It is widely believed that Alan Pardew will see his turbulent reign as the manager of Newcastle United come to an end, should they lose at home to Hull City next Saturday. This can surely be the only realistic outcome of a sad story that has been brewing for some months now. It is very commonly known within the game that your time is up at the club should you cross the fervent, passionate, partisan Geordie support – and Pardew has now surely reached the road of no return in the North-East.
But the real question is this. Alan Pardew can and will be held responsible for the team’s failings. But why does his boss, club owner Mike Ashley, continually throw Pardew under the bus? Surely this lack of any kind of vocal backing or support can only be detrimental to many aspects of the failing football club.
There is the damage to the public image of Newcastle United for a start. A proud football club, steeped in history, perennial under achievers, yet great entertainers – are now and have been a complete laughing stock to the outside footballing world for some time. And yes, one can point the finger of blame in Pardews’ direction, but when the surface is scratched, we can see that a huge portion of blame should also be leveled at the boardroom for this club’s current woes.
The bizarre and flabbergasting decision to reward Alan Pardew’s fifth placed Premier League finish with a huge, unheard of eight-year contract in 2012 seems to have sown the seeds of contempt in this particular part of the football-crazy North East. To make Pardew feel “untouchable” is unforgiveable, and would only be compounded by further failure – in a financial sense – if ever Ashley was to pull the trigger and remove Pardew. Coupled with the likely and expensive scenario of the departure of Pardew’s entire back room staff, the cost of revolution on Tyneside would flow into the bracket of many millions, which is a potential disaster even in these rich Premier League days.
This is either money Ashley doesn’t mind blowing, or an awful and expensive responsibility of a future owner, which of course now would seem to be his primary goal.
But change is needed, and the club should fear for the worst if better days are not on the horizon. Alan Pardew’s apparent blatant disregard for his paying public is as plain to see as the reciprocal dislike flowing from the club’s loyal fans. Turning up at an away game at the other end of the country to see your team capitulate is not a pleasant, or indeed cheap experience these days. But then turning up at an away game unfurling banners of “Pardew Out” is not exactly either sympathetic, or helpful to the cause of manager or team. Simply put, the ring leaders of the “Pardew Out” brigade were about as much use to the cause as a chocolate teapot at St Mary’s on Saturday.
The players are not going to respond in a positive way in this environment, and although it would seem that a lot of them may concur with the fans’ feelings – but they are paid thousands of pounds a week to “rise above it”. Yet, they disappeared, cowered, and were bullied out of the game by an enterprising, attractive Southampton team who took no mercy on their troubled opponents.
So, are the impatient and raucous Newcastle United fans wrong to show such dissent? In essence, no. They pay their money on the door, they are entitled to their opinion. Newcastle are a huge club. St James ’Park can host over 52,000 fans, is a wonderful stadium, and should be a theatre of intimidation, passion and endless confidence. Yet it is now home to a very angry majority, a disinterested owner who it would appear as the most un-geordie-like geordie you could meet, a head butting manager unable to manage properly, and a team shorn of genuine quality and any kind of form.
Three wins this calendar year says it all for the sorry Magpies.
Yes, Alan Pardew has been backed up properly to do his job, perhaps more than most given his own anger management issues that have cast embarrassment on his employers. This summer, he spent just shy of £40 million on new players. Coupled with his afore mentioned long term lucrative contract, Pardew is entitled to feel quite safe in his role.
But lose the dressing room and you are in real trouble. This was evident on the back of Saturday’s 4-0 hammering on the South Coast, to – ironically – Alan Pardew’s former club, Southampton. Losing games will lose a manager his job. But lose any kind of backing from those loyal Newcastle fans, fall out or berate them, and in layman’s terms – you’re a dead man walking in the North-East.
If reports of a change of management are correct, then Alan Pardew could, again ironically, be facing his successor in the dug-out next Saturday. Steve Bruce of Hull City is apparently very interested in managing his boyhood club. But at what price to his reputation? Until the club is under a new, caring, ambitious owner, the Newcastle job would appear to be a poisoned chalice to more than most.
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