Official Premier League 2010/11 thread

[Dont Fear The Reaper]

At least Liverpool aren't the token 'comedy team' in the league anymore

[Noah]

Is it really a 5 and a half year deal, like I just read?

Wow.......

[brenchill]

And just as Newcastle looked to be on the up.

Chris Houghton did an amazing job at Newcastle. I'll never be able to understand the logic, if there is any, behind his sacking. I thought Newcastle would drop to League 1 following there relegation from the Premiership but luckily for them they had Houghton on hand to steady the ship. But only did he steady the ship he got them promoted at the first time of asking and then after a string of fantastic results had them sitting pretty in 10th place coming up to the Christmas period.

[Pesci]

Wow. Just wow. This has to be the most baffling switch I've ever seen. Pardew not only got Charlton relegated but managed to put them bottom of the Championship before eventually getting the sack, and then couldn't even do well at a moneybags Southampton team in League One. So you're gonna take away Hughton, who's given Newcastle the most stability they've had in years and seems to be a hugely popular choice with the fans, for him? Fuck meeeeeeeeeeee.

[Ben E.]

Utterly disgusted with this chain of events, culminating in the probable appointment of Alan Pardew. Alan fucking Pardew.

I think I've finally stopped caring.

[Vincent K. McMahon]

I fucking hate you, Mike Ashley.

Saturday's match will be interesting.

[jack95]

I fucking hate you, Mike Ashley.

Saturday's match will be interesting.

He may have his critics, but in a battle of tactical wits between former Inter Milan manager, Scandinavian Football mastermind and two time European finalist Roy Hodgson and the man who took my club, Charlton, down (though that was more thanks to Dowie and Reed to be fair), Southampton absolutely nowhere despite, as Pesci mentioned, having more than enough funds, and hasn't done anything positive since 2006, Alan Pardew, I know who I'm backing,

[britneyspearsisgod]

In fairness to Pardew, he was sacked by Southampton after beating Bristol Rovers 4-1 and was on course to do a decent job with them. Also, don't forget that, yes, West Ham were relegated with him, but they also gained promotion with him.

Saying that, this is a ridiculous move by Ashley and only goes to show he's a small time player more interested in flaunting his status as Newcastle United Chairman than actually doing something to benefit the club. Chris Hughton was doing a great job and had no need to be released. If Ashley really felt they were going to get relegated under him, then it seems he doesn't know much about football. Pardew is no more a better choice than Hughton and I fail to see how this benefits the club. With a locker room full of aggressive personalities, Hughton's calm and measured approach seemed to gain the best out of the players around him. Pardew is by no means calm and measured - will his approach work? I wouldn't write him off, but I can't honestly see it working any better.

[Pesci]

Pardew's time at Southampton wasn't a disaster but he should've done better. He certainly didn't do well.

[therockbox]

He did fairly well. Made John Terry look like an amateur.

[Liam]

Whilst I'm not going to defend Pardew, those saying he didn't do well at Southampton don't really pay enough attention to that division, seemingly. He had a season where they would potentially have been in the playoffs, if it hadn't have been for the points deduction, then he was doing a decent enough job next season, and got sacked out of the blue really. He suffered the same way that any teams with money can do, in that the expectations are suddenly huge, not helped by how well they had done the season before under him.

[jack95]

Whilst I'm not going to defend Pardew, those saying he didn't do well at Southampton don't really pay enough attention to that division, seemingly. He had a season where they would potentially have been in the playoffs, if it hadn't have been for the points deduction, then he was doing a decent enough job next season, and got sacked out of the blue really. He suffered the same way that any teams with money can do, in that the expectations are suddenly huge, not helped by how well they had done the season before under him.

Is that really Premier League quality though? When you look at the other 19 managers in the premier league, except for at a push Grant or McCarthy, every one of them could have potentially done just as good a job and probably better at Southampton than Pardew. I can understand that Pardew was under pressure with the boost in finances, but at least that's a positive sort of pressure, rather than administration and a six game losing streak worries. If he can't crack it at the 3rd tier in those circumstances, does he have that much of a chance at Newcastle when 95% of the fans are opposed to his appointment, and know he was only brought in because he's bosom buddies with Ashley? To be fair, everyone is getting caught up in the hullaballoo of the Hughton departure, me very much included. Pardew has had success at Reading and to a degree West Ham. But, in 2011 (nearly) can we honestly say he isn't the weakest manager in the premier league, and even if we can somehow say that he isn't, is he seriously a better man for the job than Hughton?

[Pesci]

Whilst I'm not going to defend Pardew, those saying he didn't do well at Southampton don't really pay enough attention to that division, seemingly. He had a season where they would potentially have been in the playoffs, if it hadn't have been for the points deduction, then he was doing a decent enough job next season, and got sacked out of the blue really. He suffered the same way that any teams with money can do, in that the expectations are suddenly huge, not helped by how well they had done the season before under him.

