Soccer Premier League

Alan Pardew Has Made Brave, But Right Decision To Leave Newcastle United For Crystal Palace

Fresh Videos

By

Alan Pardew attends Crystal Palace game

Getty Images

Yesterday, it was finally confirmed that Alan Pardew had left Newcastle United to join relegation-threatened Crystal Palace. On paper, the move is rather confusing at first glance — with all due respect — but it all makes sense when when you look a little deeper into the situation.

Newcastle are one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League outside of the big five (Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal), they have a hugely passionate and loyal fanbase, the team plays in a fantastic stadium which is full every home game with 52,ooo screaming fans and the club’s scouting system repeatedly succeeds in identifying lesser-known talented players for good value.

So why would Pardew decide to leave that situation behind for a club which has very little money, tends to yo-yo between the EPL and the Championship, has a stadium half the size of Newcastle’s and a fraction of the drawing power for potential incoming players? Well, sometimes it’s about the little things; things that you can’t list on paper, or even, perhaps, put a price on.

Newcastle as a club has a huge amount to offer any manager, but that man, seemingly, was never destined to be Pardew, no matter how long he was to be at the club. The appointment, actually, turned out to be extremely successful on behalf of the Magpies owner, Mike Ashley. At the time of Pardew’s arrival, he was an unfashionable choice and one which was rightly doubted and questioned from every corner.

The fans wanted Ashley and his board out and very much looked at the situation as us vs. them, and upon arrival, Pardew was immediately seen as one of them. He was viewed as an unambitious and cost-saving appointment, and, more damning than that, a yes-man for an owner they already disliked. He was guilty by association right from the start. And ever since, no matter how well Pardew has done at various times during his tenure, no matter how high up the EPL standings he guided the club, he could never win over the fans.

Pardew did a good job in his time at St. James’ Park, but his reputation and relationship with the Newcastle fans can never, at any stage, be described as positive. So what good is managing a big club with a large, loyal and supportive fan base if they will never offer their backing to you anyway? It’s like having an Aston Martin without a key — or, maybe a Toyota in this instance.

Speculation also suggests Pardew was not even in complete charge of transfers at the Magpies. Yet, as soon as things go sour and the team loses a few games, perhaps a few new players under-perform initially, Pardew is soon to blame all over again; the scapegoat no matter what, even for players he, allegedly, did not even buy.

The reception and support at Palace, however, will be the complete opposite to what he routinely encountered at Newcastle, with Pardew having enjoyed a spell playing for the club between 1987-1991. Palace fans will be happy to welcome, what they will consider, one of their own returning to the club.

It’s very easy to see why that scenario would be more appealing to Pardew than the one he has now left behind. On the face of it, it seems a strange move to make, but the deeper you dig into the situation, the more sense it all begins to make. It’s a brave move by Pardew because, in all honesty, he and Palace could well be relegated come May 2015.

But the difference then will be that even in the event of those circumstances, Pardew will still be backed and supported for a reasonable amount of time at Palace. And it is those factors, rather than having a better stadium or a bigger wage bill, that have encouraged Pardew to decide to leave Newcastle and head back to London. A decision that, given all the factors at play, was unquestionably the right one to make.

Related:

15 EPL Players Who Need A Change of Scenery

Every EPL Team’s Player Most Likely To Be Dealt During January

Share Tweet
Trending Now on