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| Newcastle’s Alan Pardew is being made to wait for overdue holiday in the sun | Newcastle’s Alan Pardew is being made to wait for overdue holiday in the sun |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Britannia Stadium can be a bleak place for managers of north-east teams. For example, take the winter weekend when Martin O’Neill’s car became stuck in a post-match snowdrift and the then Sunderland manager ended up staying the night with Tony Pulis. | |
| By all accounts it turned into a convivial evening at a flat belonging to O’Neill’s then Stoke City counterpart but, for Sam Allardyce, a goalless FA Cup draw in the Potteries in January 2008 resulted in his separation from Newcastle United three days later. | By all accounts it turned into a convivial evening at a flat belonging to O’Neill’s then Stoke City counterpart but, for Sam Allardyce, a goalless FA Cup draw in the Potteries in January 2008 resulted in his separation from Newcastle United three days later. |
| Rather cruelly Mike Ashley did not actually sack Allardyce until he had completed a Wednesday afternoon press conference. Somewhat ironically, the current West Ham United manager spent much of what was to be his final media debrief on Tyneside lamenting the lack of time afforded to his counterparts by trigger-happy chairmen. | |
| At the time Newcastle were 11th in the Premier League and, although the football was awful to watch, Allardyce was not the only one “shocked” by an abrupt dismissal which would pave the way for Kevin Keegan’s second coming as the club’s manager. | At the time Newcastle were 11th in the Premier League and, although the football was awful to watch, Allardyce was not the only one “shocked” by an abrupt dismissal which would pave the way for Kevin Keegan’s second coming as the club’s manager. |
| Now they are second bottom with three points from six games and, after Monday night’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke, Alan Pardew exhibited none of Allardyce’s misplaced confidence. “I don’t know,” replied Newcastle’s latest manager in reply to an inquiry as to how secure his job was. | Now they are second bottom with three points from six games and, after Monday night’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke, Alan Pardew exhibited none of Allardyce’s misplaced confidence. “I don’t know,” replied Newcastle’s latest manager in reply to an inquiry as to how secure his job was. |
| Although the club continue to brief that Pardew’s position is not under immediate threat and he will be in charge for Saturday’s trip to Swansea – and, whatever the result in South Wales, quite possibly well beyond it – there is a deepening sense that his departure is now a case of “when” rather than “if”. A feeling that by comparison to this very public death by a thousand small cuts, Allardyce’s dispatch was mercifully humane. | Although the club continue to brief that Pardew’s position is not under immediate threat and he will be in charge for Saturday’s trip to Swansea – and, whatever the result in South Wales, quite possibly well beyond it – there is a deepening sense that his departure is now a case of “when” rather than “if”. A feeling that by comparison to this very public death by a thousand small cuts, Allardyce’s dispatch was mercifully humane. |
| There is a fine line between an owner displaying commendable loyalty to a manager in the face of opposition from fans and simply using him as a sort of human shield, deflecting flak from the stands which would otherwise be barraging the boardroom. | There is a fine line between an owner displaying commendable loyalty to a manager in the face of opposition from fans and simply using him as a sort of human shield, deflecting flak from the stands which would otherwise be barraging the boardroom. |
| Not that the current, agonising impasse is likely to endure indefinitely. Ominously for Pardew, Ashley has been taking an unusually close interest in Newcastle’s games this season and, having arrived by helicopter, the owner was at the Britannia to watch the latest setback in a nine-month downturn. | |
| By coincidence it began almost immediately after Newcastle thrashed Stoke City 5-1 at St James’ Park on Boxing Day last year. No matter that Mark Hughes’s team had taken the lead and ended the afternoon reduced to nine men, Pardew could only see blue skies. “It’s turning into a great season for us,” he said before hinting at a Champions League challenge ahead. “We might soon have to revise our aspirations.” | By coincidence it began almost immediately after Newcastle thrashed Stoke City 5-1 at St James’ Park on Boxing Day last year. No matter that Mark Hughes’s team had taken the lead and ended the afternoon reduced to nine men, Pardew could only see blue skies. “It’s turning into a great season for us,” he said before hinting at a Champions League challenge ahead. “We might soon have to revise our aspirations.” |
