How the Tables Have Turned – Pardew’s Hypocrisy
Cue Pardew to launch an astonishing attack upon Arsenal’s transfer policy, citing a lack of British players and accusing them of threatening “the soul of British football – the English player.”
“I saw a headline saying Arsenal are flying the flag for Britain. I kind of wondered where that British involvement actually was when I looked at their team. It’s important that top clubs don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s the English Premier League and English players should be involved.”
“We have a young team at West Ham and we are proud we have so many Englishmen. I think that’s important, I really do.”
Alan Pardew speaking to the BBC in March 2006.
Fast forward to the present day. Newcastle have just unveilved Yoan Gouffran as their latest signing from Bordeaux, and with Massadio Haidara and Moussa Sissoko also on their way to the Magpies they will soon have TEN Frenchmen on their books. Not to mention the other French speaking players already in the squad (Tiote and Cisse).
Newcastle’s starting eleven on Saturday for the defeat against Reading had one Englishman, Mike Williamson. (Not counting Shola Ameobi as he is now capped by Nigeria.) With the signings of Haidara and Yanga-Mbwia, Williamson will most likely find his place at threat, leading to the high possibility of an all-foreign starting team for Newcastle. This contrast so sharply to Pardew’s previous comments, and raises several interesting points.
Is Pardew being given any measure of control over whom the club bring in? Is he happy to leave behind his previous ethics in favour of players from abroad? Obviously nobody will know the true workings of Newcastle United’s transfer policy, but it does not reflect well on the manager given his previous quotes.
There are also more significant things to worry about, with Gerard Houllier this week predicting the huge number of French speaking players would cause havoc in the dressing room. “You can’t stop the French speaking French. The dressing room will be unbalanced. There will be problems.”
This is not to mention a tweet from Sammy Ameobi saying “Need to brush up on my French because this is getting ridiculous.” While this does seem all in good humour, it raises interesting and potentially damaging questions for Newcastle.
Where is the young English talent coming through the Newcastle academy?
As Jamie Redknapp said this week, it simply isn’t there. He recalled playing against Lee Clark and Steve Watson in his youth, highlighted the likes of Gascoigne and Waddle, not to mention the fact that Alan Shearer and Michael Carrick actually began at Wallsend Boys Club before moving away.
If Pardew and his men keep on bringing in these foreign players, there is less and less hope of English talent coming through the ranks at Newcastle, a sorry state of affairs.
Perhaps somebody should remind the London born manager of his previous comments, and now it looks as though he is the one threatening the soul of British football. A look at the current Arsenal team, the same club he so vehemently criticised, shows they now have Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshire, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and then Aaron Ramsey from Wales all in their latest match-day squad. How the times have changed.
What do you make of Newcastle’s transfer policy? Would you like to see more British players on show at St James’ Park? Let us know your views and thoughts, either on Twitter or via the comments section below.
By Harry Aitkenhead
The Spectator's View 
dont think us fan really care right now just the team to start winning
Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.
Groucho Marx
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do sir?”
John Maynard Keynes,
Are you mental? Not counting Shola as English because he’s been capped by Nigeria as a 31-year-old, but Ramsey (Welsh) and Jenkinson (Finnish) are fine?
Toon with Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Danny Gosling all injured, Bigiriama, Sammi Ameobi, Rob Green, James Tavernier, James Perch and Adam Campbell all pushing the first team.
All of those players Incidentally, costing a lot less than one Theo or Chamberlain which Wenger horrendously overpaid for because they are young and English.
Thanks for the opinion mate but you sound like a colossal moron.
Cheers
Rob Eliott perhaps? and Bigirimana is from Burundi..
Shapee mate, you need to have a lie down. The majority of the players you mentioned will never get a 1st team game. How many England internationals will Newcastle have in the next tournament? How many will Arsenal?
Pardew is a dinosaur like Pulis & Allardyce who love to have a pop at Wenger for one simple reason – he is 1000 times better than they are. Wenger won more in his 1st full season at Arsenal than Pardew, Pulis, Allardyce, Redknapp, O’Neill etc., have won put together.
Geordies going down. And Pardews on an 8 year contract!!!! Hahahahahaha!!!!
Firstly, Rob Green doesn’t play for Newcastle.
Secondly, Ramsey is British, as well pointed out. We never mentioned England when referring to Arsenal’s homegrown players.
Thirdly, this isn’t exactly an opinion. We’re stating the facts, and pointing out the glaring discrepancies between what Pardew said a few years ago and what his actions are now.
I have absolutely no problem with our current transfer regime, but it’s interesting to note the differences in his opinion over the years.
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others”
Sums up Pardwho perfectly. The bloke is an expert on f all yet appears to have an opinion on just about everything !
You seem to be under the misguided impression that Pardew has any say on the comings and goings, or who is targeted by the board…
What a ridiculous article no wonder no other parties are interested in buying our club with fans sites like this.
I’m sick to death of hearing about this comment of his, yes he made the comment, but that was 6 years ago, and 6 years ago no one listened to him, as a result the amount of British talent coming through is very limited, as a country we aren’t bringing any kids through
Now he is a manager of a premier league team and he is expected to compete in the league, that cannot be done so he is forced to go abroad, if actions had been taken by the FA when Pardew said that, circumstances might be different, nothing was done, so we are where we are, so please stop trying to slag the man off with pathetic stories like this
Good article. You call him hypocritical but I don’t think it’s Pardew signing these players. He’ll hardly even have a say in it, look at what happened with King Kev.
