The tide seems to have turned against Pardew, but it is often said that we shouldn't sack him or can't sack him because nobody else would want to (or could) work under the Ashley regime. Does anyone have any suggestions as to who could replace Pardew if he goes? I've made a list what I see as possible replacements with a brief explanation as to why they might be persuaded. I've tried to be realistic, though no doubt some are more realistic than others! Here goes:
Jurgen Klinsmann: his background is almost exclusively in international football, so having transfers taken out of his hands is less likely to be an issue for him than for other managers. His job is to get the most out of the players available, and he's done that with the USA squad, as well as having a hand implementing wholesale changes to grassroots US football. Might be tempted to come to a PL club that had a decent reputation last time he was here!
Lee Clark: would be a gamble, but he knows and loves the club and is therefore more likely to give it a shot. May be able to inspire more effort in his players through genuine passion for the club.
Ronald Koeman: though he is a household name, he doesn't have an outstanding managerial record so we may be able to tempt him. Has been schooled in the Ajax philosophy, so could potentially bring attractive football to St. James. Also familiar with long-balls from the back from his playing days, so may be able to help us perfect that 'plan B'.
Andre Villas-Boas: in spite of getting sacked by two other PL clubs, I think AVB still has a very good record. At Chelsea, signings will have been largely out of his hands and reports suggest the same was the case at Spurs. He may like the chance to prove himself in the PL, Zenit may have money but it is an awful league and a pretty horrible country to visit, let alone live in, so a return from Russia may be welcomed. Has the connection to Sir Bobby too.
Malky Mackay: was doing alright at Cardiff until he got Vincent Tanned. Would surely welcome a chance to manage a club in the PL again, and I think he'd see us as a good opportunity to reestablish his reputation in the game.
Michael Laudrup: pretty acrimonious end to his time at Swansea, though there's no doubt they were struggling this season with under him. The attractive football produced in his first (cup-winning) season at Swansea had dried up, so I think he'd be a gamble. Would welcome a job at a club that is prepared to tolerate the kind of poor run of form we're on at the moment while he tries to instil whatever philosophy everyone thought he had when he first arrived at Swansea.
In all cases, David Ginola to come in as assistant manager: the guy knows the club, knows the culture, speaks French, and damn it does he know how to shampoo his hair.
November 2012 NEWCASTLE 1 SWANSEA 2
NEWCASTLE
1. Tim Krul
5. Danny Simpson 74'
27. Steven Taylor
6. Mike Williamson
3. Davide Santon
10. Hatem Ben Arfa
8. Vurnon Anita
24. Cheick Tiote
31. Shane Ferguson 46'
28. Sammy Ameobi 79'
19. Demba Ba
Subs
21. Rob Elliot
17. Romain Amalfitano
20. Gael Bigirimana 74'
22. Sylvain Marveaux 79'
23. Shola Ameobi 46'
34. James Tavernier
39. Mehdi Abeid
SWANSEA
25. Gerhard Tremmel
22. Angel Rangel
6. Ashley Williams
16. Garry Monk
33. Ben Davies
7. Leon Britton
20. Jonathan de Guzman
12. Nathan Dyer 62'
9. Michu 82'
11. Pablo Hernandez
17. Itay Shechter 66'
Subs
13. David Cornell
4. Chico
10. Danny Graham 82'
15. Wayne Routledge 62'
19. Luke Moore
21. Dwight Tiendalli
26. Kemy Agustien 66'
Michu set Swansea on the road to victory at Newcastle as the misfiring Magpies slipped to a second home defeat in seven days.
On a day when the home side were prevented from fielding their own big-money frontman Papiss Cisse because of a wrangle with the Senegal Football Federation, the depth of Alan Pardew's squad was exposed once again.
A team shorn of Cisse, the suspended Fabricio Coloccini and the injured pair Yohan Cabaye and Jonas Gutierrez once again failed to score in a home game and allowed three points to slip tamely from their grasp.
Last Sunday it was West Ham, this time Swansea were the beneficiaries.
Newcastle had chances - Hatem Ben Arfa was denied a spectacular first-half opener by Swans goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel - and Demba Ba, who struck in injury time, was guilty of a series of costly earlier misses.
However, the visitors were more than a match for their hosts and were good value for their win, which was secured by Michu's 58th-minute header and a second from Jonathan de Guzman three minutes from time.
There were boos on the final whistle from sections of the home fans among a crowd of 49,403, with memories of last season's champagne football increasingly distant amid a run of seven Barclays Premier League games which has brought just one victory.
Cisse, who scored both goals in a 2-0 win at the Liberty Stadium last season, was conspicuous by his absence after Senegal carried through their threat to invoke FIFA's five-day rule following his failure to report for international duty because of injury.
That, combined with Pardew's other selection problems, gave something of a make-do-and-mend look to the team and perhaps understandably, they were disjointed.
