Just support the team

Forget the statistics. Statistics are for commentators and pundits, of which we are neither. I am fed up of people spouting out stats with authority. That’s not our job.

Our job, as supporters, is to support.

Alan Pardew is a man who carries himself with a certain dignity. Now, I know some people will strongly disagree with that statement, but, with all the hatred piled his way, it must take a certain kind of person to still applaud the fans at the beginning of a match, despite him being acutely aware of the protests some of them are making against him.

He has an owner who lets him hang in public (anger and all), he has a public (the fans), who is gunning for him and attacking him at every opportunity and a set of players who have not come out to the fans and apologised for their dismal performances, especially the one against Southampton. Whether Pardew and his coaching staff have told the players not to speak out, I do not know, but, I would not be surprised. In his interviews, the manager has taken the pressure off the players. However, some would argue that this could be his undoing, by letting them get away with too many poor displays.

As for the protests against Pardew, they appeared as futile as the ideas behind them. The real villain of the piece, in my opinion and for reasons I have already stated in this blog, is Mike Ashley.

And herein lies the dilemma for Newcastle fans:

Mike Ashley is a businessman, not a football man. In order to hurt him, we have to hit him in the pocket and to not attend matches or to buy shirts. But, NUFC fans are a proud lot and will never miss the opportunity to see their heroes play and so, will pay to see matches and will buy their shirts with pride. And on and on we’ll go.

Can we talk about football now?

The match against Hull showed the Jekyll and Hyde sides of Newcastle United. Good build-up play with flat finishes in the first half, before two good strikes put us two down. The roar and the passion of the fans driving the team towards a climax that Papiss Cisse has come to know quite well in his time on Tyneside.

Two goals in the last twenty minutes, along with a respectful dedication to Jonas Gutierrez (who, this week, it was announced was fighting testicular cancer), shows that Cisse, despite his frequent goal droughts, has bought into Newcastle United. At the moment, he is probably the closest we can get to having a fan on the pitch.

Hopefully, his two goals against Hull City will spark a resurgence in his, and the team’s, form. No disrespect to Riviere, but, with an experienced spearhead that can capitalise on the efforts of Cabella, Sissoko, Colback and Goufrann, Newcastle could soon be heading in the right direction.

I didn’t watch the match. I only saw the final score.

A couple of weeks ago, I stated that I believe Alan Pardew will not be sacked as NUFC manager in the nearby future.

I would now like to retract that statement.

Yes, as a businessman, I think that Mike Ashley will get his money’s worth out of Pardew and that means not pulling the trigger until he thinks it is totally necessary But, the pressure was mounting, even before today’s drubbing at the hands of Southampton.

 Ashley’s declaration this week that he will not sell the club could be met with either the despair that he and Pardew are not looking to leave any time soon or with the dreamer’s approach that he is willing to strengthen the club and not just his bank balance.

 Whichever way you look at it, it’s interesting to note that Ashley’s insistence on quashing any rumours that he was going to sell, when he usually stays silent.

 As for Pardew, I recently argued that no other manager would be willing to take the job and work under the same strenuous conditions (both from his employers and the club’s fans) that he works under. Apart from, perhaps, David Moyes.

 Should Pardew be shown the exit, Moyes is only person I can think of that who could replace him in the that he could please both Ashley and, to a certain extent, the fans. Not to disregard his time at Man U (for it is that that will put other teams off), but, his record at Everton demonstrates he can build a team on a budget and get them to a decent position in the league.

 The cons are that, in some respects, he is a lot like Pardew: not sure what to do with substitutions, no plan B and no real ‘footballing philosophy’ to speak of a la Messrs Rodgers and Martinez.

It may not be the fairest thing to sack Pardew (after all, the players must shoulder some of the responsibility), but, should he go, Moyes has to be the one to replace him. If anyone else was willing to take the chance, the oft-named ‘poisoned chalice’, to manage Newcastle, it will undoubtedly be someone of a weaker calibre or a complete curve-ball. Joe Kinnear, anyone?

 But, for now, it’s Pardew who’s in charge, facing Hull at home. A winnable match that has turned into a must-win match.

