If Pardew misled us about Ben Arfa, what about the rest?

Posted on May 29th, 2011 | 28 Comments |

Alan Pardew.
Pardew: Wise to mislead fans?
In another interview, Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew, has said that French Tunisian wing wonder, Hatem Ben Arfa is aiming to make a return on July 4th, a story that has already been covered by my collegue, Hugh, earlier today in this ‘blog.

However, interestingly, in the same interview he also admitted that he knew all along that Hatem Ben Arfa would not be returning for the last few games of the season just gone, despite saying in an interview in April that he could see him making his return before the season was out. On this he revealed:

“I know we made noises that he might play in those last three games but realistically, I never gave him a chance.

“I was trying to keep the boy’s head up to be honest. I don’t want him to see negative press so I said he might play in those three games.”

Going back to the first week in April, he told the media in an interview:

“You lose Leon Best and you gain Hatem Ben Arfa – that’s basically where we are. I don’t think he’ll be involved for a while, and Liverpool will possibly be his first inclusion in my thinking.”

In another interview four days before that, he also said:

“If he can play one, two or three matches before the end of May, it would be fine both for us and him.”

While Pardew’s intention may well have been to “keep the boy’s head up”, and possibly even protect him from “negative press”(?), was it really wise to also deliberately mislead fans through the media in the long run? If he misled us on this issue, how are we to know whether we have been misled on other issues also, whatever his intentions? Issues such as his pronoucements that Andy Carroll was not told by the club to hand in a transfer request after a £35 million bid from Liverpool FC, that the club have offered Jose Enrique, in his words, “a fantastic contract” to keep him at Newcastle, his recent comments on the Joey Barton contract renewal imbroglio, along with many other statements past and future?

It’s just my opinion, but I feel that even though this may seem a small issue, it casts doubt on the veracity of statements Alan Pardew has made to the media about far more important ones, and that’s hardly a good thing in my view.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

28 Responses

  1. Berbatov is on the Market, Fergie needs to sell to fund Ashley young move. 15 million is the target for him but United will take less probs 12. Anelka could be the first big name out of Chelsea with many clubs in the league interested. He is wanting guaranteed first team football.

  4. As for the article itself, this is nothing new and really shouldn’t take anybody by surprise.

    “Andy Carroll is going nowhere” ring a bell?

  5. story about nowt!
    It was clear from the comments he made all the way through (and the ones you’ve noted above) that there was little chance, if any, that he’d be back.
    Why do all us Toon fans have to look for the negative element in every statement, press release, or drivel made up by journos?
    People even complaining about Ashley and not giving in to Barton on a new contract! Since the day he arrived we’ve all said he shouldn’t have a Toon strip, and now, in Barton’s words, Ashley wants someone “younger, better cheaper” that’s a problem! WAKE UP! We all should want younger, better, cheaper players! If not we go backwards.
    Barton has been a great player this year, and has sorted his life out, and I hope he stays, but not at the expense of the club moving forwards. If he leaves he must be replaced by someone at least as good – that is Ashley and Pardews job, let them get on with it.
    My rant over.
    Enjoy

  8. Thump says:
    May 29, 2011 at 10:41 pm

    “Sorry to hijack this, Worky but just seen this on Twitter:”

    Nee botha Thump. Why don’t you write a blog about it? ;-)

  9. I think Pardew is doing his job which is to manage the players. He cant help what the press say and what the fans want but it might have really helped Ben Arfa get through the last month or two of the season and given him the motivation to work hard knowing there was a chance he would get back on the field. I am glad he did not play as another injury and he would have been done for the pre season and we’ll need his class when we draw Man U for the first game of the year again.

  10. where is the official news about cabeye. he looks impressive and i think would be a good signing, but we still need people up front. ameobi did nowt and lovenkrands was invisible some games. best was ok but we need a stronger more reliable presence with our strikers

  11. he said so in an interview with french media directly after their game against rennes, gervinho also said he’s off to england, but he didnt say to which club

  12. Nee botha Thump. Why don’t you write a blog about it? ;-)

    I’ve had a wee bit to drink and don’t fancy two twitter based blogs in one night ;)

  13. Aye,
    take what managers say with a sack of salt, generally.
    It’s all psychology or reverse, i wouldn’t haad ower much stock in manager banter.
    Aye, ya’ can try & read between the lines, but it’ll make ya’ heed hurt after a while.
    :)

  15. lol watch August come around: “Newcastle United has decided to relocate to the Stadium of Light.”

    btw if they do that I’m jumping off the Keep. Sod it all.