| Newcastle’s manager was clearly blind to the train hurtling inexorably towards him. Since that very happy conclusion to Christmas, his side have won only five of the ensuing 27 Premier League games, taking only 19 points from a possible 81. | Newcastle’s manager was clearly blind to the train hurtling inexorably towards him. Since that very happy conclusion to Christmas, his side have won only five of the ensuing 27 Premier League games, taking only 19 points from a possible 81. |
| With no League victories recorded this season the seven new faces Pardew welcomed at St James’ Park this summer have certainly not succeeded in hitting the ground running and Keith Bishop, the Soho-based public relations man who represents both Newcastle’s owner and their manager, has had his work cut out. | With no League victories recorded this season the seven new faces Pardew welcomed at St James’ Park this summer have certainly not succeeded in hitting the ground running and Keith Bishop, the Soho-based public relations man who represents both Newcastle’s owner and their manager, has had his work cut out. |
| Briefings about Pardew having “time” stem, albeit obliquely, from Bishop but, unless he can start displaying a hidden talent at centre-forward or somehow coax France’s Rémy Cabella into playing to his full potential, there is a limit to how much longer he can continue providing the so-called “super-glue” holding the relationship between owner and manager together. | Briefings about Pardew having “time” stem, albeit obliquely, from Bishop but, unless he can start displaying a hidden talent at centre-forward or somehow coax France’s Rémy Cabella into playing to his full potential, there is a limit to how much longer he can continue providing the so-called “super-glue” holding the relationship between owner and manager together. |
| As Ashley peered down at the Britannia Stadium’s technical areas he perhaps wondered how different things might have been had he, back in 2008, poached Hughes from Blackburn Rovers rather than falling for Kevin Keegan’s charms. | As Ashley peered down at the Britannia Stadium’s technical areas he perhaps wondered how different things might have been had he, back in 2008, poached Hughes from Blackburn Rovers rather than falling for Kevin Keegan’s charms. |
| Six years ago Hughes was keen on Newcastle and, until Keegan’s reappearance on the horizon, Ashley seemed close to appointing him. Later, at Manchester City, knowing looks would be exchanged when the Welshman indicated he might have had a lucky escape. | Six years ago Hughes was keen on Newcastle and, until Keegan’s reappearance on the horizon, Ashley seemed close to appointing him. Later, at Manchester City, knowing looks would be exchanged when the Welshman indicated he might have had a lucky escape. |
| Despite the Newcastle job’s enduring prestige and allure, many leading managers would agree with him – Pardew, remember, found his voicemail box filled with messages counselling him to “think twice” when the news first emerged that he had been lined up as Chris Hughton’s successor at St James’ Park. | Despite the Newcastle job’s enduring prestige and allure, many leading managers would agree with him – Pardew, remember, found his voicemail box filled with messages counselling him to “think twice” when the news first emerged that he had been lined up as Chris Hughton’s successor at St James’ Park. |
| Maybe the lack of viable alternatives willing to work within the sports retail tycoon’s strictures rather than the rumoured £5m compensation clause in Pardew’s eight-year contract explain the current state of limbo. | Maybe the lack of viable alternatives willing to work within the sports retail tycoon’s strictures rather than the rumoured £5m compensation clause in Pardew’s eight-year contract explain the current state of limbo. |
| Granted, it might have been different if Ashley had not engaged lawyers to dismiss late-night comments he made to a national newspaper reporter outside a London pub suggesting Newcastle’s manager would be “finished” were Stoke to win on Monday as “tongue in cheek” but, face saving apart, the Sports Direct owner may find replacing Pardew with a coach of suitable calibre easier said than done. | Granted, it might have been different if Ashley had not engaged lawyers to dismiss late-night comments he made to a national newspaper reporter outside a London pub suggesting Newcastle’s manager would be “finished” were Stoke to win on Monday as “tongue in cheek” but, face saving apart, the Sports Direct owner may find replacing Pardew with a coach of suitable calibre easier said than done. |
| It would be a surprise were Ashley not exploring alternative options but for the moment the 53-year-old staggers on towards Swansea. Allardyce purchased a Spanish villa rather cheekily named Casa St James’ with his Newcastle pay-off but Pardew is being made to wait for an overdue holiday in the sun. | It would be a surprise were Ashley not exploring alternative options but for the moment the 53-year-old staggers on towards Swansea. Allardyce purchased a Spanish villa rather cheekily named Casa St James’ with his Newcastle pay-off but Pardew is being made to wait for an overdue holiday in the sun. |