15Feb

Pardew for England? Not a chance

by Rob Sellars

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Last week, as Harry Redknapp walked free from court, Fabio Capello walked away from his position as England manager.

The frenzied speculation that followed was not unexpected, however sudden Capello’s decision that he had enough of the FA and his astronomical wage may have been. But with the stars apparently aligning so that Redknapp should walk free on the same day as the job he has been so widely touted for became available, everything seemed to be sliding into place.

Chances are old ‘Arry will still wander into the job, probably at the end of the season, and best of luck to him, I cannot see a better manager for the position, however much of a poisoned chalice it may be.

But amongst all the talk, a few other names happened to creep up as potential candidates for the England job, perhaps just dreamt up by bookies attempting to draw up a shortlist. And one man on that list was even driven to declare that he was neither interested nor ready for the position – Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew.

That he even felt the need to rule himself out from the job lead to the usual jokes at his expense on social media, but for once I have to agree. I am a Newcastle United fan and a great proponent of what Pardew is trying to achieve at the club, but I can still safely say that Pardew is lacking a number of the key skills the top job demands.

Newcastle’s seasons has undoubtedly been one made up of more highs than lows, and that the club still sits in sixth position, only a point from fourth, is a great testament to Pardew. The loss of Demba Ba and Cheick Tiote to the African Cup of Nations, Yohan Cabaye to suspension, and Stephen Taylor, Leon Best et al to injury, could easily have derailed the team’s push for Europe.

Yet so often this season, Newcastle have rode their luck to the very brink. Take for example the recent run of results – lucky to beat QPR at home, incredibly fortunate to come away from Blackburn with a 2-0 win, a 2-1 win against Aston Villa where Newcastle were second best for large periods. Throw in losses to Brighton in the FA Cup, a humiliating second-half capitulation against Fulham that led to a 5-2 drubbing, and finally the recent 5-0 hammering at Spurs, and suddenly Newcastle’s form looks slightly more questionable.

I mean not to be negative, only to point out that talk of Pardew’s supreme talents are well wide of the mark. He has made many mistakes. He has been big enough to admit them at times, such as after the Spurs game, when he had little choice after such a dismal performance.

Yet other issues are inherent in Pardew’s psyche, and are to the detriment of the team. He cannot, or perhaps even does not want to, figure out a way to get the best of Hatem Ben Arfa. A fantastically talented player, Pardew seems unwilling to take a gamble on the Frenchman. At the other end of the spectrum, Jonas Guttierez has not performed to his best for some time, yet Pardew will not rest him. Pardew initially tried to play a high defensive line before realising players such as Fabricio Collocini and Mike Williamson were not quick enough for it. In the absence of Tiote, his midfield tactics have looked vulnerable at best, and attempting to shoehorn James Perch into the spot an amateur solution.

These are just some examples. I could, of course, list the many virtues Pardew has brought to the team, but the truth is, without the likes of Ba scoring more than his fair share of goals, and Tim Krul being nothing short of heroic in goal, Newcastle could well be languishing in mid-table.

Pardew has undoubted potential, and only needs to realise that he needs to be brave and take gambles at times with this team to see a further improvement. His tactical nous will improve with time, as will his ability to look past any allegiance to a player to see what is best for the team.

The work Pardew and his staff are doing at Newcastle is impressive, but that is not to say he does not have plenty of room to improve. And for that reason, any talk of Pardew for England is nothing more and nothing less than just that – talk.

Posted by Newcastle fan Rob Sellars

Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_sellars