I never thought Europe would have such a dramatic effect on our season

Before any mackems go on about "desire" and "passion", I aint making this as an excuse for today, you won fair and square, this is not directed towards you.

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On to the point -

I'm not just talking about today, I'm talking about the season as a whole. I thought we'd slip down a few places, and I was worried at the start of the campaign that we didn't sign enough players, but I didn't think we'd be even thinking about a relegation battle.

We've had injury problem after injury problem, but this isn't what surprises me. It's the tactical effect on our side it has had.

We haven't been able to prepare for games properly, and we've lost some games we really should have won. Reading, West Ham etc.

I really just want this season to end, and we can prepare for next season.

 

On 36 points, you can't just wish the season to end, there's work to be done sir!

 

You sound like Pardew. Its Pardew to blame for the tactics, not the players and not fatigue, we approach every game the same way, sit back and wait for a moment of magic, theres no attacking gameplan and basic things are being ignored such of the concept of pass and move, it really does make you wonder what the hell do we actually work on in training? We haven't scored from a corner since the second game of last season, what is being done about it? Absolutely nothing.

We are going nowhere under Pardew, and the constant excuses of fatigue and injuries are his go to excuses, I guarantee we wont be any better performance and tactics wise for the rest of the season, we'll probably scrape survival if were lucky.

 

That said, I'd snap anyone's hand off who offered to end the season as it is now. I think we'll be ok, but only thinking and not knowing is too nerve-wracking for my liking!

 

We turned up today with no plan, we thought we could walk it. Why else would you possibly play Jonas at left back and Tiote at all? We thought Sunderland were going to come up, timid and cautious and play for a draw. Instead they attacked us and we didn't know what the **** to do. The defence looked leaderless. Mbiwa was trying to do Taylor and Jonas job for them as they were piss poor. Colo is vital to our defence line. I hope to Christ he is back next week because that man is one of the best we have and showed more ****ing passion and abililty back at their place earlier in the season than any ****er today.

 

I don't believe it has to be honest, it has been a very convenient excuse.

We've looked poor from pre-season onwards. We fielded really weak second-string sides in the group phases of the Europa but we still awful the following weekend.

There was a very poor non-investment in the summer which I believe communicated real apathy through the club when we expected to kick on from the previous year.
Something has massively changed the mentality and desire of the whole set up from last year.

We've viewed the Europa as a negative since the end of last season and had already decided it was an unnecessary distraction before it started.
Since then it has been an easy excuse for being inept.

If the club of NUFC's stature isn't significantly setup to cope with a European campaign as well as the league then what are we playing for?

Remember also that it was the only cup run we had to contend with after bailing out miserably asap from both domestic cups.

You have to at least start with a desire and a willingness to win and there's energy bred from there.

Q) When was the last 90-minute comprehensive, convincing total team performance from NUFC?

A) I can't remember, but I know it was last season. FACT.

 

He stays for now, there is nothing changing would do and we wouldn't get the right manager in. Pardew is great as a motivator and you can clearly see he cares. Unfortunately that does not translate to results. So many times this season we've looked like a worse team because we aren't organised and don't look like we have a set game plan. West Brom this season have done really well because they are disciplined and know what they're doing in attack and defence, they have a system. Benfica on Thursday were solid and disciplined on the ball, and this made them hard to break down, especially in the first half. Today Sunderland found it all too easy to soak up a poor 1-dimensional tactics. If we can't play the ball over the top we look for a moment of magic from Benny or Cabaye or Marveaux. What happened to the displays like we had against Swansea and Stoke (x2) last season. Last season we looked good, this season not too much. Pardew needs to be prepared to drop players to suit a system rather than play all our good players and hope it comes off.
Should he go? Last season we looked good, this season we've looked awful. I'd see him replaced only by somebody to take the club forward and I can't see anybody available (i.e. not currently employed) to do that at the present moment in time,

 

In the Championship we averaged a game every three or four days, as I recall we progressed well in both domestic cups, these guys are professionals after all, they should have been up for it today.

 

Although I agree Pardew's tactical awareness has been in question often since he's been here, he's done a good job for the most part. He kept us together for the season when Hughton and Carroll left, he had to deal with a lot of stick early on, but took it on his chin.

Last season was no fluke. Pardew isn't tactically inept, and he had us well organised and winning games for most of last season, but as you said, we're going no where with him. He isn't the right man for the job anymore.

All I'm saying is Europa League games have taken an affect on everyone, and the amount of games have hurt us tactically. We've switched to hoofball whenever we've been in trouble, and our strategies have been easily dealt with at times, because we haven't had enough time to deal with the volume of matches.

 

We have been woeful all season. This is not a surprise. Besides, having been in the company I have been in, this is nothing. We are poor and have been all season however sod it. We are probably safe anyway.

 

Absolutely this, and we didn't have as many in the squad either! We've had injuries and some bad decisions, but I can't say "woe is us" with any conviction because it isn't true. The league table doesn't lie

The positives from this year-

- We managed to get to the quarter final of the Europa without playing that well in any game
- Bordeaux match being the one exception, and a jolly good day out
- Bigirimana
- Haidara's still got a career, and lots of potential

And I don't have long enough to live if I hit 187 to list the negatives!

 

I expect both sides to have better seasons next year. Both have underperformed.

Be pleased you should end up safe and have had a few decent trips to Europe this year.

All the best chaps.