 It does irk me that, out of the opening four matches of the season – should we disregard the opening day defeat to Man City – we have had three winnable matches and, where do we sit? Right at the bottom of the table.

 As with anything at NUFC, you never know what is around the corner, but, it certainly feels as though, with Pardew under the microscope, the pendulum has now swung from it being a case of ‘if’ to ‘when’ he will no longer be our manager.

Mr Ashley

The day after Transfer Deadline Day and, okay, some aren’t happy.

And, yes, the jokes on social media about getting someone (a striker or a centre-back) ‘over the line’ turned to frustration and now, to the oh-so-familiar screams of “Pardew out!”

But, those who debate and argue and despair at signings (or lack of, with 31^st August in mind), tactics and so-called lies, with respect, are missing the point.

So long as there are, at least, 18 months on his contract, Pardew isn’t going anywhere.

The big issue is Mike Ashley. WARNING! The contradicting thoughts that follow are being thrown down as they come to me and, no doubt, in the future, there will be a post that includes all the reverse points of view:

A part of me thinks, that, when it comes to owners, it might be a case of better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. And, would everyone be happy with a new owner? I doubt it.

But, on the other hand, this cannot go on. The hierarchy, with their only communication coming through one Alan Pardew, forces us, the fans, to argue amongst ourselves, while they laugh at us.

The protests, chants and marches didn’t work for the simple reason that people will still support NUFC and, in doing so, will still put money in Ashley’s pocket.

 But, on a personal level, I must admit that, whenever I do climb down from the fence and feel that I want Ashley out, it’s because I am fed up of everyone going on about it. When was the last time you spoke to someone about our club and actually mentioned a match, a goal or a player?

 This has got to stop.

The unfortunate thing is that, with this admission, Newcastle United feels like it is not our club anymore. But, it is. I agree with the spirit behind the marches and walk-outs and the “What is a club?” quote from Bobby Robson has been repeated with the same passion as the great man’s original statement, and rightfully so. But, it is this quote, from another Newcastle legend that I will end with and one that directly concerns the current owner:

“They [Mike Ashley and associates] are not the football club. They are just the custodians who are in for a few years. It might be five, ten or six. But, Newcastle United will go on after Mike Ashley.”

                                                                                                                                Kevin Keegan

No one’s going to like this, but, we’ve just got to be patient.  

7 minutes? Warnock time.

Newcastle United 3 Crystal Palace 3 I watch the Crystal Palace match at a social club, whilst sitting next to one of those fans we’ve all met before. So irritated by every little thing and who spouts out nothing but nonsense throughout the 90 minutes. “Bring Shola back, eh?” From the 2nd minute, at 1-0 down, until the 37th, when Janmaat became the unlikely first toon goal scorer of the season, it was great to watch Newcastle play with a sense of urgency. Yes, the final third was lacking somewhat, most of the many corners we took barely caused Palace any problems and whatever link-up Pardew had planned (as well as what I had hoped for) between de Jong and Riviere did not come together. But, we still pressed and I caught myself thinking that, perhaps going 1-0 down with only 30 seconds on the clock might not have been such a bad thing. “Shoot!” my viewing partner shouted at Jack Colback, who duly obliged and aimed for row Z. The second half, again, wasn’t free-flowing stuff from either side, but, it was entertaining. It was another sucker-punch when Jason Puncheon drilled home Palace’s second, to put them back in front, but the introduction of Rolando Aarons was a great move from the manager. With all the signings NUFC have made over the summer, it is this young lad from the academy who had looked the most promising in pre-season. In this match, he lived up to that promise. He introduced fresh impetus to NUFC’s play, even though the man next to me hadn’t heard of him, stating that Gutierrez might as well have come on. As for the rest of the match, with Mike Williamson putting us in front and Wilfried Zaha pulling them level in the 5th minute of the remarkable 7 that were given (I still don’t know where they came from), it did leave a horrible taste in the mouth. With a few hours to reflect, I think a draw was probably the fairest result. But, I also feel that, despite only having 2 points from the opening three matches (two of which were, on paper, winnable), this match did feel like a nod towards more the entertaining days of Newcastle United Football Club. Or am I just being unrealistic? Whatever you think, the bloke next to me got one thing right: “With Newcastle, it’s never smooth running. It’s always up and down”. True, and, don’t we just love it?