  17. Personally, I trace the whole line of misinformation and disinformation back to the owner and the seemingly endless lack of integrity which he and his cohort, Derek Llambas, seem to thrive on. Alan Pardew, the players and the fans are all kept in the dark. The reason I think this is because so far as Mike Ashley is concerned, it’s his club, he bought it, he finances it, and he can do whatever he wants with it, and the rest of us – if we don’t like it, can go and take a running jump. Period.

  18. I dont mind if Pardew gives misinformation in the press to keep the moral of Arfa up and keep him in our opponents minds. Its a tactic alot of managers use and if it’s needed then so be it. As for other news, hope the cabaye news is definate. that would be a great signing.

  19. Ahhh, some people are waking up to the fact that Pardew just MIGHT be a LIAR!

    He admits to misleading the fans with falsehoods about Ben Arfa just to keep his head up.

    Is it possible he mislead Newcastle United fans from day 1 when he walked through the door about Andy Carroll, and how it’s a condition of him taking the job that he stays, he’s going nowhere etc. etc. then later he admits that he said ALL THOSE THINGS as a TACTIC to ward off interest.

    Is he sure it wasn’t a tactic to placte Newcastle fans and hide Ashley’s true intentions in the January window?

    Is he sure it wasn’t a tactic to hide the truth about Carroll sale when he came out and contradicted Carrolls claims that the club made it clear they didn’t want him? Did Pardew not try brush it off by spurting something like, Carroll’s young, might be confused etc.?

    Good Article! I’m glad people are asking themselves the difficult questions and realizing that it is possible Pardew has been misleading us for a long time to suit the intentions of an Owner&Chairman who have been proven in court to have mislead the fans with downright lies(sorry exercises in public relations) in the media!

  20. It’s called man management you half wit. Call yourself a fan! I just wish all the negative idiots would just jump ship, there’s a place for you all down the SOS.

  21. If you have`nt figured out Pardew by now, you are a bit slow on the take.
    The guy does as he`s told, as does Llambias and Ashley pulls the levers.
    Face it the guys a jerk, following his stints at the Hammers,Charleton & Southampton, his management career should have come to an end.
    The guy is lucky to have a job, but it`s tough to find a BIG NAME manager, who is as easily managed as he is.
    Does he get respect in the dressing room ?
    Doubt it, but in general it`s policy to keep your head down if you want to play for the club.
    How many times has he had to retract statements, hey i lost count.
    How many situations has he missed commenting on, none!
    Perhaps he should look at what his predecessor did and keep his big mouth shut and perhaps he wont get his ass in a bind so often.
    But on saying that, the guys fu***ng teflon, every thing is forgotten in a couple of days.
    Guess he and LLambias are like lightening rods, for Ashley, one chunders on about anything and everything, the other makes official statements, whether it`s about why Andy wanted to go, but we wanted to keep him, well you get the idea!
    Point is in case you missed it, Ashley is a control freak,who prefers to manipulates weak people, because he trusts no one.

  22. Ridiculous.

    It gave Ben Arfa a target, something to work towards. It would have helped his rehab.

    What’s with the anti-Pardew tones?

  23. Pardew said recently that we were very close to making our first signing – a midfielder ——– Liar?????

    Get off his back man!!!!! give the bloke a chance, it looks like we could have a pretty decent team next season if signings like Cabaye keep coming in.

  25. Who, in football, isn’t a “LIAR!”?

    The reason the press have such fun with us is that they make a tiny tipple and we turn it into an almighty splash. The player’s still with us, and it sounds like he’s going to be available for a good chunk of the pre-season. Let’s not get carried away.

  26. Ok so Pardew lied – not the 1st manager to do so and not gonna be the last! The comments were to try to raise Ben Arfas spirits. Just as big a part of the job as keeping bloggers happy. He is working within difficult constraints and trying to build a team within Ashleys tight budgetary guidline. I just hope that if Ashley breaks any promises that Pardew has enough self respect to walk away.

  27. Don,t think being told that i would get a couple of games before the season ends then keep being let down would make me feel good,and to learn that my manager was filling me with bull would make me wonder where the bull ends and the truth begins.Not letting the smoke screen of signings hidr the fact that anyonr can say wer,e looking at such and such,we want pen to paper, and behind the smoke? Barton,Enrique,Nolan,Gutrieze and colloccini are all showing signs of “what the f*ck is going on. One for the toon army by making Barton player of the season,he got my vote.Will history show we sold out our player of the season?

  28. I agree with tsunami @ 27. I wouldn’t want or need lies to motivate me. There are infinitely better ways. If this is called good man-management, then the system is even more corrupt than FIFA.