Pardew Prematch Soundbytes - Critical of Ashley

A refreshingly honest if obvious admission from Pardew that he has not been up to scratch this season. Interestingly he has also been critical of Ashley and Llambias - they fully deserve it but up until now Pardew has always pretended that the sun shone out of their collective backside.

I'm not sure that Ashley will respond well to this - from NUFC.com:


Blame me - and him

Some startling quotes from Alan Pardew's Friday press call have now emerged, in which he makes a frank admission of personal failure but also points the finger at owner Mike Ashley - presumably for failings in the transfer market:

“My job is to manage this football club with dignity, with an honesty, which I’ve done, not just with the players but with the press and more importantly with our fans.

“Hopefully it’ll be good enough to keep my job next year, but that ultimate decision is not mine so we could get the points we need and Mike (Ashley) could decide he needs to move to another manager.

“I like to think that he won’t, that next year we’ll stay with myself, and we need to make some changes and we’ll do that and talk about that at the end of the year. We know we’ve got an uncomfortable conversation regarding the form this year, the underachievement that’s been mentioned and everything else.

“It’ll be uncomfortable for us both, because we’ve both underachieved. Him as an owner and me as a manager. We need to find out what the reasons were and then it’s for Mike and hopefully with me to decide how to go forward.

“I’m talking about the club, we’ve underachieved as the club, so the point is we all take responsibility. I’m trying to make the point that we’ve got to be honest. It’s about making sure when we go forward – and] Derek (Llambias) as well – that we put right some of the things we put wrong this year.

“I’m confident enough that I want to be the manger of this football club. Some of the issues I’ve had this year, some of the selection times I’ve had to pick teams has been against me a lot of the time. The injuries more than anything have been a massive blow to this football club, to key players at key times, that’s something we can’t afford to happen.

“We’ve had a year where we’ve finished fifth and everybody perhaps assumed we’d roll into that season again. We didn’t. Those reasons I shall keep to myself for this time, but I have relative views on that. In terms of, are we good enough, well we couldn’t have been, because this is where we are.”

With two games still to play, the timing of these quotes seems a little odd but no matter when they emerged, it's a high-risk strategy from the manager to name his employer - and therefore the structure in place at the club - as a factor in our seasonal underachievement.

Appearing on the anniversary of Pardew's confirmation as the Premier League's manager of the season, his latest utterance recalls predecessor Kevin Keegan and his "million miles away" sound bite of May 2008.

KK's plea for financial backing ultimately fell on deaf ears and he'd depart early the following season, having questioned the owner and paid a personal price. And has been noted, history does have a habit of repeating itself round these parts, when contracts become irrelevant.

 

In fairness Ashley did leave it very late to add to the squad, and why did we never purchase another striker?
As for Pardew speaking out, what's he got too lose, does he see the writing on the wall with regards his job?

 

Thinking so.

 

Thinking so.

 

That's how it reads to me. They've all failed this year - Ashley, Llambias, Pardew, coaches and players.

 

This site just gets worse and worse for posting

 

To be fair, he is right. They have to take collective 'blame' (if that's the right word in this context), address the issues and put plans in place for making improvements. At least he is brave enough to say it. It might be his final nail if Ashley takes offence, but equally it shows he has some guts and some integrity.

 

Seems to me it's an attempt to debunk the mouthpiece/puppet thing. Like he's trying to suggest he has a say in things.
While in places he talks sense, I didn't like the ""He could turn around and say, 'sorry Pards, see you later and thanks very much'." bit. (not quoted in original post but part of the same interview) Surely "Pards" is a bit pally for such an occasion? And what's he going to say thanks very much for?

 

He claims "honesty" and "dignity" but fails to mention ONE alien conspiracy?!

 

I'd have settled for words such as "ability". But then again, that would contradict the word "honesty", so maybe he's playing this one straight.

 

He knows he's gone...he's just trying to take a few with him...he's got to try and say that his hands were tied during his tenure so he can get another job....(we all know that he's ****e tho...)

 

I will just mention how infuriating I find our chronic back passing,
Quie unecessary at times, just players too lazy to lift their heads and look around, take the soft option of a back pass.

 

Bye bye

 

Attack, attack.

Attack, attack, attack.

 

Sounds like the writing's on the wall for him, wonder who comes in?

 

Poyet hopefully I'd give him more time but the majority want him out. Comments like Pardew and Mankini have made suggest they know what is coming already.

 

Would you like to see Ashley deliberately go for Whelan's pet? Think he'd be a good choice too. However, I'm slightly more certain that he'll go to Everton, we'll be lumbered with Alan and even Wigan will end up with a better manager.

 

What about going after Dave Whelan's pet? Probably heading to Everton and the Ashley/Whelan rivalry impacts both ways, but I think he'd do a job. That said, if I were betting on it I'd have Martinez at Everton, us keeping Pardew and little Wigan picking up a better manager than we have.

 

Good shout. Martinez will be managing in the premier league next season regardless of wigan's plight, you never know as there's no loyalty in football anymore

 

Here's another thought. Buy McManaman too. But never ever play him or loan him out. Don't even let him close to the reserves. Just let him rot away never to play the beautiful game again.