Learning from their mistakes? Some chance!

After an extremely positive team display away to Aston Villa, which included some impressive attacking football, many fans were wondering whether or not Pardew was finally beginning to see the light, and that his decision to go 4-3-3 again at home to Hull City was testament to his changing ethos. Well, while I admire the decision to seemingly go positively, questions must be asked about the serious lack of intensity throughout the game. What annoyed me even further is that Alan Pardew instructs his team to do exactly the same thing every time we go 1 goal up, which is to sit back and defend a 1 goal lead. It is infuriating.

Last weekend, we went 1 goal up and retreated into ourselves. So much so, that Villa got themselves back into the game and managed to find an equaliser. While there can be some merit in trying to defend a 1 goal lead away from home against a side who will be roughly in the same spot as you in the table, there can be no defence of that tactic when you are at home to a newly promoted side who will likely be fighting relegation this season! Through taking our foot off the gas following Remy’s opening goal, we afforded Hull a way back into the match, and combined with some truly shocking defending from our back 4, Hull did just that. Had we kicked on and pushed for a 2nd goal, we may have developed an unassailable 2 goal lead at home. That would have been very hard for Hull to come back from.

The 2nd half was a mediocre display comparable to the home defeats to West Ham, Swansea and Reading last season, and it would appear that the flaws in our home form last season are destined to be repeated this season unless Pardew learns how to instil a winning mentality when we are in St James’ Park. His rhetoric about how we should be looking to win “every game at St James’ Park” doesn’t seem to ring true. The fans believe we should, but I do not think the manager or even the players believe it.

Gutless. Disjointed. Uninterested. I wrote that a positive display would earn him another week. There was no positive display, so I am afraid his time is up. Alan Pardew, you need to go.

But if only it were that simple. Steve Harper called it perfectly when he said that the club was bleeding. Sacking Alan Pardew does not address the wound, it merely sticks a plaster on it. We can only cleanse the wound when we get the source of the bleeding out of our club – Mike Ashley. Interestingly enough, he made an appearance at yesterday’s game, probably because he thought the fans would be deliriously happy following our win last weekend.

You’re a coward Mike Ashley. Do the right thing. Leave Newcastle United, take Joe Kinnear and Alan Pardew with you and let us get back to enjoying our beloved football club once more.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on yesterday’s performance? Perhaps I am not being harsh enough. What do you think of Alan Pardew, and more importantly, Mike Ashley? I’d love to hear your views.

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