Pardew to marry Obertan in civil partnership

http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/alan-pardew-discovers-the-next-messistephen-hawking/?

Alan Pardew Discovers The Next Messi/Stephen Hawking

Love and respect him as I do, at times Alan Pardew goes a little bit too far.

When he speaks positively about some of our players, the manager can go way too far in terms of bigging them up and trying to give certain individuals that little extra confidence and belief to bring them on. Pardew occasionally goes too far and turns it into a negative as many fans just think ‘hold on, I watched that match/player and I’m not daft’.

It is a bit like some parents with their kids, you sit there happily listening to them telling (bragging) you how well they are doing at school, sport, or whatever…then you think ‘hold on, surely this child prodigy equivalent of Lionel Messi/Stephen Hawking would have made the papers by now’.

Over to Alan Pardew speaking after last night’s match to the Chronicle;

“Gabby is only being kept out by the form of Ben Arfa.

He has been unlucky, he’s been terrific in the last two games in Europe.

He frightens teams and puts them on the back foot. Last year he played in a lot of games when we avoided defeat.

Teams are worried about his pace, he is unlucky not to be in the team”.

Obertan pushing Ben Arfa…..I hope it’s not down the stairs!

If I turned up and saw Obertan instead of Ben Arfa in the team I’d not be a happy man.

Obertan is (certainly) no better or worse than he has always been for us. He runs up and down the pitch hardly ever taking his man on, simply passing the ball/buck to somebody else, a bit like last night actually!

Yes he took his goal well but Sammy Ameobi did all the hard work and it was a clear path to goal for ‘Gabby’, to either hit or miss.

Against the European opposition he’s managed to make a goal (v Bordeaux) and score one, plus he won a few corners in both matches, that is it.

I really hope he does become a star in stripes but my eyes don’t tell me that is remotely ever going to happen.

With Hatem Ben Arfa I have seen magical moments that are right up there with the very best memories of the last forty years and I dream of seeing more every time I walk up the hill to St.James’ Park.

I don’t need to be given nightmares thinking that Alan Pardew could inflict Obertan regularly on us if Ben Arfa has a few average matches.

 

This makes me think that Marveaux is as **** as some people think he is. I always thought he looked fantastic. Great crossing and passing and good skill. He's won us like 3 pens in the games he's played in.

Marveaux has shown far more quality than Ober has IMO.

 

totally agree. it really baffles me why Pards persists.

 

If I turned up and saw Obertan instead of Ben Arfa in the team I’d not be a happy man.

You would if you were the opposition lol.
For the life of me l cannot see what AP sees in Obertan, just don't get it at all!

 

I hope the honeymoon takes place for the duration of the premier league season... They can take Gosling with them as well...

 

Agh, he'll make a lovely bridesmaid, do you think Pards will wear White?

 

Obertan's not brilliant but he gets an unfair amount of stick from you lot.

 

Obertan is definitely not brilliant and despite the thread being somewhat lighthearted it also questions AP,s apparent love of Obertan as being something that we mere mortals cannot fathom.
AP claims that the only reason Obertan is not on the team sheet every Game, is because HBA is keeping him out of the side. Well l for one hope Benny stays fit and well and keeps him out forever. Obertan has pace and for me that's about all there is to be said for him. Good squad player at best, and then only if there is no viable alternative, probably better off in the Championship, he cannot hack it against any quality opposition. If he comes in for a lot of stick there has to be a reason for it.

 

Probably black and white.

 

The reason is for it is that you lot single out particular players and aim all your anger at them and blame them for everything that's wrong with the team.
Previous victims have been Simpson, Guthrie, Williamson and Perch. Even Ba was getting a lot of unfair flack before the season kicked off too.
And yeah, with the exception of Ba those players aren't great, but they're no where near as bad as a lot of people make out. They're all solid if unspectacular, as is Obertan.