Colback for England!

Jack Colback. The spotlight is certainly on you this season. As a Toon fan, I never questioned where he came from. My love for Newcastle United powerfully outweighs any dislike (or, indifference, it would be fairer to say) towards Sunderland. Yes, I look for that match when the fixtures are released and, in the weeks preceding it, the feelings of excitement and apprehension see-saw in my head. Who will win the match, the points and, most importantly, the bragging rights? But, Jack Colback’s arrival at St. James’ Park could well have occurred after a stint at Upton Park, rather than the Stadium of Light, it would not matter to me. Now, I know some, on both sides of the Tyne-Wear divide, will be asking the question: why? First and foremost, he is a midfielder. If we are honest, Newcastle had to strengthen pretty much all areas of the pitch, so, any bodies coming through the door would always be a positive for us. As basic and as fundamental as that sounds, it is true. After an 18-month drought of permanent signings, to recruit a decent, hard-worker local lad is quite the bonus. Secondly, he is good. He was, from what I hear, good for Sunderland and, in his first two performances in black and white, he has been the stand-out player for me. Something of a box-to-box midfielder against Manchester City, it was with excitement that I noted how, on Tiote’s return, Colback will be able to run freely at the front of our midfield, assisting the efforts of Siem de Jong, Remy Cabella and Moussa Sissoko. Just a thought. I’ll be honest. Apart from his silence-inducing performances against Newcastle, I never really noticed him in a red and white shirt. But, with a good concoction of questions from unsure Toon fans and patience from those willing to give him a chance, it seems that he is spurred on by the idea of making a point and, if his first two matches are anything to go by, it seems we have quite an exciting player on our hands. Possibly, dare I say it, a future captain? What we do have to remember, at the end of the day, is that his time at Sunderland is all in the past. Jack Colback’s future took something of an unexpected turn yesterday, when he was named in the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Norway and Switzerland. Although, ‘unexpected’ may not be the right word to use, after time was called on the international careers of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick. I won’t ask the obvious rhetorical question of: ‘Would he have achieved his spot in the squad if he still played for Sunderland?’ (we could be here all season) and, this is not to say that Colback has not earned his call-up, but, his chance of carving out something of an international career is certainly strengthened by the absence of the three aforementioned midfielders. It is clear that England manager Roy Hodgson has to look at his midfield options. Whether Colback will only collect half an hour on Wednesday night or become an England regular, it is with a sense of pride that Newcastle fans can look at the England squad and see his name in there. Quite rightfully, Sunderland fans should too, but, I can understand any reluctance, on their part, to do so. This season, for Jack Colback, is a big one and, as I said earlier, the spotlight is definitely on him. Whether you are a NUFC fan, still murmuring on about his past employer or waiting to see how he will fare in the first derby of the season in December, it is clear to see that the nine months ahead pose challenges he will not have faced before. The big question is: Is he up to them? Sadly, as is so often the case, time will tell.

Gillingham away

26/8/14 A clean sheet, a first goal of the season (sort of) and safe passage through to the third round of the Capital Cup. They’re the positives. As was repeated by the radio commentators, it wasn’t a ‘harem-scarem’ cup tie, mainly because Gillingham only had one shot on target and, although it was hardly a classic performance from Newcastle, we are through to the next round of a cup. The way we, as Newcastle fans, take this information, can obviously spike out into many different ways, ranging from the ecstatic ‘if Sunderland can reach a cup final, then we can reach a cup final and win it!’ attitude to the more sobering ‘we had to rely on one of the players of a League One team to score against his own team in order for us to get through. We are getting relegated this season’ approach. Personally, I bounce from one point to the other, depending on the circumstances we face: home or away, the opposition, etc., but, I’m usually positive looking. To me, there’s something magical about a cup competition and the further we progress, the more excited I get, particularly should potential winners fall by the wayside (Manchester United crashed out this evening away to MK Dons). But, after tonight’s win away to Gillingham, I couldn’t help but think of the downright bizarre statement that came from the Newcastle hierarchy before the season began, in which they wrote off cup progression. Is our performance in the Gillingham match a follow-on from this announcement? I’d like to think it was the club’s clever way of playing down their own quiet confidence for the coming season, but I know this club and what it likes to put us through. But, I am going against my initial response to the result and I am being negative. Let’s accentuate the positive. Through to the next round of a cup competition, this can, hopefully, light the spark that gets the goals and points flowing on a very young season and, should we reach May and look back on, at least one, cup run, I, personally, consider that to be a successful season.

