Pardew: The season is in the balance.
Posted on February 24th, 2011 | 25 Comments |
In an interview with local newspaper, “The Chronic”, he outlined how he thought it took “a certain type of player to join Newcastle United”. He also spoke on how the team must take advantage of what he described as a “mood swing” in the second half of the 4-4 draw against Arsenal, and how it established a momentum that was continued in the following games against Blackburn and Bimingham. He went on to say that the Magpies can’t lose that momentum as the season is now “in the balance”
Firstly, speaking on the qualities required to play at St James’s Park he said:
“You do have to be a certain type of player to join Newcastle United.
“It’s difficult to put that into players.
“You have to understand the passion, and the level of concentration you need to play in the first team at this club.”
He then went on to say how he already had the players who had that spirit at the club, adding:
“We have good players here who can do that.”
Moving on to his recent loan recruits, Stephen Ireland and Sheffki Kuqi, he continued on a similar theme, saying that:
“Stephen Ireland has settled in well because there’s a good group round him.
“It makes life easier – and Shefki Kuqi has been the same because he has that group around him.”
On the “mood swing” of the Arsenal game, and the momentum that Pardew feels it has given the team in their most recent two matches, he commented:
“There was a mood swing – you saw it in the players. They came off the pitch ecstatic with the draw.”
“The Blackburn and Birmingham games were important and set up the next two games for us.
With the Blackburn and Birmingham games being played away from home, Pardew then looked forward, with Newcastle United’s next two games being played at home, where performances have sometimes been erratic. Pardew continued:
“OK, against Arsenal it was an amazing day – but we only got one point at home.
“We have four points to show from the other two games away from home.
“That has put us in a position where the season has been put in the balance. We can’t lose momentum.
“The 45 minutes against Arsenal in the second half established that momentum and we needed it.”
Well if it did, here’s hoping that it continues for the rest of the season. With Newcastle currently standing at ninth the Premiership, a good string of results may find us challenging for European places in what has been a fairly unpredictable Premiership season in general.
NUFCBlog Author: workyticket
workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.
Pardew can certainly talk the talk. Let’s hope he can walk the walk too.