Alan Pardew Sets Unambitious Season Targets
Less than two weeks ago, Alan Pardew insisted that Newcastle were targeting Champions League qualification looking ahead to the forthcoming season.
Having spent over £30m on NINE new signings at the club, he believed that a top-4 finish was certainly within the club’s reach, and that it would be unambitious to expect anything less than that.
However, this morning, speaking to the Sky Sports News team at the club Open Day training day session, he has stated bizarrely that he would be happy with 48 POINTS. No team in the history of the Premier League has ever qualified for the Champions League from the Premier League with 48 points.
Looking back at previous seasons, and the points tally of Premier League teams serves to demonstrate just how contradictory Pardew’s statements were.
48 points in PL:
2013/14 – 11th
2012/13 – 9th
2011/12 – 10th
2010/11 – 9th
2009/10 – 11th
2008/09 – 11th
2007/08 – 11th
2006/07 – 12th
2005/06 – 12th
Considering Mike Ashley has injected near on £40m in what has been the most productive transfer window in a very long time, for Pardew to say he’d be satisfied with less points than last season is bizarre.
There has been an unfamiliar but undeniably exciting buzz surrounding the club this Summer, and it is very disappointing to see the manager of our team setting such low targets, when we have reason to be so positive.
For a man who has in the past self-fashioned himself as an eloquent and personable manager, he has a habit of saying the wrong thing. Either way, this is his first gaff of the season. Let’s hope it’s not a sign of things to come.
You can see the interview HERE.
What do you reckon our ambitions should be for the forthcoming season?
The Spectator's View 
“For a man who has in the past self-fashioned himself as an eloquent and personable manager, he has a habit of saying the wrong thing. Either way, this is his first gaff of the season”
Soz Harry you havent been paying attention have you ? This isnt anywhere near his first gaffe of the season as other notable examples of Pardish include
“Huddersfield are a good side they’ll be challenging for the Championship” Days before they lost 0-4 at home to Bournemouth
““I’d like to pay tribute to my staff and in particular Graham Carr, myself, Lee Charnley, Mike Ashley and everyone on the board, who worked really hard for this one.”
“We’re known for attacking football, but at the back end of last year, you wouldn’t have thought that had you watched us play. We need to get back to what we’re about.”
“We’re aiming for the Top Four places this season”
the list is endless 🙂
HWTL