The system with which they began was nominally 4-4-1-1, but at times, resembled more like 2-1-5-1-1 with right-back Danny Simpson repeatedly finding himself more advanced than winger Ben Arfa, and holding midfielder Cheick Tiote frequently out-numbered as Swansea broke at pace.
Michu, employed behind lone striker Itay Shechter, caused all kinds of problems as the home side struggled to pick him up, and on more than one occasion central defender Mike Williamson was left chasing shadows as a result of the Spaniard's intelligent movement.
The visitors might have struck the first blow when Nathan Dyer scuffed a sixth-minute shot across the face of goal, and Tim Krul was relieved to clutch Pablo Hernandez's long-range effort to his midriff four minutes later.
Michu tested the Dutchman from distance with a curling left-footed effort with the Magpies short of inspiration.
However, as Ben Arfa picked up the baton, they gradually started to force their way into the game.
The Frenchman blasted a right-footed effort into the side-netting and delivered a 27th-minute cross which Ba glanced just wide.
But it took a fine one-handed save by Tremmel to keep out Ben Arfa's fizzing left-footed strike after he cut inside 12 minutes before the break.
As Newcastle pressed forward, the Swans took advantage of the space they left behind them and Krul had to save twice from Shechter in quick succession with his defence in disarray.
But he would have been helpless had Michu managed to hit the target with a 41st-minute header after the Israeli had combined with Hernandez down the left.
Danny Simpson had to get in a vital clearing header after Dyer had caught the Magpies flat-footed with a quickly-taken free-kick after the restart.
Ba scuffed a volley after superbly controlling Davide Santon's cross on his chest and then Vurnon Anita almost capped good inter-play between the Ameobi brothers when he drilled inches over the top from 25 yards.
The chances were starting to come thick and fast and Ba might have scored twice inside a minute, first sidefooting wastefully wide from Sammy Ameobi's driven cross and then shooting straight at Tremmel after being played in by Ben Arfa.
But Swansea should really have been in front 10 minutes into the second half when Hernandez broke down the left and squared for Shechter, who took his time, but blasted a right-footed shot over.
Krul had to dive to his right two minutes later to turn away Hernandez's strike, but there was nothing he could do seconds later when the same man latched onto his poor clearance and crossed for Michu to head firmly into the bottom corner.
Ba headed a 64th-minute Tiote cross towards goal, but without the power to trouble Tremmel, and then could not react quickly enough to direct Shola Ameobi's driven cross on target three minutes later.
The Magpies were demonstrating little composure in front of goal, and were grateful to see Michu uncharacteristically do the same to miscue Hernandez's 76th-minute cross wide.
But the sting in the tail arrived three minutes from time when Krul could only parry substitute Danny Graham's shot and De Guzman smashed home the rebound from a tight angle, making Ba's late header after substitute Sylvain Marveaux had struck the bar practically irrelevant.
NEWCASTLE v SWANSEA
2013/2014 Wed 04 Dec Swansea City 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2012/2013 Sat 02 Mar Swansea City 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sat 17 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Swansea City Premier League
2011/2012 Fri 06 Apr Swansea City 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sat 17 Dec Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Swansea City Premier League
2009/2010 Sat 13 Feb Swansea City 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Championship
Sat 28 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Swansea City Championship
1994/1995 Sat 28 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Swansea City F.A. Cup
1983/1984 Sat 31 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Swansea City Second Division
Sun 16 Oct Swansea City 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1980/1981 Sat 13 Dec Swansea City 4 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 18 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Swansea City Second Division
1979/1980 Sat 19 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 3 Swansea City Second Division
Sat 24 Nov Swansea City 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1964/1965 Sat 27 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Swansea Tn. Second Division
Sat 14 Nov Swansea Tn. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1963/1964 Tue 17 Mar Swansea Tn. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 05 Oct Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Swansea Tn. Second Division
1962/1963 Sat 16 Mar Swansea Tn. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 27 Oct Newcastle Utd. 6 - 0 Swansea Tn. Second Division
1961/1962 Fri 02 Feb Swansea Tn. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 16 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Swansea Tn. Second Division
1946/1947 Sat 04 Jan Swansea Tn. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 07 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Swansea Tn. Second Division
1938/1939 Sat 22 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Swansea Tn. Second Division
Sat 17 Dec Swansea Tn. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1937/1938 Sat 30 Apr Swansea Tn. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 18 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Swansea Tn. Second Division
1936/1937 Sat 17 Apr Swansea Tn. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 12 Dec Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Swansea Tn. Second Division
1935/1936 Sat 11 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Swansea Tn. Second Division
Sat 26 Oct Swansea Tn. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1934/1935 Sat 16 Feb Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Swansea Tn. Second Division
Sat 06 Oct Swansea Tn. 3 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Second Division