Let's Get A Few Things Straight About Newcastle United
The great thing about having a blog is you can get a few things off your chest and for once I have been annoyed by the comments left on the stories I have written about the sacking of Chris Hughton and the appointment of Alan Pardew.
It rarely bothers me if people slag me off, my job is to report information and opinions, to spark debate and to deal with the facts. Where necessary, I offer my view as well. But this time, you've managed to get a bite out of me!
So let's get a few things straight. I did not agree with the sacking of Chris Hughton and I said as much to the United hierarchy this week. I have even argued with them about it.
He was, as I've said elsewhere, a good man doing a good job. He did not need to be replaced and if he was going to be replaced it needed to be a really top class, experienced manager with a CV to match.
But it is also my job to present the argument behind the sacking, which is what I've done this week.
Alan Pardew is not the manager I expected to see in the chair as his replacement, he does not have a great CV and he is not vastly experienced.
He has a tough job ahead of him to convince supporters and media alike that he is the right man for the job.
He will also suffer because he has got the biggest job of his life in grubby circumstances, he will be slipping on a murdered man's shoes at his press conference today.
However, I also feel he has to be given a chance to prove me and the rest of you wrong. He is running uphill, as I said in the paper this morning, but does he deserve to be shoved backwards and downwards by the club's supporters as well?
I don't think so, that is my personal opinion, just as it's my personal view it was a mistake to sack Hughton.
However, Pardew is the manager now and he has enough on his hands winning round the players in the dressing room without dealing with protests against his appointment from the fans.
He will live and die by his decisions as a manager, not on accepting a job offer after a popular manager was sacked.
Even if he was talking to the club while Hughton was still in place, is that his fault or the fault of the people who are in charge?
I will judge him what he does in Newcastle interest's from here on in. That is how I have treated every single man who has filled that role in the nine years I have been covering the club.
If results and performances are good, I will say so. If they are bad, I will criticise as I have done in the past.
If Pardew fails, that is the time to take aim on the board because they will have made a horrendous error in judgement.
What is done is done, it's not a decision that is going to be reversed. If there is anger there, the fans have every right to voice it. It is their club, not Mike Ashley's after all. If there are protests, that is their right.
What I don't see is how that is helpful to the team and the players. If fans hope they are going to force Ashley to sell, they won't. He's already ridden out worse than this. He has already tried to sell, twice, and failed. He isn't going to put the club up for sale again.
So, no I don't think Pardew is a great appointment, but I will at least give him the chance to prove me wrong. He won't be condemn by me before he has taken charge of a single game.
Sorry if you don't agree with that stance, but quite frankly, I'm just as entitled to my opinions as you are.
I'm not anybody's pay roll other than The Journal's, I'm not licking anyone's behinds and I'm not scared of criticising anyone. I'm just, in my opinion, being realistic.
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Superbly written article.
All good and fine Luke, HOWEVER he was, according to my spies offered the job 10 days ago, therefore he knew that CH was going to get the chop.
An honourable man was given the chop on a whim of Ashley, because Pardew is a gambling buddy of Mike and Derek, that stinks and goes against the Geordie spirit and character. We always look after our own.
Enough is Enough and sometimes you have to make a stand. Me personally, I will not be giving my support to Either Ashley or Pardew, who is just an extension of, or puppet of Ashley.
"However, I also feel he has to be given a chance to prove me and the rest of you wrong."
I disagree with this on the grounds that by supporting Pardew, you are endorsing Ashleys decision to sack Hughton or simply endorsing Ashley full stop.
We owe Alan Pardew nothing, in my book he is nothing but a deceitful and slimy indidual who played a big part in getting Hughton dismissed in the first place.
Still as you say, its all about opinions.
Good article and I agree entirely. Pardew was not my choice by a long way but now he is here and in charge of the team I love, he will get my support until he proves he doesn't deserve it. The team is the most important thing in my opinion - I am ashamed of the way the board conduct things and the treatment of Hughton but in the end slagging off Pardew before a ball is kicked is nuts. I think he will fail and if/when that happens I will give him stick but not before.
You voiced your opinion to the newcastle Hieracrhy? You and all of you 'journalists' need to do more than that. You are the only ones that can get words to those morons. If you support this club, you will action our requests and feelings.
You are the ones who should be grilling each and every member of nufc that is present at these 'news conferences' and 'interviews'. Their life should be made hell and its your job to do so!!!!!
Don't be so gutless!
Sorry Luke, NO! if he warrented the position yes give him a chance but he hasn't done anything to warrent that nor does he fit in with the statement coming form St James park regarding a manager with more experience, well ok he might have but its all bad! so no he doesn't deserve the chance and he'll realize that when he's flying back down to London that the omens were just not going for him from the start. hes took the job because he had no other. thats no other team from Southampton's position to ours, nobody wants him, its a case of "Jobs For the Boys" simple as that! give the players a chance yes but not the management, I mean why not just let beardsley and stone take it on till after christmas even for the rest of the season...
Luke, I agree with your sentiments. Don't take it personally, people are venting because this has been yet another hurtful, exasperating time for NUFC fans.
And I remember similar "give the guy a chance" sentiments from you when we signed Leon Best and everyone said "why the hell have we signed him?". And now they appear to have been right to doubt his credentials. So its all very well saying give the guy a chance, but when you know its a stinking appointment, most people feel as though they may as well say so!
