2: Restoring the ‘Entertainers’ tag
In the nineties Newcastle became synonymous with playing fast flowing, attractive football under Kevin Keegan’s stewardship. Their brief flirtation with the Premier League title and abundance of flair players led to them being dubbed the ‘Entertainers’. Since then only Sir Bobby Robson has managed to muster a team capable of replicating such a style…well until now.
Pardew’s class of 2012 has evoked memories of swashbuckling Magpies teams of the past and left supporters purring in delight. The deployment of a 4-2-3-1 system has allowed him to impose an irresistible brand of football on his side. Their passing style oozes culture with the rapid interchanges in midfield leaving their opponents chasing shadows. When the opportunities arise they exploit to devastating effect bolting down the field at breakneck speed leaving sides in a black and white daze.
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It’s a throwback to the halcyon days of Keegan and Robson that has bred instant prosperity for Pardew and restored a sense of footballing pride to the region.
3: Maximising the potential of a limited squad
During the summer much was written about the strength in depth of Newcastle’s squad. Many tipped them for a season of struggle after selling their star assets and replacing them with a hoard of French imports, free transfers and a striker with a dodgy knee. But with the Magpies now having rubber-stamped their return to European competition Pardew is being commended for what he’s achieved with such limited resources.
Arguably his most impressive feat was utilizing his fabled man management skills to propel players on the fringes to new heights. We’ve all seen the sparkling performances of Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa but the unsung heroes of this season are the likes of Ryan Taylor, Mike Williamson and James Perch. All three have come in for serious criticism during their time on Tyneside but have gone above and beyond in the current campaign becoming vital members of the squad.
Each and every member of the first team plays for each other. Pardew has moulded and massaged a positive psychology in the dressing room and his famed motivational techniques have kept morale bubbling away all season. Even when it’s been threatened by a defeat or bad performance he never allows it to wane often to taking the blame for errors in tactical judgement when poor individual performances or mistakes are responsible. His relentless positivity during interviews, he never criticises a player opting to focus on the better aspects of their game, is an intelligent subliminal tactic that is absorbed into the minds of the squad without them even knowing it.
