John Gibson (Chronicle):-
United's travelling supporters have been loyal to the point of blindness but even they can only take so much served up in their name.
Therefore, after oceans of dross it was inevitable a banner would be unfurled at Stoke voicing their dissatisfaction.
It read: “No more excuses. No more lies. Pardew out.”
United duly limped to their 12th defeat in 17 matches since Boxing Day and what did we get?
More excuses from the silver fox.
It would appear the dirty dozen are not down to him but to us, the local press.
Well, if it is not us it is injuries. Tiredness. Nothing to play for. Yohan Cabaye leaving.
Really? I suggest Pardew locks himself in an empty room and faces up to some uncomfortable facts.
Facts like he can no longer motivate the players. They appear not to care about him or the crowd. Or have personal pride come to that.
Facts like he is sitting up in the gods because he was officially labelled a nutter.
Like his defence is as watertight as a colander – 12 goals conceded in the last four defeats. His strikers...oh dear. No goals at all in those same matches.
Did we fail to score goals or did they? Did we leak a basketful or was it somebody else? Were the failed tactics ours?
What is happening on the training ground to right these wrongs, that is what I would like to know.
Two naturally-gifted players, Hatem Ben Arfa and Sylvain Marveaux, are discarded because Pardew cannot do a thing with them.
Fabricio Colocinni wants to go home, Loic Remy wants away, Luuk de Jong must be one of the worst loan signings in a very long time and two players about to get free transfers, Shola Ameobi and Dan Gosling are being used in the hope they will at least bring effort to a workshy team. Yet it is outside influences which are to blame. Yeah, of course it is.
Honestly, Pardew sounds like a Prime Minister who has just lost an election.
It is nothing to do with me, squire, and nor is it the fault of my friend Mike for selling my best player in January and not replacing him. It is those scumbags down in the Bigg Market who keep pointing these things out. Tomorrow United must attempt to avoid becoming an Easter bunny when relegation- threatened Swansea arrive at St James’ Park.
In theory this should be a home banker – especially because of the supposed sighting of French walking wounded on the training pitch.
United, a club of history, of standing, and supported by 50,000 mad Geordies are reduced to relying on another club’s striker Loic Remy where once thoroughbreds like Wor Jackie, SuperMac and Big Al used to walk tall harvesting goal upon goal.
It would seem we have to swallow our pride and pray Remy agrees to run around with a black and white shirt on his back or rely on a 17-year-old kid Adam Armstrong rescuing his so-called peers.
Swansea dealt Newcastle a mortal blow in south Wales winning 3-0, but that was only one of eight PL matches they have collected maximum points.
They appear as a bunch to be as split as Newcastle, only they are fighting one another while the Mags are pacifists.
United had better get their bottle back. Steven Taylor and Shola Ameobi have talked about it but I wish they would just shut up and do it. They along with Pardew keep chuntering on about “a positive reaction” to the latest defeat but I have more chance of spotting Lord Lucan in Tescos than being served up blood and thunder it would seem.
It is not about what Swansea do tomorrow, of course, but what their hosts do.
Surely the penny has dropped. Do not goad those who pay to watch you in such vast numbers.
Get it right Alan Pardew if you do not want this to be your Swan song!