Options for the front.

After a pretty successful Transfer Window, in which our midfield was strengthened, it feels fair to say that, although we have plenty of options in that department, the opening two matches of the season have asked questions of both the front and the back. Today, we’re going to focus strictly on the options Newcastle have up front. Watching Emmanuel Riviere struggle to hold his own against Man City and only show glimpses of his potential, I expected to see him step up against Aston Villa, but, again, he was fairly non-existent. This is, by the way, no comment on him as a footballer. It takes players time to bed in and it takes some longer than others, and, with Riviere, I believe we have a player who will be something of a slow-burner on Tyneside. His progress will also depend on who Pardew thinks best suits him as a strike partner. Out of all of the signings NUFC made throughout the summer, he is the one that arrived with, perhaps, the least fanfare (Colback crossing the Wear-Tyne divide; de Jong and Cabella arriving under the banner of ‘midfield maestros’ and Janmaat impressing for Holland in the World Cup) and yet, at the minute, it is he who the Geordie faithful are looking towards to spearhead this campaign. After the two aforementioned performances, this may appear to be a something of a gloomy situation we’re heading for, but, look at Pardew’s options: 1. Papis Cisse. Since his barnstorming debut in the Premier League, Toon fans don’t need to be told that Cisse has struggled to reach the same heady heights, causing some to doubt his ability. But, should he return from his injury with no problems and, with the right support, perhaps from Riviere (or Goufrann), it is possible for him to rediscover his knack of finding the back of the net on a consistent basis. 2. Facundo Ferreyra. On a season-long loan, it wouldn’t be right for me to pass comment on a player I have yet to see play, but, I think it says a lot about Newcastle that they have this young man on their books (as back-up) for a year and are not looking to him to bang in the goals as much as they did last term, with one Loic Remy, who, of course, was also on loan. 3. Ayoze Perez. When 21-year old Perez signed for Newcastle early on in the summer, I, for one, thought he was certainly one for the future, but, after coming on in our opening matches, a quick burst of pace and the urgency to get into the box is definitely a plus to our game this season, as well as seasons to come. He was incredibly unlucky not to make his mark in the best possible way against Man City, so, if a few goals come from him this season, would he not be considered a bargain for less than 2 million? 4. Youan Goufrann. Does anyone else remember when forwards were exactly that? For all the players you could list that have been branded with the social media term of ‘Pardewed’, Goufrann is the one that nobody seems to have picked up on. Newcastle have always looked stronger with him up front. Not necessarily an out-and-out striker, he has always impressed me when playing just behind the main forward, particularly when that was Loic Remy last season. Surely, to get the best out of this footballer, wouldn’t it would be better to allow him to repeat this role, rather than push him out to the left, because you don’t know quite what to do with him? 5. Siem de Jong. I read something on our summer transfers and all it said of Siem de Jong was ‘Newcastle have now signed the right brother’. Luuk aside, Siem can play as a striker, but, with the forwards I have just listed, it is my humble opinion, that, once fit and confident, he plays in the role of the number he has been given. Should he be positioned up front, it may turn into a mirror situation of the Cabaye fiasco, in which we were looking to one player to both create the goals from the engine of midfield and to score them all at once. From what I know, de Jong as attacking midfielder. There, he can see more of the ball and, indeed, more of the play, which will allow him to create, as well as score goals. So, despite the distinct lack of goals in the opening two matches, it is nowhere near cause for panic stations. Because of the lack of Premier League experience and the waiting for Cisse to return from injury, patience is key. Just give it time, Geordies.