Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has been going through a rough spell in 2014. He has been criticised for blaming just about every other aspect for the poor form of Newcastle in the calendar year. The performances have been going downhill and it culminated in the 4-0 defeat against Southampton. There were widespread calls for Pardew to be sacked after the match, but Newcastle did confirm to owner Mike Ashley that they have no plans to part company with the former West Ham manager. Pardew still has six years left on his contract and it is thought to be one of the primary reasons behind this decision.
In the latest string of controversial statements, Pardew has blamed the Newcastle supporters for creating mass hysteria, which he thinks is affecting the players too. Newcastle were in contention for a Europa league place in the first half of last season. However, the sale of Yohan Cabaye to PSG for around £ 25 million without reinvesting in the players appears to have started the slide. Even after bringing in several names during the summer to completely transform the team, Pardew has been unable to get them going.
Newcastle face Hull City at home during the weekend. Hull are managed by Steve Bruce, who ironically, has been linked with replacing Pardew at Newcastle. “This situation at the moment is almost like mass hysteria. I had a long conversation with Mike Ashley. I never asked for reassurance – I signed a long deal for good or bad. The one thing that we both agreed on was that we really need to focus on this Saturday and try and get a win for the football club. It’s gone to a level which makes it really difficult for players to perform in,” said Pardew ahead of the match against Hull, which could be his last as a Newcastle manager.