I’m actually an Arsenal fan living in Newcastle and it’s funny how things change. I used to get stick for Arsenal’s lack of British players but Henry, Vieira, Petite and Pires are legends of Arsenal now. Not one Arsenal fan begrudges the fact that they’re French.
Newcastle fans would do well to think along the same lines. If they’re successful they won’t care where they came from but don’t blame their nationality if they aren’t.
exactly the great teams of yesteryear were great because they won things. if these French lads win something no one will give a toss. if the Ameobic brithers are a sample of local talent then I am glad we have Graham Carr. And don’t forget who it was who did away with our reserve team and sent a very strong message to the kids of the North East – KK
The problem is simple economics. Pick a good skilled contenental player and you can buy him for a reasonable price. Pick an English player with the same level of skill and you’re paying double or even treble the price, not to mention the wages.
West ham had so many British players. They sucked.
Arsenal now has so many British players. They now really suck.
Anyone are a trend going on here?
Alan pardwho is a useless manager.
Brits suck at football!!!
Wow lots of these comments will be deleted by the owner, no freedom of speech on website.
Criticise the article in anyway and your comment will be deleted.
West ham had so many British players. They sucked.
Arsenal now has so many British players. They now really suck.
Anyone are a trend going on here?
Alan pardwho is a useless manager.
Brits suck at football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
West ham had so many British players. They sucked.
Arsenal now has so many British players. They now really suck.
Anyone are a trend going on here?
Alan pardwho is a useless manager.
Simple.
Brits suck at football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Firenze,jog on mate, u saddo
What a muppet – you mention half a dozen players to have ‘come through the ranks’ covering 25 years and suggest that this is an example of great nurturing which has sadly disappeared. TBH if NUFC manage to bring 1 or 2 young local lads through every couple of years then they are doing as well as any other Prem club but you can’t run a football club on the hope that a couple of locals will do good.
All three clubs have had some of the biggest names from these shores. But let’s be honest: the market is bigger and better! I’m not saying you’re going to get a better player than ‘Bobby’ Moore or Jackie Milburn and Alan Ball, because you not. Not unless we attract Pelé. It is a shame that we may never see a golden era, with the likes of Peter Beardsley; Paul Gascoigne, and Chris Waddle, coming through the ranks. But then they were sold anyway! I’d love it if we brought in a young gem, in the mould of Andy Cole. And to think we eventually replaced him with a then world record-Alan Shearer, with Sir Les still on the books..
Even when the net wasn’t so wide, where would we be without Bobby Moncur and Wyn Davies? It would be wonderful for both clubs to share more memories of a Newcastle’s legend Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson. But our (Newcastle’s) most famous player must be ‘George’ Robledo a Latin American-from Chilli. My Dad talks about him, and I’ve met the odd Geordie (in their 90s’ or something?) here in Maidstone, who watched him play. Their faces glow when they talk about him and his brother. Of course Pop Robson, and Wyn Davis, is never far from their lips. And I’m never tired of hearing of them. Go to any pub on Tyneside, and those characters’ come back to life. Just as if Sir Bobby Robson was standing there: retelling them himself.
But if we can put a team together the likes of the team you describe (Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal) then I’d be more than happy! But we have a history of selling our best players’. So if we are to recapture the 50s’: we will have to hang on to players’. We tend to let Frank Clark’s calibre go! No matter where they come. As Andy Carroll (although seems to have lost his way) resides in your area. But at least…unlike before: they are being replaced!
I’ve been thinking this same thing for a while. I’m an Arsenal fan, and I’m glad this has been brought up by…A Newcastle fan no less. Pardew indeed has displayed hypocrisy.
At the time, I felt Pardew was being disrespectful to Arsenal and Wenger, and said those things just to look big and spite Wenger, and what did Wenger say? “I look at the quality, not the passport”.
Pardew was clearly jealous, but Wenger is quite clever, he knows how to keep a team with quality even if he is on a budget, that’s why he spent his money on foreign young players: Adebayor + Van Persie + Fabregas + Diaby + Kolo Toure = all combined cost the same as 1 Stewart Downing! it’s not rocket science – why buy english players when you get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
Whatever you say about roley Mickey Ashley, you can’t deny the man is a shrewd businessman, just look at SportDirect – it’s already eaten up JJB and going strong!, and Arsenal’s relative on and off-field success in relation to the spend did not go un-noticed to him, hence it’s clear since last season Newcastle are modelling themselves on Arsenal as are Liverpool and other clubs, and Pardew is trying to copy Wenger, the man he slated – it’s clear he doesn’t let his principles get in the way of some glory!.
oh and re-sold those players (except Diaby – who’s still there) for a combined total of 95 Million pounds, which is a profit of over 75 Million! – and that didn’t get in the way of qualifying for the champions league every season either! the man’s a genius!
Cannot believe I’ve just read somebody call somebody else a ‘colossal moron’ having cited Rob Green as a Newcastle player. My word some people are stupid.
That idea is good.
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