Ashley: A bit of a clown when it comes to football?In an interview for Sky TV, Alan Pardew expresses the depths of Mike Ashley’s confusion about football and erroneously claims the club has no debt.
Normally, I avoid the Daily Mail unless I have fires to light but this particular interview, originally for Sky TV, caught my eye.
In the interview, Pardew says:
“Mike is a strong character who has been a success in his whole business life and is a genius in that world – but when you come to football, the logic doesn’t quite fit.
“He loves football but he sometimes can’t understand how it works and it confuses and upsets him, and when he is upset, he does things that aren’t brilliant for the football club.
“That’s just Mike and he has funded the club, made sure we have no debt – other than to himself – and supported me, but unless we get a billionaire from deepest Russia we are probably not going to be able to compete with the likes of Man United, Man City and Chelsea, which is what our fans want.(more…)
Pardew: Vision of success. Speaking in his latest interview, Alan Pardew has been getting his latest round of excuses in before the season starts, saying that Newcastle United might find it difficult to replicate 2012’s fifth placed finish in the Premier League because he hasn’t replaced Demba Ba, and the club simply can’t compete with the financial strength of behemoths such as Southampton, Swansea City and Norwich City when it comes to buying players.
Here’s what Pardew said:
“When you look at the teams now and the money that’s being spent, you have to be honest and say it’s going to be difficult replicating that fifth-place finish. But our ambition must be to try to do that,”
“Demba went to Chelsea, and that was a big blow for us last year. I think the fact that we never really replaced him got missed a little bit.(more…)
Pardew: Sticking with his old excuses.After Jonas Gutierrez publically criticised Newcastle United’s lack of intensity in their training sessions last season, Alan Pardew went away for a while, had a think, and has decided that both his staff and himself “need to be honest about it” and admit that mistakes were made.
He then goes on to suggest that Gutierrez saying training sessions are “a bit too easy” was a little misleading at least by once again pointing the finger of blame at the stresses of playing in the Europa League, injuries and a lack of quality players.
“You’ve got to be open and honest about it as a staff,” the Silver Supremo began, continuing:
“My staff – my immediate staff and myself as manager – need to be honest about it, mistakes were made. You need to be honest enough to admit them and look at when and why they were made.”
Pardew then went on to discount Gutierrez’s critique, falling back on his old chestnuts:(more…)
Pardew: Knock-on effect of French success.In the second installment of his exclusive interview with Sports Direct News (the first is here), Newcastle United’s manager, Alan Pardew, revealed that French players are attracted to Newcastle United because both they and their agents have seen how successful other French players have become after joining the club.
With players such as Hatem Ben Arfa, Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga Mbiwa and more abandoning French Championship winning sides such as Marseilles, Lille and Montpellier for a chance to come 16th in the Premiership, Pardew described the “knock-on effect” this has on other French players who want a taste of the same success.
He explained:“Sometimes there is a knock-on effect when you get good quality in a certain place.
“It might be Germany but for us it’s France and there has been this knock-on effect.
“When French players do well here other French players then assume it will be an easier course for them to come in to the Premier League.(more…)
Pardew – Fist pumping his way back to the top ten?Speaking exclusively to Sports Direct News, Alan Pardew saluted Mike Ashley’s “bravery” in saving Newcastle United from the Championship, but also suggested that he may not be able to do it a second time should the club be relegated again.
He also revealed that without the handicap of European football in the coming season, though his first aim will be to avoid relegation, he will be ambitious and go for a top ten finish or possibly even higher. Though how he could aim higher than the top ten, he didn’t explain.
“I think realistically we should look to finish in the top ten and hopefully get ourselves in a position where we can attack higher than that” said the Silver Supremo, adding:
“When it gets to February we’ll have a clearer indication of where we’re going to be.”
Pardew then spoke of how it is relief from the pressures of European football, along with good players which has enabled him to aim so high after last season’s disappointing 16th: (more…)
