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Alan Pardew Blames Bad Luck and Tiredness – Fair Comment?

11 years ago
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I never like to hear other managers making excuses so when it comes to your own, you have to give it the same critical eye.

Today I thought Newcastle didn’t have the best of the decisions and the offside goal should have counted but is that enough to justify the manager’s take on what happened?

This is what Alan Pardew had to say;

“An ugly day for us, we played like a team who looked tired  – mentally and physically, against a fresh team. 

Nothing went right for us today, nothing. First half we were dishevelled and not really great, they nicked a goal that we should have done better on.

Second half we came out and looked ok, we had a great opportunity for an equaliser that should have been given and really I have to say that was a massive turning point.

We would then have got a lift, an energy lift as well as a mental lift, and we can then go and win the game.”

I thought Newcastle’s biggest problem was that they looked disjointed and I would argue the manager maybe got his tactics wrong, rather than bad luck and/or tiredness being the major factors. Half of our outfield players didn’t start on Thursday night and maybe continuing to pick Cabaye badly went wrong, as he’s been poor in recent matches and not looked his usual self.

I also think that the manager made unnecessary changes to player positions to accommodate players he wanted in the team. Haidara at left-back with Jonas in front of him would have given much better balance but Pardew was obviously intent on finding a spot for Gouffran.

Wrong selection and tactics, rather than just simply bad luck and tiredness.

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