I paid pretty close attention, particularly to Southampton because I lived with a couple of die-hard fans and even went to a few games, but that's besides the point

It depends on your definition of doing well really. They did a tiny bit better than I thought checking the table, because I thought they wouldn't have made playoffs even without the points deduction but they must have closed that gap right at the end because I remember they wouldn't have been in the playoffs without the deduction for quite a while. But still, they would've finished 12 points off the top and they had one of the best teams in the division - I'd consider that underachieving. I don't think he should've been sacked because things were getting better and it seemed like a rash decision, but looking at his tenure overall, I don't think he did particularly well.

[Crybaby Bunting]

An absolute fucking disgrace.

Hughton for Jol? Possibly reasonable and we might have eventually taken to him after a few years... BUT ALAN FUCKING PARDEW? GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY CLUB MIKE ASHLEY!

It's been nice knowing you in the Sports Bar, but this is one of those decisions that may well turn me away from football completely.

(Which of course means that my dissertation might be good now )

[britneyspearsisgod]

It depends on your definition of doing well really. They did a tiny bit better than I thought checking the table, because I thought they wouldn't have made playoffs even without the points deduction but they must have closed that gap right at the end because I remember they wouldn't have been in the playoffs without the deduction for quite a while. But still, they would've finished 12 points off the top and they had one of the best teams in the division - I'd consider that underachieving. I don't think he should've been sacked because things were getting better and it seemed like a rash decision, but looking at his tenure overall, I don't think he did particularly well.

Seeing as it was my team they whooped before Pardew was sacked - which I also made a mistake on: they beat Bristol Rovers 4-0 - I pay particularly close attention to League One. As said, the first season they would have hit the play-off's, if not for the points deduction. They had every chance of success the following season.

The next season, they had only played 3 league games when Pardew was sacked. They lost to Plymouth the first day, they drew with Leyton Orient and then proceeded to down Bristol Rovers. Say what you will, but 3 games is hardly enough time to cast judgement on a manger in the next season. From what I can recall, Southampton's owner Markus Liebher was a big supporter of Pardew, but the rest of the boardroom were not. Thus, when Markus died in August, it gave them an opening to sack him. They subsequently went on a win-less streak of four games before they claimed a win. Now, Nigel Adkins has done a good job of stabilizing them and they lie 8th. I'm sure they will be in contention for a play-off place this season.

The point made here is that while Pardew is hardly the man to take Newcastle United forward, his record at Southampton was by no means bad. I think they had every chance of succeeding under him in returning to the Championship.

I will say his performances as West Ham United manager and Charlton Athletic manager will prove however that he might not be suitable for a top-half Premiership team, which is what I imagine Mike Ashley envisions Newcastle to be.

Edited December 8, 2010 by XEON BSIG

[DJ Ice]

I really do think that Mike Ashley hates Newcastle

[britneyspearsisgod]

The hatred thrown at him because he sacked Keegan? I am not too surprised he wouldn't be a fan of Newcastle.

I happen to believe he just knows fuck all about football, myself.

[Pesci]

It depends on your definition of doing well really. They did a tiny bit better than I thought checking the table, because I thought they wouldn't have made playoffs even without the points deduction but they must have closed that gap right at the end because I remember they wouldn't have been in the playoffs without the deduction for quite a while. But still, they would've finished 12 points off the top and they had one of the best teams in the division - I'd consider that underachieving. I don't think he should've been sacked because things were getting better and it seemed like a rash decision, but looking at his tenure overall, I don't think he did particularly well.

Seeing as it was my team they whooped before Pardew was sacked - which I also made a mistake on: they beat Bristol Rovers 4-0 - I pay particularly close attention to League One. As said, the first season they would have hit the play-off's, if not for the points deduction. They had every chance of success the following season.

The next season, they had only played 3 league games when Pardew was sacked. They lost to Plymouth the first day, they drew with Leyton Orient and then proceeded to down Bristol Rovers. Say what you will, but 3 games is hardly enough time to cast judgement on a manger in the next season. From what I can recall, Southampton's owner Markus Liebher was a big supporter of Pardew, but the rest of the boardroom were not. Thus, when Markus died in August, it gave them an opening to sack him. They subsequently went on a win-less streak of four games before they claimed a win. Now, Nigel Adkins has done a good job of stabilizing them and they lie 8th. I'm sure they will be in contention for a play-off place this season.

The point made here is that while Pardew is hardly the man to take Newcastle United forward, his record at Southampton was by no means bad. I think they had every chance of succeeding under him in returning to the Championship.

I will say his performances as West Ham United manager and Charlton Athletic manager will prove however that he might not be suitable for a top-half Premiership team, which is what I imagine Mike Ashley envisions Newcastle to be.

I still think finishing 12 points off the top and not getting automatic promotion (this is with the 10 points added on) is underachieving and making the playoffs is the very least that should've been expected. I've said that I don't think he did bad, I just don't think he did anything particularly good. You're arguing he wasn't bad and I'm arguing he wasn't good, we basically have the same assessment of his performance with a different spin put on it. I only brought it up to emphasise that he hasn't really had any success in the last few years that would warrant replacing Hughton with him - like I said, I don't think Pardew should've been sacked.

[Gazz]

At least he can look forward to visiting Charlton again in 2012. Though not until the later stages of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy...

Also, I reckon Saturday's attendance will be 35K max.

[Cadj]

Alan Pardew confirmed as manager on a 5 and a half year contract.

Seriously