Pardew re new signings: “I don’t think anything will happen immediately”
Posted on May 23rd, 2011 | 13 Comments |
Alan Pardew has been talking about our unfortunate capitulation from a 3-0 lead yesterday and seems to think that players like Guthrie, LuaLua and Best struggled after time out with injuries, which might be part of the reason why we could not hold on for 3 points. Pardew said:
“I’m disappointed, it was a funny game. We were three goals up without ever playing that well. There were a couple of big errors from them.
“We were seeing the game out quite comfortably, but we gifted them a goal and never got back up to speed.
“We didn’t look like we were ever going to penetrate them again. I think four or five of our players started to struggle with the amount of time they had been out. Danny Guthrie has been out for a while, Kazenga LuaLua was out for five months, came off the bench and struggled to pick up the pace of the game. Leon Best as well.“
Overall though, Pardew thinks a 12th place finish is about right given that Andy Carroll was sold and Ben Arfa spent most of the season injured:
“I think that is a reflection of where we are as a squad at the moment. There are so many top players missing.
“However, while I’m disappointed I still have to keep myself in the zone that it has been a tremendous effort from this group of players this season. We lost Ben Arfa and Andy Carroll and to finish 12th is probably about fair – and we need to build on that next year. We need to eradicate our inconsistency and top players will help us do that.”
Pardew then goes on to express his frustration at the fact that we were 9th until the last minute of the game and then ended up 12th:
“That’s the level we are at. Of course it’s frustrating, there is nothing else to say. We should have seen the game out and we should have won.
“My priority now is to make sure the players are seen off properly with their fitness programs, that they are sorted for the summer. We head into the summer looking for quality players to add to the group.”
Despite having recently said that a new signing is imminent, Pardew isn’t so sure now and speculates that agents will be advising players not to rush into anything:
“I don’t think anything will happen immediately. I think players and their agents will be hanging on. Most agents will be advising their players not to sign at the moment.
“We will keep pitching and we will keep battling away.
“It’s the same with contract talks. We’re still talking to Kevin Nolan. I certainly want to keep him. These deals are difficult, all deals are difficult in the Premier League and Kevin’s is no less difficult than anyone else’s.”
Sure, it’s disappointing that a 9th place finish slipped away in the 90th minute of the game but I’d have taken a 12th place finish at the start of the season, so I can’t complain too much.
So that’s it then – the season is over. And we have no international tournament to keep us amused over the summer this year either. Roll on August, I say.
Still, well done to the team for keeping us in the Premier League, which was our aim this season after all.
I look forward to seeing what the summer will bring in terms of signings.
this bloke talks total crap non stop. he needs to shut his mouth and get on with business. one day a deal is happening next week, then its not. we are spending 35 million, we are not. barton deal nearly there, now its not. carroll defo staying, now he is sold. what is wrong with this man???
why is it hard to keep hold of barton and nolan when both players are at our club and have said they want to stay?? and why is it so hard to tell the truth?? ffs pay the men their money and be done with it. ashley wants his cake and also to eat it, he wants good players and to be in the prem but wants to pay nothing in salaries for them….wake up fatty before you loose all our good players.
Another long window beckons with most our business being done with guys leaving.