The Most Important Lessons Newcastle United Must Learn from a Failed Season

As the summer begins, those at Newcastle United will start to look back at the 2012/13 season and start to try and work out what needs to change. 

Be it personnel, management or tactics, many things went wrong at St James' Park over the course of the season just gone and adjustments need to be made to avoid another relegation scrap when the new season kicks off in August.

Alan Pardew must learn from the mistakes he made and win over the Newcastle fans once again, as public opinion on the former West Ham boss has plummeted almost as fast as the Magpies' Premier League form.

In the next slides, we look at some of the mistakes Newcastle must learn from in order to give themselves a chance of enjoying a successful season next year.

Don't Be Idle in the Transfer Market

We start with the biggest mistake Newcastle made.

After finishing fifth and qualifying for the Europa League, Newcastle needed to go and spend in the transfer window in order to give themselves the depth needed to compete on two fronts the following season. 

Instead, Alan Pardew, Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias agreed that they would use young players as backup and gamble on them being able to step up and perform in the first team. This proved to be a gamble that didn't pay off and Newcastle almost paid for it with relegation.

The same mistakes cannot be made this summer if the Geordies want to get back to where they were, even if they aren't competing in Europe next season.

Strengthening the squad needs to happen, albeit not drastically, in order for Newcastle to head in the right direction next year, while younger players need to spend periods on loan so they can provide the first-team cover that Pardew wants when they are needed.

Communication Is Key

When Alan Pardew raided France in the January transfer market, many questioned the language barrier between the new arrivals and their new teammates.

At one point this season, seven of the 11 Newcastle players on the field were French, while another two had French as their mother tongue, meaning only Steven Taylor and Rob Elliot were the only English speakers on the pitch.

Most of the time, this wouldn't be a serious problem as the squad would be able to understand each other but when one of the back four (who happens to be the most experienced defender on the field) only speaks English, it will cause complications.

A back four in which three members speak French may not work, as proved when Newcastle were embarrassed at home by Liverpool. Numerous times Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa was caught out of position, most likely because he couldn't communicate well enough to sort out any problem with Taylor.

Over the summer, the French players must learn to speak English adequately to improve Newcastle's fortunes on the pitch. Interpreters also need to be ditched, as it leaves the foreign players relying too much on them and not making the effort to learn a new language.

Settle on a Philosophy and Stick to It

Throughout the season, Newcastle have never looked like a team that could slice through the opposition when they needed to. They always lacked cutting edge, despite having players of the quality of Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa.

Too many times, Newcastle launched the ball forward towards Cisse (and Demba Ba in the first half of the season) in the hope that they could pull off something incredible and grab a goal.

When Ba left in January, the tactic was even more outdated as only Cisse was left up front to conjure something up. 

It simply didn't work and the route one style was not utilising the talents of Cabaye in midfield. 

Next season, a proper playing style is needed and it must include getting the best out of the Newcastle's most talented players. Something with a shorter passing style and a quicker tempo would work, as it would allow Cabaye the freedom to use his distribution skills as well as the physical presence of Moussa Sissoko.

The physical pressure would be taken off Cisse, too, allowing his clever movement to create chances and score more goals for his side. 

If Pardew wants to stick to his long passing style, a more powerful striker is needed. Andy Carroll would be perfect, although the Liverpool striker could be on his way to West Ham in a permanent deal this summer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Alan Pardew has a substantial workload this summer.

Plenty of decisions need to be made and a proper plan needs to be implemented in order for the Geordies to get back to where they want to be.

Any reliance on the long-ball game will simply not be tolerated by the St James' Park faithful, as the Newcastle fans expect a significant improvement after the disappointment of last season.

Only time will tell if things improve for Newcastle but Pardew certainly has his work cut out ahead of the 2013/14 season.