Pardew goes from zero to hero at Newcastle in a year
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Pardew goes from zero to hero
WOR 'N PEACE ... Pardew, Demba Ba and Coloccini are enjoying Toon lifeALAN PARDEW celebrates a year at Newcastle today insisting: We're not crazy any more.
The Toon chief has skilfully managed to stabilise one of the maddest clubs in the Premier League.
And Pards goes into tomorrow's clash with Norwich with his eyes on a Euro slot.
It is incredible to think how the Toon Army now sing his name loud and proud considering their fury when he replaced axed Chris Hughton.
It was even claimed he only got the job because of a supposed friendship with owner Mike Ashley and chairman Derek Llambias.
But 12 months down the line, Pards has been royally heralded as the latest Geordie saviour and he admits he has loved every minute on Tyneside.
He said: "There have been more highs than lows. I've really enjoyed it.
"There were no doubts in my mind. It is such a huge club. Other managers were saying to me, 'You know what it is like there, it's a bit of a crazy club'. Well, we are not so crazy now. There isn't so much bad news coming out.
"It's about making sure we have a good product on the pitch for the fans. I think the fans appreciate our team.
"We have to get through this difficult period because of all the injuries but if we do we could have a great season.
"Easier than I thought? No, but the end product is probably as good as I would have hoped for in terms of where we are in the league.
"I'm not going to disguise that. Certainly it's been eventful and demanding. I would not expect anything else at a big club like this. I enjoy it."
Pardew has united a club long associated with disharmony. He said: "When you come into a club, it's important to make progress and we've managed to do that. I'm really happy with the team.
"In some ways, it feels like a long year after all the incidents, selling Andy Carroll and everything else. But in another way, it flashed by.
"As a club we have tried to do it the right way, tried to put a team on the pitch that plays in the right manner."
The Toon may have lost key men Carroll, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan but the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba have been impressive.
Pardew said: "I'll never change my philosophy that my teams have to be on the front foot, trying to win the game and that's served us well.
"Our fans understand we can't compete with the top four or five on transfer fees, especially when someone comes in for our players.
"What we have is that the players we are bringing in for less are doing as well as the ones we have lost. Ba for Carroll is an example of that."
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This fella surprised me, I thought there was nobody better than chris hughton to manage newcastle but this fella did it, despite a few good players having left the club. Never saw this kind of performance when he was at west ham. I hope he's the next rising star of english football. Managerial star I mean lol.
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its too early to tell.
i certainly hope it last. but then you never know. one good season and the next fighting relegation.
pardew is still 'new' to the job.
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yeh early days yet. I suddenly recall david o'leary.
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GUTHRIE BLOW FOR NEWCASTLE
Danny Guthrie
Newcastle's injury problems have deepened with the news Danny Guthrie is expected to be out for up to six weeks with a groin problem picked up in last weekend's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.
It was a costly game for manager Alan Pardew, who confirmed Steven Taylor will miss the rest of the season following surgery on his Achilles, while fellow defender Fabricio Coloccini also limped off with a thigh problem.
The Argentinian has an outside chance of being fit for Saturday's trip to Norwich but if he fails to make it then Pardew will be left without an established centre-half.
Utility man James Perch will definitely play while Tamas Kadar, Davide Santon and Danny Simpson are other options Pardew is considering.
The manager said of Coloccini: "I think there's an outside chance he could play but we won't play him and put him at risk. His injury looks a lot better than we thought so that is the positive news that we got coming out of the treatment room this week.
"Danny Guthrie could be a four-to-six-week job and there's no Cheik (Tiote) this weekend so we really are up against it squad-wise and it's important now that everybody plays their part."
Long-serving defender Taylor had been enjoying a renaissance under Pardew and his form was crucial in Newcastle's brilliant start to the season, but the Toon boss is optimistic there will be no long-term effects from the injury.
"The operation went very well," said Pardew.
"It's been repaired and we think he'll make a full recovery. Usually with that type of injury your Achilles comes back stronger so I don't envisage that problem coming back once he returns." -
I think Demba is a good buy... have noticed him from west ham last season.... he's good.