 

You lot? Sounds a bit wummish/extremist. When has anyone, ever, made Obertan/Perch/Willo/Guthrie/Simpson the scapegoat for a tepid overall team performance? None of the players, as sports stars are beyond critique, so bad performances receive poor reviews, and when they do well they receive good reviews. Your statement is ludicrous and obviously incorrect.

I am genuinely confused. What football fan, in their right mind, is ultimately completely happy with the squad and their performances all the time? Improvement is wanted, always. If we won the league, both domestic cups and the champions league 35 times on the trot, never lost a game in that period and never conceded a goal, that singular fact would never change, or you wouldn't be a "supporter", which by very definition insists upon some form of reliance and necessity to reach the end-goal. That's why we're on this forum and go to games, we're actively interested in our team becoming better, and why we like to talk about how to improve it. Obertan isn't as good as others, so fills a position we'd want to improve ultimately.

If there wasn't any of this, and gormless faces in plain clothes turned up to watch a match every week, smiling sedately at the players whether they won lost or draw, the game wouldn't be what it is, and players would make little if any money from being "professional".

Most have suggested he's solid back-up, some think he's better, and some think he's worse. I think he's a poor signing but decent as a 80th minute sub against tired legs... What exactly has got your beef up? Also, 559 posts on, you'd think you'd know the difference between jokes and serious opinion.

Well done, the first time I've been genuinely incensed on here

 

One thing that makes Obertan stand out above Marveux is effort, Marveaux looks disinterested at times, Obertan gives his all. I'm not sure Pardew was doing anything more than encouraging a player who has been outstanding in our UEFA Cup campaign, which is a good thing if you ask me.

Either way, I don't get the way people treat Obertan, even after scoring last night, morons at SJP were giving him stick. That is when they weren't signing songs about Sunderland or mocking the Brugge support.

 

Pardew showed faith in Perchino while most of us thought he was a waste of space.
Obertan is only 23 so lets hope he's a late developer.

 

That isn't on, at a game you should be supporting the players. The Savile chant isn't funny or clever, but thankfully where I was we mostly had the Newcastle ones all night . Still don't see the need to mention Sunderland every five minutes, are our fans paid for advertising?

Will we get interest free loans for singing WONGA against WBA?

 

that's your opinion and you are fully entitled to it.... as us lot are...

 

I agree that players deserve to be criticised when they're playing badly, I just think that with the players I mentioned that people are often far too harsh on them. Not just in this topic but every time Obertan plays he gets slated regardless of how well he does, and regardless of how well his team mates played. People seem to like to pinpoint particular players and blame them for everything even though other players have played far worse. I just think it's a little bit unfair.

I remember last season, I think against West Brom when Coloccini made a ton of mistakes that lead to them scoring and everyone blamed Perch (who at the time was still unpopular) instead of him. I like to see blame get put on the correct people is all.

Of course. Surely the point of this board is surely to share opinions and discuss them though? If we all agreed on everything or never aired our opinions it'd make for a very dull board, I think.

 

I'm sure Obertan is a Pardew signing.

 

Let's just hope all this praise doesn't make Obertan's head swell - otherwise we're in real trouble.

 

Obertan off Ba up tops might work but he lacks the brain to play anywhere else

ps he's not a winger

 

As one poster might say, only a Sith deals in absolutes... And that's absolute crap

Going to a match and getting on your own player's back is unfair, not agreeing with your opinion on here about whether they played well or not is definitely not unfair. It's not like we're going to matches having estimated his ability as lower than others, and ribbing him for it.

Players stand out ability wise over the course of a season, just the way it is, and Obertan has been largely lackluster when he's played and a major frustration because he is supposed to have the potential to be better. Pace and dribbling should be translating into something tangible in the premier league, but it just isn't. Now, countering that and saying "he still has potential", or "he's getting better", or "I really like his performances" is fair, grouping everyone and attacking that group for not sharing your view, is not.