I NAMED THE WRONG SIDE SAYS PARDS
ALAN PARDEW admitted he picked the wrong team after West Brom suffered another defeat.
Pardew, unhappy with West Brom’s lame first-half display, brought on Gareth Barry at the break and the veteran midfielder scored to set up a late rally.
But Baggies boss Pardew said: “I think I picked the wrong team today.
“The boys gave me so much at Liverpool in midweek and I didn’t think we had that energy in the first half that we needed.
“It was too comfortable for United, we couldn’t get any pressure on them. We’ve got a full house here and it was quiet because we’re giving them nothing to get excited about.
“In the second half we had some experience in Gareth Barry – I thought he made a big difference when he came on. There was conviction in his passing, to try to get us going. Suddenly we started creating a little bit more pressure on them.
“I learned a lot today, I hope the team have learned a lot from what I said to them at the end of the game. And I was pleased that we ended like we did.” West Brom have yet to win since Pardew (left) took over and Barry’s late consolation was the first of the new manager’s fourgame reign.
But despite being stuck in the relegation zone, Pardew – who insisted his side should have had a penalty for an Ashley Young push on James McClean – is confident they can beat the drop this term.
Pardew added: “I would be worried if we had six or seven games left but we have 18 games to get our season really up and running.
“We have to play like we played in the second half, like we played at Liverpool, and like we played in the first half at Swansea and against Crystal Palace.”