly so.

Our 25 or so chances against Swansea mean naff all when only 2-3 were good chances(inc Marv hitting the bar from about 3 yards).

 

At this point in time I place more blame on Pardew than the players, simply because we're not losing due to individual errors (players fault) it's more down to lack of team shape and cohesion, the chopping and changing of formations and the long ball that we're playing. All things that the manager can affect in my opinion, but he's failed to affect them in a positive manner over our 12 league games.

It must come across as if I hate the bloke, which I don't. I happen to think he comes across as very likeable and hard working (which is to be admired), but then Williamson is also both of these and nobody rates him.

 

I was going to rep you but I'm not allowed to for some reason.
I completely agree with everything you said there though. Like I said in my earlier post I do really hope Pardew can get things sorted out because I do like the guy, I just don't think he has what it'll take.

 

That is why we lost Saturday though. Krul gifted them one goal and should have done better with the 2nd. Ba missed several good opportunities to get our noses in front, chances he'd normally take. Had he put just one away it changes the complexion of the game. There is simply no getting away from individual errors costing us on Saturday.

 

Saturday's game is maybe not the best game to support what I'm saying, but regardless of the goals conceded we still went from back to front far to quickly in the second half.

However against West Ham this was down to the manager, same goes for Reading, Villa, West Brom, Man Utd & Norwich. I'd say the Swansea & Chelsea games were more the players fault in fairness as was the Sunderland game, however our performance in that game was more than acceptable.

I know we got results in some of those games, but the performances were poor at best. West Brom had 3 great chances on top of the goal they scored.

 

We lost against West Ham because of Williamson's individual error and against Swansea, Swansea scored off the back of Kruls poor kick(defence also went walkabout for it). Williamson also made two errors which we were lucky not to conceded from. That was just the previous two games.

Santon has been our only player that has been consistently good as well.

 

Williamson played Nolan onside, only just though and that's not a mistake, it happens in games up and down the country every week. In twelve games we've scored 2 or more goals on 3 occasions (each time 2 was scored).

Meaning if we want to win any of the other 75% of our games a clean sheet is needed, given we only have 1 clean sheet in the league all season then it shows we have problems at the back as well as going forward.

It could be argued that our lack of goals is down poor set pieces, constant long ball and no other variety other than the "give the ball to Ben Arfa at all costs" tactic. We also can't defend a set piece, all things that can be put right on the training ground (Pardew's job). Yet in each game we're seeing the same style of play over and over, it just saps the confidence I had/have in Pardew out of me a little bit more as each game goes by.

 

?? Of course that is an individual error. Its called not being aware of where your defensive line is. The main issue is a lack of consistency in getting our best players on the pitch through regular injuries to Krul, Colo, Saylor, Raylor, Cabaye, Tiote, Jonas. Disjointed team selection means disjointed performances and a lack of understanding in the team. You'll always concede goals when this is the case. The other thing is we are not taking our chances which we did last year. This builds pressure on the defence. At key points you need Ba, Benni to tyake the chances coming their way or you get yourself behind the 8 ball. The opposition gain confidence from missed chances. Its like in cricket with dropped catches. Its amazing how many players go on and punish the oppo when they've been dropped.

Set pieces wise I'd have to agree though, Pardew and his team need to get us thinking on our feet and start varying how we go about it. If something is not working, change it. You can't blame personnel for that. Its too long aswell.

EDIT: Pardew should watch G Nevilles piece on Stokes set piece last night. That is well drilled. Not a massive Stoke fan of course but credit when it is due.

 

I was wondering what our form has been like since Pardew was awarded his 8-year deal?

 

6 points since than?
Maybe.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/results

Since he signed the new deal, we've only beaten WBA in the league.

We did beat Bordeaux 3-0 in the Europa League but those are the only matches we've won since he signed his new deal.

 

So what your saying is we're gonna win the Europa? Excellent