Siege Mentality

A great article, well reasoned.

http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/siege-mentality-blinded-newcastle-united-reality/

I have this mental vision of Alan Pardew and his senior Newcastle United players sitting around the boot room, before and after matches, believing that having an open chat means they all have their eyes open as to what is going on at the club, the challenges they face and how best to tackle the issues.

Where once upon a time the senior players committee was players such as Barton, Harper, Smith and Nolan, all of who were on Ashley’s hit list after they dared to stand up to him.

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So while those players were the ones who Chris Hughton may have taken notice of, what about now and Alan Pardew?

Well I can see a picture forming and Coloccini and Williamson for sure, then maybe Tim Krul I see fitting in, plus Rob Elliot as despite being way off the first team, is one of the ex-Charlton connection along with keeper coach Andy Woodman and Pardew. Steven Taylor might be involved as well, though I don’t see players such as Tiote and Cisse fitting in with the cosy chats.

Along with Pardew, Carver and no doubt the manager’s best mate Woodman, I see some or all of those players analysing what is going on and coming up with quite different conclusions to the vast majority of fans.

When you look at what people such as Pardew, Williamson and Coloccini say in interviews, it is hard to tell them apart a lot of the time. After Stoke, both Williamson and Pardew specifically mentioned ‘Fine Margins’ between winning/losing and success/failure.

More than that though is just the constant drone from them all of bad luck, working hard, great spirit, determined to put it right, if only the ball had hit the net instead of the corner flag and so on.

I think a siege mentality has evolved without any of the positives but all the negatives. On the pitch there is little sign of them being a cohesive unit and no real backs to the wall attitude of not conceding goals.

Worse than that though is both before and after matches they appear to be further damaging their chances due to only taking notice of what this inner circle is saying.

No wonder that it isn’t just Alan Pardew now who comes out with the rubbish that every single opposition is a very good team, with great players, have to really be on our game to stand a chance and so on. While conversely fans are looking at the likes of Villa, Palace, Stoke and Hull, and wondering what on earth Pardew and his players are on about. These are the teams Newcastle HAVE to beat if we aren’t to be relegated.

After Villa the Newcastle manager said that no fan would have ‘expected’ United to beat them, the trouble is that I actually think Pardew believes it when he’s saying it.

When he thinks of the fans he sees us all as just these nasty unfair people who aren’t giving the manager and players a fair chance, no wonder he sees our opinions as clueless compared to his inner circle.

I can see Pardew and his senior players & coaches sitting analysing footage of the latest defeat and picking out one or two moments ‘Look, look, if only that one had gone the other side of the post I bet we’d have gone on to win’. All of them forgetting of course that in every single football match ever played, anywhere, every team will have at least one or two moments each game.

Pardew and the rest have become victims, nothing is their fault, don’t face reality and just blame bad luck and dark forces conspiring against you, rather than taking responsibility and facing the truth.

Just read part of what Mike Williamson had to say after Stoke. A great bloke certainly but clearly somebody who is just so grateful to somehow be getting a regular game in the Premier League;

“Some of our games this season have been all about really fine margins and on a different day we could have been sat pretty in the table with a very different atmosphere.

“Stoke is a very tough place to come, we all knew that, but we came here with a game plan, wanted to push forward and get that elusive win.

“We lost but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. It just shows the period we are in right now. Even in the last ten minutes we showed our character and created chances.”

Newcastle’s team on Monday had an average age of over 26 and the youngest player was Dummett who is 23, yet again though Williamson and the rest kid themselves with excuses;

“We have a young squad and it’s fair to say there is a bit of belief missing in there at the moment. But there’s no hiding place – you have to step up, keep going, stick your chest out and put your body on the line week in, week out.

“Sometimes the luck goes against you, even when you are working as hard as we are.

“We are working extremely hard, we are looking at everything in the finest detail, trying to rectify our results and turn performances into points.”

 

I completely agree that this has happened, they have got themselves into such a cosy spot as a group that they no longer see the problem. They all use the same vernacular, they all scratch each others backs. I have no doubt that Pardew is a nice manager to work for (as long as you're a Pardew-person), but that doesn't make for a successful team. I think, genuinely, we're funked this season. The only thing that gets us out of this hole is a complete sea-change in how the club is run. We need to welcome someone who will challenge the status quo, rip up the 'tried and tested' failures and replace with a new school of thought. All of which would require a complete reversal from Ashley, something we know he won't do. We are stuck with Ashley and his arrogance, therefore more than likely lumbered with Pardew and his stupidity. In turn we're stuck with the same hopeless players.

 

That article is spot on !

 

I like the last line in particular 'trying to turn performances into points' what performances are those then!? We have been absolutley dog turd

 

Get a grip, Paranoia has set in. Beat Swansea and Leicester…top ten. Stop bottling it, you will not go down.

 

This article seems to be completely composed in the author's imagination. Rob Elliott is a member of the inner circle ? Where does that come from ?

 

Can you honestly see the current style of play winning us any games in the near future? After Leicester it's Spurs and Liverpool so potentially another 0 points. God help us in Dec with Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U, Mackems and Everton to play.

Mike Asheley should act now before it's too late,

 

If there is a siege mentality, its not just on the pitch, its off it as well.
The more s**** you read written by Toon fans, it makes you wonder when he does eventually go, why any self respecting Manager would want to come here and put themselves through the ringer.

 

Job has been a poisoned chalice for a long time. Even in good times there has been at least a minority unhappy. KK had to confront an angry mob after Coles sale. Bobby had a few on his back after a bad start to the season. Love our club but our fans don't half hinder as much as help at times.

Lost all respect for the mag ages ago, such a depressing inaccurate read. I get enough depressing and inacurracies watching us try to play.

 

Your not fooling us any more Pardew! I vote DMW,