Interesting, in-depth article in tonight's London Evening Standard. Pardew says he has his eye on the England job after Roy Hodgson's finished with it and that the mags shouldn't expect too much next season, due to the additional Europa League fixtures. It was actually a well balanced discourse on the past season (target top ten: over-achieved) and the next one (targeting a good cup run, some results in Europe and another top ten finish). Also went on about persuading Fat Mike that Cisse was worth the fee (FM disagreed, apparently) and he generally came across as less of a twat than I thought. Bearing in mind that he lives (lived?) near me and I've seen him around the town and he REALLY comes across as a smug bar steward, that's an improvement pour moi. Still think he'll come a cropper in due course, but maybe that's just me!
He has deflected the **** bombs that Ashley was taking weekly at one point and so long as he is deflecting those away from the boardroom he will be the darling of Fat Mike and Dodgy Llambias. The second he can no longer do so, and the crowd turn on him and the board again (and it will happen sooner rather than later imo) he will be dumped quicker than an ugly fat bird once you've shot your muck. There's nowt as certain.
I've heard a tale or two about him recently and if they are true he's a bigger twat than anyone imagined. Done a steller job though.
I read the article. He's being a very clever with what he is saying and I think most fans agree with him.
Key points: The 2012/13 season: "I’m hoping that I will educate our fans for next season. "If they think we can finish fifth with a European campaign and the finances we’ve got, it’s impossible. I honestly believe that you need to be a bit more open with the fans. The problem some managers have is they’re not open enough. "This year, I’m sure we’ll say something like, ‘We’re looking for a top-eight finish, hopefully attack one of the cups and have a great run in Europe. I wouldn’t say we couldn’t challenge for the top six if we got knocked out of Europe. Then we wouldn’t have those extra 13 games." Getting the job: "I knew that the first few months were going to be difficult but, if you’re going to walk into a manager’s job, you’ve got to take away the fan element of it. You have to say, ‘Are you going to be able to win the dressing room?’ His predecessor: Chris (Hughton) is a great guy, he had coached me (at Tottenham) but is different to me. I’m probably more aggressive than Chris and I had the confidence that I could get the dressing room. And if you get the players on side, then you’ve got a chance of getting the fans because ultimately one leads to the other. His former Captain: "Kevin Nolan was a powerful captain and I made sure of his loyalty. Before I even met him at training, I went to his house and said, ‘Look, I know there’s probably a lot of disappointment that I’m the manager but I am. I want to work with you and I need your help.’ Being the great guy that he is, he offered me that. His current Captain: "He (Coloccini) is our most influential player. A classy footballer, he brings calmness, a winning mentality and a sense of order to all proceedings. He reads the game well. "You can’t coach it. He might see that my left-back is in big trouble with a wide player and he’ll move closer to that area. He’ll look to read situations before they evolve. "Bobby Moore was probably the greatest at it but Coloccini does that for us brilliantly. Before it happens he’s extinguished it." Papiss Demba Cisse: “Mike (Ashley) had some initial worries: were we getting value? He’d had two years in a poor Freiburg team, scoring loads of goals. Cisse's second goal at Chelsea: "It came out to him and he hit it on the side of his foot. For him to even attempt it was just audacious. We were winning 1-0. As the ball came out to him, I thought, ‘Take it to the corner.’ But, because of the way he did it, I turned to Didier Drogba on the pitch and said, ‘You’ve got to take your hat off to that!’ and he just laughed. "If Cisse had played one game and got injured like Dean Ashton, I could have been out of a job." Joey Barton: “I offered Joey two contracts, one of which he agreed to, initially, so he was very close to staying at the back end of last year. But, when we sold Andy Carroll, he thought we were lacking ambition. You can’t assume anything in football. “I’m not defending his actions at Manchester City (on the last day of the season) but he is a target for a lot of abuse. The trouble with Joey is that he gets upset about anything. Someone not clearing up the dog poo eats into Joey. “His behaviour with me was impeccable, with one exception. When we played Leeds in a pre-season friendly and I didn’t make him captain he got angry and didn’t want to play. If he thinks he’s got justice then he’ll give you justice, though he has a warped sense of justice sometimes. “Joey should serve his time and carry on playing for QPR. It won’t be the end of his career. He’ll fight to the bitter end because he truly loves football. He’s a great student of the game and he’s delved into its psychology.” The owner: "The fans have understood that Mike’s actions are for the club’s benefit. He’s put in the best part of £200m and there’s no return on that as yet. The berating of him in the stands has stopped. That’s been a massive battle in itself.” The England job: “I will not have proven myself good enough until I’ve been in the Premier League for four or five years, won a trophy and competed in Europe. "Do I think Harry (Redknapp) should have got the job? I thought at the time if the media hadn’t played it so strongly maybe he’d have got it. “Because there was such a big push for him, maybe the FA thought they’d do something else. I’ve got no problem with Roy. He deserved it, he had all the right credentials. I’m just glad it’s an Englishman. "Maybe the initial move for Sven-Goran Eriksson was because they thought another English manager was going to get pilloried by the press. It just got all out of hand. Foreign managers have changed nothing. "The England team has not improved and these foreign managers have done actually no better than the English managers who went before. "Club football is different. In the Premier League they can change the culture of a football club, like Arsene Wenger’s done. You can’t do that with England! You’ve got a group of players who are coming in for two days’ recovery and one day’s training. "The only thing you’re going to be able to do is bring it together, tactically be very, very sharp and make sure your substitutions work. Otherwise you’re in trouble.”
Any work is good work. Good to see you back at it ya lazy bugga & not listening to me to much about how to skive off
Some wise words and quotations - after the fact and by a very good ghost writer . Rightfully on high after the best season of his career. Have not seen all the NUFC games this last season but I was often left wondering how they won some of them I saw. (No sour grapes on my part - so NUFC fans lay off).
Great business by Pardew if I am being totally honest, he's being very clever. Under promising and over delivering, great way to do your business and keep the fans happy.
