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Newcastle grab draw with Hull as Papiss Cissé reprieves Alan Pardew
Newcastle grab draw with Hull as Papiss Cissé reprieves Alan Pardew
(about 2 hours later)
When Papiss Cissé fractured a kneecap in April he was expected to be sidelined until Christmas. The Senegal striker resolved to beat the clock but only days ago Newcastle United’s medical staff were talking about a return in three weeks.
Papiss Cissé had removed his tracksuit and was standing on the touchline seemingly muttering a little prayer when Hull City scored their second goal.
With his job very much on the line Alan Pardew had different ideas and named Cissé on the bench. When Steve Bruce’s Hull City went 2-0 up the No9 was stripped and ready for action and by the final whistle he had quite possibly kept his manager in post by scoring twice.
Until then the atmosphere inside the stadium had been surprisingly tepid. Far tamer than expected, the anti-Alan Pardew protests hyped up on social media all week proved half-hearted and almost apologetic.
The resultant point leaves Newcastle still seeking their first League win of the season but Cissé’s intervention succeeded in diluting the anti-Pardew feeling that had festered beneath the game’s surface and was threatening to erupt before his goals finally gave the crowd something to cheer.
Suddenly though a largely neutral mood threatened to turn ugly. High in the stands Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s owner, folded his arms and Pardew’s body language appeared edgy.
A rather odd afternoon began with a group of Newcastle fans applauding Steve Bruce with real warmth as he made the short journey between Hull’s team bus and the doors of the Milburn Stand’s main reception area.
Cometh the hour cometh the man. When Cissé fractured a kneecap in April he was set to be sidelined until Christmas. Despite subsequently chasing the clock down the Senegal striker only returned to training five days ago. When Pardew told his medical staff he would be on the bench they were deeply unhappy but ultimately overruled. As Cissé stripped for action heads were shaken. It seemed not so much a high stakes gamble as a manager possibly playing his final, desperate, card but substitutions can rarely have proved as transformative.
As displays of disloyalty go, serenading a rival manager – and particularly one who was previously in charge of Sunderland – is quite a statement but the atmosphere inside the stadium proved somewhat less mutinous.
It did not take long for the supposed convalescent to score twice, thereby not only diluting the digruntlement festering beneath the game’s surface but earning a previously unlikely point. Granted Newcastle still seek their first Premier League win of the season but the No9’s intervention may well have been enough to preserve his manager’s job.
Admittedly there was some booing, a few sustained chants of “We want Pardew out” and jeering when he trapped a loose ball but it was all kindergarten stuff. Certainly the mood was infinitely less toxic than when Newcastle’s manager endured wholesale abuse during a 3-0 win against Cardiff here at the end of last season. Protests rarely come more tepid.
A rather odd afternoon began with a group of Newcastle fans applauding Steve Bruce as the visiting manager entered the ground’s main reception. As displays of disloyalty go, serenading a rival manager takes some beating but the atmosphere inside the stadium proved somewhat less mutinous.
A few factors contributed to this slightly uneasy calm. For a start a mass bag-searching operation at the turnstiles had resulted in the confiscation of assorted banners and placards. Indeed from the press box only one piece of cloth emblazoned with “Sack Pardew” was visible.
Admittedly there were odd chants of “We want Pardew out” and some jeering when he trapped a loose ball but it was all kindergarten stuff. Certainly the Tyneside air was much less toxic than when Newcastle’s manager endured wholesale abuse during a 3-0 win against Cardiff here at the end of last season. Only one “Sack Pardew” banner was visible.
Then there was the Jonás Gutiérrez factor. Newcastle’s players ran out wearing identical over-shirts all bearing the number 18 and the name Jonás. It was a bid to bolster the morale of their left winger who is undergoing chemotherapy in Argentina after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The Jonás Gutiérrez factor perhaps contributed to this slightly uneasy calm. In a bid to bolster the morale of their left winger who is receiving treatment for testicular cancer in Argentina, Newcastle’s players ran out wearing identical over-shirts all bearing the number 18 and the name Jonás.
The crowd responded with their own tribute in the form of sustained clapping in the 17th minute. Sixty seconds earlier there had been more of the same – this time in recognition of John Alder and Liam Sweeney, the two Newcastle fans who died when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July.
The crowd responded with their own tribute in the form of sustained clapping in the 18th minute. Sixty seconds earlier there had been more of the same – this time in recognition of John Alder and Liam Sweeney, the two Newcastle fans who died when flight MH17 was shot down.
Much as Milburn Stand season ticket holders jostled to have their picture taken with Hatem Ben Arfa, their one-time darling – loaned, controversially, to Hull by Pardew and although ineligible to play in this one evidently enjoying milking his martyr status – there were clearly a few mixed feelings about trying to force the manager’s ousting.
Against such a backdrop there were clearly a few pricked consciences, a few mixed feelings about the ethics and perceived pettiness of attempting to engineer the manager’s ousting.
