100 NOT OUT — ffor the moment that is!
NEWCASTLE UNITED boss Alan Pardew celebrated his 100th Premier League game in charge of the Magpies yesterday.
However, while the 0-0 bore draw with his former side West Ham United was probably not the result he would have been looking for, it should have been enough to make sure he is still in charge for his 101st.
The under-pressure manager — the League’s second-longest serving boss — had endured a nightmare run up to his opening home fixture of the season.
And had the Magpies succumbed to a side managed by former boss Sam Allardyce, the pressure would have been cranked up all the more.
NEWCASTLE boss Alan Pardew admits he is growing impatient with the transfer impasse surrounding midfielder Yohan Cabaye.
Pardew again left the Frenchman out of his squad, after it was revealed last Monday that Arsenal had made a £10 million bid for the player. Pardew cited the timing of the bid when he omitted Cabaye from the Manchester City game, but, five days on, deemed that the player’s attitude was still not right.
“The situation is quite simple,” said a terse Pardew after the goalless draw against West Ham.
“We need to resolve this. If he stays, that’s great, but if he doesn’t, we need to get someone in who’s equally as good.
“That is where it’s at and I don’t really want to say any more.”
Pardew confessed he was satisfied with the point considering the mauling his side took in the opening fixture at Manchester City.
“I’m not pleased with 0-0 but as a defensive unit we looked more disciplined and cohesive,” he said.
“I thought the back four and the goalie were terrific.
“You know West Ham are going to play a long ball
game. Every free-kick comes in your box and at some point they get away from you.
“You need to put pressure on the ball and a bit of weight into it and we did that really well.
“But we need more options in the offensive areas of the pitch. It would have been nice to have senior players to come off the bench. I’m fairly happy we’ve put in a professional performance, if not the performance you’d really want.
“You have to take the conditions into account. It was a tricky surface and we were a little bit nervous after Man City.
“Players absorb criticism in different ways and I thought we looked edgy first half but we grew into the game.”
Hammers manager Sam Allardyce lamented his team’s inability to convert their chances into goals.
“We’ve got to improve on that,” he said.
“I watched Chelsea beat Villa in midweek and Chelsea didn’t create as many chances as we did and they were playing at home.
“We had three clear headers and all they had to do was head it on target.”