Of all the images that stick firmly in the memory so far in this Premier League season, there is perhaps one that ranks higher than the rest.
A grim Monday night in Stoke may not exactly be the place Newcastle United fans will think of when it comes to remembering Alan Pardew's reign in charge of the club—but think back, and it was a true indicator of Pardew's character.
Sure, the 53-year-old has dragged himself into murky waters in the last 12 months for a host of reasons, but this was perhaps his watershed moment of the 2014/15 season—so far, at least.
There was more than driving rain hammering down onto him—there was a swathe of hatred, abuse and loathing from a sweltered away end at the Britannia Stadium. Relations between the manager and the fans were at an all-time low, and the relationship looked irreparable.
Social media being overloaded with clips of Mike Ashley uttering a sentence that was clearly misconstrued emerged, and with an international break looming, a change seemed inevitable.
However, fast forward five weeks, and Newcastle United seem more together as a club than they have done at any point over the last 18 months. That is very much down to Pardew, who has stood firm in the face of much adversity, and has since guided the club to four straight wins in all competitions.
That Pardew is not hiding away is perhaps his best trait, and was vital for him getting a chance in turning the club's fortunes around. The conclusion of that game at Stoke saw Pardew applaud the away fans before heading down the tunnel, despite some pretty unsavory abuse.
It was almost a show of solidarity and determination from the Magpies boss—as if to say: I'm not going anywhere.
Pardew has always argued his corner and defended his decisions—sometimes a little too vigorously, granted. But that is what Pardew is all about—he won't hide, and he won't shirk away from making bold, brave decisions.
Which leads nicely onto the performances of Newcastle throughout this upturn in form. It is the most recent of those four successive wins—the 1-0 against Liverpool at the weekend—which perhaps perfectly signifies how Newcastle have turned their fortunes around.
Pardew has been brave with team selection, opting to throw Mehdi Abeid into the fire of a Newcastle-Liverpool game without any prior Premier League experience. It paid off, too—as Abeid responded with a dominating, impressive performance in midfield to guide the Toon to victory.
Then Gabriel Obertan had to leave the field with an injury—but Pardew again opted for aggression over regression, sending on Rolando Aarons to terrorize a vulnerable Liverpool side. These may seem like straightforward, bread-and-butter decisions—but these were not decisions Newcastle United may have made under anyone else other than Pardew.
His bravery and aggression were further signified as the game entered the final quarter—clearly, a draw against Liverpool, regardless of form, is a decent result. But in tossing on Remy Cabella, he gave himself more credence with the Newcastle crowd that have so often demanded his blood in recent months.
With four wins on the spin, the pressure is slowly decreasing on Pardew, who is surely being afforded some respect by the Newcastle faithful for the way he has handled himself through such testing times. That was perhaps evident by the Halloween-inspired banner from a Newcastle fan at the Liverpool game that read: "Pardew, back from the dead." Quite.
He has proven himself to be a manager that is capable of making tough decisions in the past—and it is those kind of calls that earn you the respect of the fans.
Newcastle are far from a well-oiled machine just yet—but with Pardew steadying the ship, he deserves huge credit for guiding them through such choppy waters.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1x33t1F
via IFTTT November 04, 2014 at 04:15AM
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