January 3 2015

Alan Pardew

With Alan Pardew replacing Neil Warnock, has the insular roundabout of football managers gone too far writes Ben Sutherland.

I am sure I was not the only Eagles fan who let out an audible groan when I heard the news that Alan Pardew was replacing Neil Warnock as manager at Crystal Palace.

This is not to suggest that I am a fan of Warnock, nor that I did not think the club would benefit from his sacking. It was more a resigned belief that the criticisms applied to Warnock could, in the majority of cases, be equally accused of Pardew.

To this grumpy, aged and tired football fan, this switch up is just another situation within the Premier League of 'the more things change, the more things stay the same'.

As it always seems in England’s top flight, a small assembly of longstanding managers are rotated around clubs. Moreover, it appears that each round of this longstanding game of musical chairs only occurs when the controversies wind the music box up so tight as to release the 'in talks' tune all over again.

Ironically, Warnock had barely seen his bum touch the Palace seat before he was sent circling again.

Playing With House Money

It is times like this that I understand why so many football fans relieve themselves of the stress by gambling online. Never have I been more tempted to click that Play Now button for a round of online blackjack or spin of the online slots than when Warnock was given his second stint as manager.

I know it sounds melodramatic to be taking out your anxiety at any new UK online casino, but whilst Warnock has had successes with some clubs – most famously Sheffield United – he has also had numerous failures.

Therefore, I fear that Warnock's continued presence at the top of the sport is more down to his connections and longevity than his effectiveness as a manager. It seems that Warnock is always playing with house money and never having to truly worry when the chips are down, because there is always another table to play at.

Fool Me Once...

Warnock, who officially became the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season, was always a questionable choice of manager by Crystal Palace. This was mainly due to his previous stint as boss in 2010, which also ended in a sacking.

Moreover, his removal was conducted amidst claims by administrator Brendan Guilfoyle that Warnock 'didn't have the stomach for the fight' during the club's financial crisis.

Warnock’s exit was particularly upsetting as he had posted solid results during his tenure.

It therefore seemed that Warnock had turned his back on the club at the moment the going got tough.

So, when he was reintroduced in 2014, it seemed unlikely that either fans or players would have forgotten the reason behind his previous dismissal. Perhaps that was why the axe fell quickly when Warnock failed to provide results in his most recent reign?

Cut From The Same Cloth

My greatest issue with Warnock was his temperament. He is notorious for his disputes, outbursts and feuds.

Whether it be a player, a referee, a club or a fellow manager, Warnock will find something to argue about.

Whilst I was brought up in the era of this rough-and-tumble approach to managing, in the modern game it is more counterproductive than entertaining. It is telling that players from Peter Swan to Jason Puncheon have either actively criticised Warnock or refused to be managed by him.

This suggests Warnock is not capable of positively managing either morale or inner-relationships within a team. Maybe I am just idealistic, but I feel that a struggling team needs a supportive, communicative and reasonable manager to combat loss of motivation, internal team fighting and disgruntled fan behaviour.

A team needs someone who is more likely to stop a punch-up rather than break it up. That is why the introduction of Pardew is so disappointing.

The Good, The Bad and The Pardew

It is undeniable that, after a poor start to the season, Newcastle had seen a surge in form under Pardew.

Such was the extent of the team's surprising winning streak, Pardew was even named Manager of the Month in November 2014. However, Pardew's overall record is not sparkling and, at one point in his managerial career, he suffered consecutive sackings.

The most recent of these came at Southampton due to concern over staff morale at the club’s Staplewood training base.

Once again, I have no issue with strong leadership or a manager with great expectations, but is Pardew progressive? Like Warnock, I fear he is set in his ways and, as result, will stagnate rather than propel the Eagles going forward.