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Alan Pardew explains why Mike Ashley is so wrong

8 years ago
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Alan Pardew has once again been talking about Newcastle United and contrasting it with Crystal Palace.

The Palace manager has made clear what he sees as the stupidity of Newcastle’s transfer ‘strategy’ and says he wouldn’t have move to Selhurst Park if he didn’t have full control over the transfers.

Alan Pardew sums up one of the key things that are dragging Newcastle down under Ashley.

The manager/head coach having no say on which players come and go, plus the fact that the strict guidelines the Newcastle owner lays down, means that over half the players United could potentially sign, are ruled out simply because they are seen as too old to be sold at some time in the future, hopefully for a profit.

I think Steve McClaren is a disaster for Newcastle but he is only part of the problem because how stupid can it be, that the person who picks the team and tactics isn’t allowed to choose which players the club signs?

One signing, possibly two, sums up why Newcastle and Palace are having such contrasting fortunes.

Crystal Palace sign 29 year old Yohan Cabaye, an experienced Premier League player, great playmaker and leader, plus he is currently their top goalscorer.

Newcastle sign 22 year old Florian Thauvin, never played in the Premier League and on the little we have seen so far looks even less suited to English football than the likes of Cabella, Marveaux and Obertan who all became liabilities at the club.

The transfer strategy is so obviously flawed and ironically ends up costing Newcastle MORE money because they end up with players they struggle to get rid of but who aren’t good enough for the team, then have to buy MORE of the same.

Alan Pardew talks of questioning his ‘sanity’ when he left Newcastle, like the rest of you I often question my sanity as to why I continue to follow this car crash of a club.

Alan Pardew talking to South London Today:

“Of course I questioned my sanity at times because leaving Newcastle as a big, big club. But as I have said, and gone on record as saying, I think the timing was right for me and Newcastle to say’ okay, you go down a different road now and let me go down a different road’. And Steve Parish’s assurances to me on the transfer situation were key to me coming here. Key decision, I would have full control over that.

“My relationship with Mike Ashley was fine, I never had a problem with him in terms of his relationship with me. But the way the transfers were done there, I didn’t entirely agree with, and I didn’t want that here. That was one of the big reasons I came.

“I had doubts in terms of where we were. I think we had 15 points at this time last year (Palace actually had 16 after 19 games, with Newcastle on 26 points), so you are talking about a team that had lower points than Sunderland…is that right? So it was very daunting.

“But I was lucky I fell into a group of players…..well I wouldn’t say lucky is the right word….I kind of knew there was a fighting spirit in there and a better offensive team in there, and I knew I could get that out. Obviously I had to worry that if I didn’t manage to do that then we would be in trouble.

“The most important thing was to go from the concept of a manager who was trying to stay in the division, which I think was Neil Warnock’s mentality, to a manager who wanted to finish higher than that. And if you set your sights for the stars, you are going to fall a little bit less.

 “I changed the dynamic of the players, the attitude of approaching games. To go and win games and not a ‘see how we go’ kind of attitude to try and stay in the game. Let’s go first minute, let’s go and try and win. And you have to have a tactical game plan for that, it’s not just gung ho of course. But that was the biggest difference I made here, the mentality of the players to make them think they could go and win.

“It’s quite an important role for a manger, to give them belief. I take that as massive for this football club at the time. I think there was a lack of belief.

“People say it is a club that is close to your heart but when you are a football manager, that club becomes close to your heart regardless.

“Newcastle is close to my heart. My history was here as a player, but the most important thing for me from my history at Newcastle was my family and friends lived here, so my spirits were lifted by the fact I was nearer to home and that may have had a more positive impact on me.

“I certainly feel my attitude and application as a manager has improved as a result of the last year, but my experience at Newcastle I wouldn’t swap for the world. It was a massive learning curve.”

(To feature like Dean, send in your articles for our website to contribute@themag.co.uk – all views those of the author etc etc)

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