From 'Sack Pardew' to 'Back Pardew' in the space of three wonderful weeks

IT was only one letter, but it neatly encapsulated the radical transformation in Newcastle United’s fortunes over the course of the last month.

Since the earliest weeks of the season, supporters at St James’ Park have been brandishing banners and posters urging Mike Ashley and the rest of the board to “Sack Pardew”. On Saturday, as the Magpies beat Liverpool to rack up their fourth win in a row in all competitions, a different message emerged on a flag that was unfurled in the East Stand. This one called for the club’s rulers to “Back Pardew” instead.

Shortly after the full-time whistle, a spectator dressed as the Grim Reaper delivered his own message behind the dug-out that had housed Newcastle’s previously embattled boss moments earlier. It proclaimed that Pardew was “Back from the Dead”, and seemed perfectly in keeping with the narrative of a club that has cornered the market in black comedy in recent years.

On Halloween weekend, Newcastle finally shelved their fondness for a horror show. A season that was rapidly spiralling into crisis suddenly appears reborn.

“If you are Newcastle manager, it is not all gin and tonics and aperitifs,” said Pardew, after Ayoze Perez’s second-half strike ensured the momentum generated by wins over Leicester, Tottenham and Manchester City did not dissipate at the hands of Liverpool, a club that has inflicted some damaging blows to the Magpies down the years. “There will be rough days.

“I always knew that, but I’ve always said that we have a good spirit and good talent. I’m not saying I saw the wins coming, but I knew the talent was there.

“It will be fantastic in the town now and I might even go in myself, the first time for a while. That is what this city is about – it loves its football. When it does not go well, they let you know, and when it is going well, they let you know that too. You take the good with the bad.

“We’ve had a long four years. We’ve had some success, and some of that gets forgotten, but I’ve always enjoyed it here. I would like to think I’m coming out of this a better manager. It has been interesting and educational. It tests you, this football club, on a number of levels.”

Having been forced to take the criticism when things were not going well in the early stages of the season, it is only fair that Pardew, who has never lost the support or respect of his players despite all the abuse that was hurled in his direction, receives recognition for his role in turning things around.

The has been an element of serendipity in the changes to personnel and formation that have helped haul Newcastle out of the hole they were inhabiting as recently as three weeks ago – the absence of Mike Williamson, Cheick Tiote and Papiss Cisse through injury has forced Pardew to look elsewhere within his squad – but the Magpies manager still deserves praise for the alterations that have sparked Newcastle back into life.

The decision to drop, at various stages, Vurnon Anita, Remy Cabella, Yoan Gouffran and Emmanuel Riviere was bold but undoubtedly necessary. In their wake, Mehdi Abeid, Sammy Ameobi, Gabriel Obertan, Rolando Aarons and Perez have emerged to play crucial roles in the last four wins. None would really have been regarded as first-team candidates at the start of the season; all have proved considerably more effective than the players they replaced.

Suddenly, Newcastle boast youthful exuberance, and pace and unpredictability in attack, assets that have enabled them to outperform Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool in the space of a week, all sides with aspirations of competing in next season’s Champions League.

Abeid, whose Newcastle career looked to be over when he was cast away to Greek side Panathinaikos on loan last season, has been a revelation in the last two matches, with his boundless energy and crisp tackling enabling him to eclipse first Yaya Toure and then Steven Gerrard in the space of four days. If you’re going to take midfield scalps as an emerging 22-year-old, you might as well make them two of the best players the Premier League has seen.   

Further forward, Obertan, whose recent renaissance was cruelly cut short by a thigh injury at the weekend, and Ameobi and Aarons, whose speed and direct attacking style has helped transform the nature of Newcastle’s attacking, have significantly increased the threat of a side that struggled to create chances in the opening two months of the season.

Then there is Perez, whose £1.8m move from Tenerife was one of the least-heralded of Newcastle’s summer transfer moves, but whose potential was underlined by the awards he won in his homeland last week and whose goals against Tottenham and Liverpool have highlighted a predatory instinct possessed by all good centre-forwards.

“I am encouraged by the players and what I see,” said Pardew. “We have a great balance. We have some good young players, and we feel kind of excited in the dressing room. But we have to deliver.”

A squad that looked bereft of options at the start of the season, particularly in attack and defence, suddenly looks to be brimming with possibilities. Notably, a number of those possibilities revolve around the presence of homegrown players, and if anything is to repair Pardew’s fractured relationship with the supporters and grant him some leeway if things go wrong again, it is surely going to be his willingness to give emerging youngsters a chance.

It is a long time since Newcastle have boasted a core of local talent the fans are proud to call their own, but of the 14 players involved in Saturday’s game, three were born or raised in Newcastle – Ameobi, Paul Dummett and Steven Taylor – and a further three were products of the academy – Abeid, Aarons and Tim Krul. Another, Jack Colback, was raised as a Newcastle fan.

All were influential against a bitterly disappointing Liverpool, with Colback delivering the corner that enabled Papiss Cisse to fashion the best chance of the first half, a shot that Glen Johnson headed away from the line.

Martin Skrtel missed a golden opportunity at the other end shortly after, heading wide from eight yards, but neither goalkeeper had really been tested before Perez settled things with 17 minutes left.

Alberto Moreno made a complete hash of attempting to control Moussa Sissoko’s square ball across the area, and Perez swooped to drill home.

There should have been a second goal when Cabella failed to beat Simon Mignolet despite finding himself clean through after a slick one-two with Perez, but Liverpool’s all-round impotence meant Newcastle’s victory was never in doubt once the deadlock had been broken.