Pardew reveals lack of defensive signings was a cunning stunt
Posted on September 14th, 2012 | 61 Comments |
He revealed that the club’s “failure” to bring in any new centre backs was actually intentional as it would have inhibited the development of the club’s red hot Academy prospects, 20 year-old Bradford bomber, James Tavernier, and 17 year old sand dancing sensation, Remi Streete.
The Silver Supremo said:
“You have to look at a football club as a whole and there has to be a route to the first team otherwise you’re not going to progress as a club. I’ve opened up the route, especially with the Europa League, and told them ‘Come and take your chance.’
“This year I think is a year for the younger players to break through. Now if they don’t break through I might take a different policy next year but it is a great opportunity to break through with all the games we’ve got.
“But the Fergusons, the Ameobis, the Vuckics, Remi Streete, Tavernier – they’ve got to make their move, this is the year to make it. Rob Elliot as well.”
“I felt at the start of the year, when we looked at the centre-half situation, that bringing someone in would stand in the way of two players with great futures at the club – Tavernier and Remi Streete,”
However in this latest statement, Pardew did not explain why the club made an approach for FC Twente’s centre half, Douglas, in the last transfer window. Though the numerous reports of Newcastle United actually making two definite bids on the player were wide of the mark (which is why they weren’t reported on here).
I may be speculating somewhat, but Pardew was possibly making these comments in response to the latest injury crisis to decimate the Magpies’ backline (and elsewhere) like the Black Death decimated the population of Europe in the Fourteenth Century. The Grey Gaffer hinted at this as he continued:
“Now Remi Streete, I was hoping our injuries would stay fit (???? – WT) for the next two or three months because he isn’t quite ready yet. Unfortunately that hasn’t happened because Colo has been injured but it’s only a short-term injury and we’ve got players and that’s what they’re paid for – to come and play at this level. Somewhere down the line we may have to call on those guys and I think they’ll do well.”
With Newcastle united’s punishing schedule on both home and European fronts in what could be a “watershed” season for the club, and also with Pardew’s previous statements on possible reinforcements, it stretches the bounds of credibility somewhat that this was Pardew’s plan all along. However, there’s nothing the Grey Gaffer can do about it now, and we can but hope that both Tavernier and Streete, along with other young hopefuls in other positions emerge as genuine top level players this season, because even without any further injury crises, we will almost certainly need them to “step up to the crease” on more than one occaision in the coming months.
In other words, I think that he’s indulging in a little revisionism after the event of a disappointing transfer window for the club, where they didn’t get the Sports Direct style 50% off bargains they were hoping for.
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NUFCBlog Author: workyticket
workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.
Is that a spoonerism, or whatever it is called?