Quite apart from demonstrating seeming ludicrously petty at a time when, as the cases of Alder, Sweeny and Gutiérrez reminded everyone, there is already enough misery in the world, Newcastle were actually playing quite well.
Moreover Newcastle were actually playing quite well. True, many Tynesiders would have much preferred Hatem Ben Arfa to be wearing black and white on the pitch rather than signing autographs in the posh seats (controversially loaned to Hull by Pardew, he was ineligible to play) but Cheik Tioté, Rémy Cabella and Fabricio Coloccini were all impressing.
Back in the team following serious hamstring trouble Cheik Tioté was excellent, the defensive midfielder’s outstanding first-half performance drawing the sting from emotions often whipped up by social media in recent days.
Tioté, particularly, was excellent, the defensive midfielder’s outstanding performance probably succeeding in turning a few cynics into cheerleaders.
Clearly the better side, Newcastle’s problems were in the final third where Emmanuel Rivière, Pardew’s lone striker, rarely troubled Michael Dawson and Curtis Davies, let alone Allan McGregor.
Clearly the better side, Newcastle’s problems were in the final third where, despite Cabella’s clever prompting, Emmanuel Rivière, Pardew’s lone striker, rarely troubled Allan McGregor.
This was far from a vintage Hull performance – although Andrew Roberston was excellent at left-back, provoking all sorts of danger on speedy overlaps – but Bruce seemed happy enough with his team’s containment policy and, sure enough, their patient approach was rewarded with an opportunistic goal early in the second half.
This was far from a vintage Hull performance – although Andrew Robertson shone at left-back, provoking all sorts of danger on speedy overlaps – but Bruce seemed happy enough with his team’s containment policy and, sure enough, their patient approach was rewarded with an opportunistic goal early in the second half.
When Jack Colback lingered a moment too long in possession, Mohammed Diamé stole the ball before backheeling to Ahmed Elmohamady whose cross brought out the very best in Nikica Jelavic.
When Jack Colback lingered in possession, Mohamed Diamé stole the ball before backheeling to Ahmed Elmohamady whose cross brought out the very best in Nikica Jelavic. The striker’s sublime volleyed scissor kick was far too good for Tim Krul and as virtually every other Hull outfield player leapt on Jelavic in delight, Ashley received some advice.
The striker’s sublime volleyed scissor kick was far too good for Tim Krul and as virtually every other Hull outfield player leapt on Jelavic in delight, Mike Ashley stood up in the directors box, his arms folded and expression inscrutable.
“We want Pardew out,” sang the St James’ choir, rather more loudly than before. Even so the subsequent refrains of “Sacked in the morning,” soon faded and died. There was to be no outright anarchy in the stands - or at least not yet.
Newcastle’s owner soon received some advice. “We want Pardew out,” sang the St James’ choir, rather more loudly than before. Even so the subsequent refrains of “Sacked in the morning,” soon faded and died. There was to be no outright anarchy in the stands – or at least not yet.
Even so Newcastle’s manager looked relieved when Jelavic touched a free-kick to Huddlestone. His shot rebounded off the wall, falling at the feet of Stephen Quinn who, unmarked, missed from six yards.
The mood altered when McGregor saved brilliantly from Rémy Cabella, although Pardew will have been relieved many fans did not spot that a linesman had flagged for offside.
It was to be a mere stay of execution as when, of all people, Tioté conceded possession and Diamétook full advantage, turning Daryl Janmaat before crashing a stupendous, swerving shot past Krul.
Newcastle’s manager breathed an even bigger sigh of relief when Jelavic touched a free-kick to Huddlestone. His shot rebounded off the wall, falling at the feet of Stephen Quinn who, unmarked, missed from six yards.
On came Cissé and everything changed. Quinn erred and, atoning for his earlier mistake Tioté played in the No9 who unleashed a low shot which, squeezed just inside a post, punished McGregor.
It was to be a mere stay of execution as when, of all people, Tioté came over all slapdash and conceded possession the impressive Diamé took full advantage. Having turned Daryl Janmaat the former West Ham midfielder lashed a stupendous, swerving shot past Krul.
Bruce switched from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 and Cissé sensed further opportunity. When Yoan Gouffran headed Moussa Sissoko’s cross back into the box the unattended striker lashed the ball past McGregor. Finally, Pardew smiled.
As he and Ashley took turns to absorb the catcalls Pardew – who remained in his techical area throughout the entire afternoon – played possibly his final card. On came Cissé and, almost instantly, Quinn erred and Tioté capitalised. Atoning for his earlier mistake the Ivorian played in Cissé who unleashed a low shot which, squeezed just inside a post, was too good for McGregor.
Suitably warned, Bruce immediately replaced Jelavic with David Meyler as he switched from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2. It proved a mistake. When Moussa Sissoko’s cross was headed back into the box by Yoan Gouffran Cissé was unattended and he whipped out a boot to hammer the ball beyond McGregor. Finally, Pardew smiled.
