Life can be difficult for a football manager, especially one without sufficient funds at his disposal, when his best players leave. This could be considered one of the principal motives behind Alan Pardew’s decision to step down as the manager of Newcastle United, the likelihood being he will return to Crystal Palace, the club he made 168 appearances for as a player.
A man largely unpopular amongst the Geordie faithful, some fans felt that Pardew received unfair treatment from Newcastle fans in his time at the club; others were just relieved to see him gone. Newcastle United currently going through a mini-revival after their disastrous start to the season and now sit tenth in the table; their most recent result an impressive 3-2 win at home to Everton.
Alan Pardew has reportedly signed a four-year contract as manager of Crystal Palace; he will earn £2million more per year than he was at Newcastle. He is remembered fondly by Palace fans as the scorer of the late winner at Villa Park in Crystal Palace’s famous 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup Semi-Final.
Crystal Palace, who are languishing in the relegation zone currently in eighteenth, will have to turn things around very quickly if they want to be playing in the Premier League next season. Though Pardew will be under less pressure, particularly from the fans, than he was up north, his minimum target for this season must be to avoid relegation; the thought of him being relegated in his first year back at Crystal Palace is not a pleasant one.
It will be interesting to see how things turn out for both parties involved, given that this managerial change comes halfway through the season. If Pardew can turn things around in South-East London and keep them in the Premier League, he will be worshipped by the fans; what the next Newcastle manager will be expected to do is as yet unknown. Will the departure of Pardew disrupt the form of the Newcastle players? We shall see.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @nealtweetz. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
