Sacking Alan Pardew Won't Turn Newcastle Around, but It Would Be a Start

Alan Pardew is already resorting to desperate measures in order to save his job at Newcastle United.

On Friday, the under-fire Pardew told reporters (via the BBC):

"

I don't shy away from it and I'm not going to hide. I'm not holding any grievance against the media, or some of our more militant fans, or the guys who printed the posters [calling for Pardew's sacking].

I've been out and about and had a few fans telling me their opinions, quite strongly. A few cars are diving a bit too close to me.

I get it. I will go home, shine my manager of the year trophy and give myself a bit of confidence.

"

This is perhaps typical Pardew; a potentially valid point made in a way seemingly designed specifically to antagonise. The Englishman might have been trying to make the point that he surely could not have completely lost the skills that saw him named manager of the year in 2011/12—then again his raising of past glories seems remarkably, even belligerently, tone deaf to the current issues within the club.

Shining his individual trophies might help—who knows, it could be lucky—but it is only results and performances that can truly save him now. Club owner Mike Ashley famously told The Independent Pardew would be “finished” if the Magpies lost to Stoke City on Monday; a 1-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium means it is a wonder the axe has not already fallen.

Only Ashley knows why it has not. Perhaps he is still to line up a replacement (in the past that has certainly seemed to be his preferred approach) or perhaps, after his “finished” comments were made in a London pub, he did not want to be appearing to hold himself to comments he had made in less-than-professional surroundings.

Thirdly, perhaps he genuinely believes Pardew can turn things around if he is given more time. Firing the boss might not be expensive—despite still having six years left on his contract, it must be assumed there are plenty of break clauses within it—but this is the perfect chance to put all those old adages about managers and continuity to the test.

After all, the summer to this season started with many similarities to that award-winning campaign Pardew is so keen to recall. Like three years ago, Newcastle seemed to add astutely to their squad in the summer, addressing some of their glaring deficiencies (Remy Cabella bringing creativity, Emmanuel Riviere a robust physical presence to lead the line) while sticking to a relatively tight budget (offloading a number of big earners and expendable squad members).

On paper the squad looked comfortably good enough to finish in the top half this season. Perhaps, with a bit more time for the players to jell, Pardew can guide the team to that sort of finish (the season is just six games old, after all). That might be Ashley’s thinking.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The problem with that stance is that lightning does not always strike twice, and in the modern game when you try and enhance a squad on a budget you are invariably likely to end up disappointed.

Cabella already looks too raw right now for the Premier League, while Riviere appears anything but prolific. Newcastle’s current 19th place should be a cause for alarm, however early it may be in the scheme of things.

Not only that, Pardew may already have lost the dressing room and, once that happens, it is very hard to get it back.

Newcastle were utterly abject in the recent 4-0 defeat to Southampton, and similarly inept in the away defeat to Stoke. The home performances have been marginally better—they have drawn their last two games, against Crystal Palace and Hull City—but the team seems unwilling, or unable, to perform without the home fans roaring them on.

That is a damning indictment of the players, first and foremost, but it does not reflect well on their boss either.

“I will not criticise the players,” Pardew added. “I don’t need to criticise them publicly.

“They get enough on that training ground from me, trust me. I want them better, I want them stronger and I want them playing harder. That stays where it should stay in my opinion.”

As generally dislikeable as Pardew may be—has he ever left a club on good terms?—it should be said he is not solely responsible for the current malaise at St James’ Park. Ashley deserves his share of the blame; if anything, the longer Pardew stays in the job the longer attention is deflected from the owner’s own shortcomings. For Ashley there is a certain sense in keeping Pardew around, even if he is now having a negative impact in matters on the pitch.

The club has already publicly declared its aim is simply to survive in the Premier League, to the exclusion of any cup runs, with Ashley unwilling to sanction the sort of slightly more ambitious spending that could see the club push towards the European places.

Money has been restricted for new players, even as Ashley's businesses continue to grow (along with his stake in another club, Rangers, as per the BBC).

Newcastle have perhaps the biggest and most passionate fanbase outside of the most successful clubs in the country—yet season ticket sales are down as the club’s approach distances its most valuable resource. If the club is not pursuing cup or league success, then what exactly have the fans got to get excited about?

In theory the club, which is for sale at the right price, should have plenty of suitors—after all, it is not so long ago it was a consistent Champions League side, one capable of attracting great players from around Europe.

The potential for growth—to return to that point—is huge, but the fact Ashley has entertained few genuine bids for the club speaks to how much work any new owners would need to do to freshen up the squad, redefine its style of play and bring back enthusiasm and passion to a dissatisfied collection of supporters.

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Those issues would affect the pursuit of any new manager too. With so much work needed to overhaul things, and with so many limits in place in terms of transfers and budgets, a lot of candidates who would otherwise be interested in the opportunity will surely be turned away.

Perhaps Ashley is already experiencing that issue, as he plots a post-Pardew landscape.

If and when Pardew leaves Newcastle, there will not be the raft of strong candidates queuing up for the job that one might anticipate. That is not the result of anything Pardew has done, that is the influence of the owner.

Replacing Pardew might improve matters—how could they get much worse?—but it is a change at the top, of attitude or personnel, that is really needed for the good times to return on Tyneside.