You were doing your job as a journalist.
Chris should have been given enough money to have a decent tilt at the premiership, instead of this debacle.
Ashley must be the most cynical man ever to own a football club. I'll be voting with my feet, no more spending my hard earned money on merchandice or attending matches - it's the only way to get rid of Ashley.
if pardew had any class or respect for hughton he wouldnt have went behind his back to talk about gaining his job while hughton was still in charge,shows the mark of the man always seemed arrogant for a non apparent reason and this proves his arrogance ive never wished for any newcastle manager to fail but my god i hope he does
Can we give it rest with the Saint Chris nonsense. Next to none of you wanted him when he took the job â interestingly loads of people were saying Ashley appointed him because he was a yes man.
Iâm extremely underwhelmed by Pardew but I think we were going down with Hughton anyway. Weâve had a couple of eye catching results that have glossed over generally rubbishness â 2 points from 5 home games against teams with a good chance of being in the relegation mix, for example.
In addition, what we really donât need is another stupid, embarrassing carry-on with badly painted bed sheets and people telling TV crews how âus Geordies are different us are, likeâ.
Whats wrong with you people, so what if he was offered the job days ago, is that his fault. The point is that a couple more Bolton/West Brom results and many of the very people praising Hughton would have been calling for his head. He did a fine job but would he have taken us further, I doubt it. Move on and give the new guy some backing and a chance
Everyone goes on about taking us further, but how far can we go???? We are not Man City, we dont have an owner throwing cash at the club for fun, we have the opposite! It is time fans realised that the Premier League is a 2 or 3 horse race, yes Spurs and Man City are making grounds on Chelseas, Arsenal and Utd but ultimately the best teams such as ours can hope for at present is a top ten finish, top 6 with some luck. We have just been promoted so finishing 4th bottom should have been a success this season, what CH should have done in my opinion is gone all out to win the league cup, that was there for the taking and we proved we could beat Arsenal a few days after being easily beaten at home.
CH aint coming back, I dont want Pardew but he is here, lets see what he does and then make a decision, yes protest again MA and co, but the team need our support or we will be in even more trouble, if thats possible!!
I couldn't believe the Press Conference where Pardew was sent out on his own to face what should have been a hostile press. Presumably this was the case because the Chairman and his toady didn't have the guts to come and support their "new puppet"
However the Press weren't hostile - was
The Journal not represented?
Was he asked why the Chairman and that other sh*t weren't there to present him to the Press? Was he asked how he felt about working for people who had treated their previous manager so badly? Was he asked how much money he had to spend on new players?
I really have no time for the gutter Press but this wa one occasion where a lot of indepth questioning would have been justified and not just a group of toothless hacks who had presumably been briefed as to what they could ask.
I have no axe to grind against Pardoe except, of course, that he hardly fits the description of a "higher profile manager"
Once again attention is directed away from the pitch towards the Soap Opera that is NUFC. Nobody should ever blame Parwho for taking up a daft offer from Beer Barrel Ashley. I have always pinpointed games versus Wigwan as crucial and if The Toon lose to Lubberpool then Iâm afraid the early January match with Wigwan will become season defining.
The only certainty is that the NUFC will be making more news. Predicting what that news might be and venting after weekly episodes of the saga have unfolded might be the only fun Luke and fans can have over the next few months.
The rest of the football world find what happens at Sid's Theatre much more riveting than Coronation Street and it is just aslong running.
Pleased we won, but it should of been Chris that got a five and a half year contract to reward his success.
He should of had some cash to spend to push us on and fulfil a potential that developed as he got more games under his belt.
Harsh isn't the word. Wicked is the right one.
So far the mood of Toon fans can be summarised as:
Dejection
Euphoria
Dejection
Elation
Needing professional counselling
Devastation
Suicidal tendencies
Awaking in a sweat after dreaming of Ashley killing Bambi
And today: Bipolar delusions â We hate Ashley â We won â Chris Who â We love Parwho.
Tonight: Drunken oblivion
Tomorrow: Too hung-over to care
Of course it could have a case of mass suicide at half-time if the refereeâs assistant had not somehow been blind to offside. But had the first goal been disallowed millions of tv viewers around world would have been deprived of another rendition of the Nolan Chicken Dance. Unfortunately it was a bit too cold for the Beer Belly Dancers to perform well!
Carry on Taking the Pills. Your eternal mate Saint Sid.
So far the mood of Toon fans can be summarised as:
Dejection
Euphoria
Dejection
Elation
Needing professional counselling
Devastation
Suicidal tendencies
Awaking in a sweat after dreaming of Ashley killing Bambi
And today: Bipolar delusions â We hate Ashley â We won â Chris Who â We love Parwho.
Tonight: Drunken oblivion
Tomorrow: Too hung-over to care
Of course it could have a case of mass suicide at half-time if the refereeâs assistant had not somehow been blind to offside. But had the first goal been disallowed millions of tv viewers around world would have been deprived of another rendition of the Nolan Chicken Dance. Unfortunately it was a bit too cold for the Beer Belly Dancers to perform well!
Carry on Taking the Pills. Your eternal mate Saint Sid.