Newcastle, it has to be said, are F’d in the A
Many a joke was abound on Twitter when John Terry’s suspension for racial abuse and Alan Pardew’s new contract were simultaneously announced. The Chelsea captain was to spend four games on the sidelines for the words he said to Queen’s Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, while the Newcastle United boss was handed an eight-year deal.
‘Maybe they’ve got their wires crossed?’ many exclaimed across the social networking site, suggesting that Pardew should’ve received a four-year contract and Terry an eight game ban. Nevertheless, it wasn’t to be – many were gobsmacked with disbelief that a manager could receive an eight-year contract.
I mean – eight years? As manager of Newcastle? Pardew must’ve bitten Mike Ashley’s hand off when the deal was put to him. However, the Magpies are currently on a poor run of form, having picked up just one win from their last eight Premier League games; a far cry from their performances of last season.
Much of this has been to the poor form of his playing staff, coupled with injuries to key members of his squad. Yohan Cabaye is the latest to be have been sidelined, with the Frenchman currently ruled out until February.
If you throw Steven Taylor into the injury pile, coupled with the likelihood of Cheick Tiote departing for the African Cup of Nations in January, and you have a squad that is going to be substantially weakened, regardless of the depth available to Pardew.
He may’ve earned that eight-year deal following the performances last season, but now he is going to have his work cut out just a few months into it.
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