This time last week I wrote an article on the situation that unfolded at Newcastle last Monday when Chris Hughton was, in most people’s eyes, harshly sacked from the club.
A week on, and the last seven days can only be best described as a week where certain relationships at Premier League clubs have been strained – and not surprisingly it’s the upper hierarchy that’s once again causing the controversy.
During the week Alan Pardew put pen-to-paper on an astonishing five-and-a-half year deal as he was announced as Hughton’s successor. While Mike Ashley can temporarily feel his decision was justified by a 3-1 win over Liverpool on the weekend, it still doesn’t explain the moral grounds for which the “Cockney Mafia” is operating on.
Ashley had previous cited “more experience” as a necessity, yet ironically Pardew has a lower calibre of management and coaching experience than his predecessor. Either way it could prove to be an expensive decision though, particularly if they come out at the wrong end of a relegation dogfight for the second time in three seasons.
Furthermore, how much will Pardew get paid out, should he not keep Newcastle afloat and get sacked as a result?
Another club that could now be facing a slide down the table is Blackburn Rovers, whose hierarchy have also been in the news for the wrong reasons. The sacking of another popular manager in Sam Allardyce has raised eyebrows reminiscent to the Hughton situation of seven days ago.
Club captain Ryan Nelsen expressed his shock at the decision to oust the 56 year old, while fellow manager and close friend Sir Alex Ferguson also chimed in with some rough words for the new owners at Ewood Park.
Indian group Venky’s arrived on the scene only recently and while they were adamant Big Sam would be given a chance, I believe the writing was on this wall quite early on. A 7-1 demolition at Old Trafford (ironically against Ferguson) in one of the first showings for the new owner’s would have been particularly embarrassing, despite a follow-up 3-0 win over Wolves.
While Allardyce has often divided many an opinion with his tactical ideologies, the one thing that he has is reliability and a track record of creating stability at Premier League sides. Most recently at Rovers he came in to replace Paul Ince at a time when the club was sinking into the doldrums, and grinded out the results which kept the club afloat.
Steady progression was being made under the former Bolton manager as the club sat 13th after a 2-1 reverse against his former club at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday. Obviously not rapid enough for the new owners though as the axe was wielded on Allardyce and he became the season’s second casualty.
A “difference in transfer policy” was to blame for the falling out.
Progress and not results is what he should have been judged on as the manager at Blackburn, though his footballing reputation may have just got the better of him on this occasion. While a British manager is known to be the preferred option from the men at the top, there’s also an assumption that they want someone that’s a bit more “sexy”.
You would think that would immediately rule out a surprise contender, in Diego Maradona?
For the record, a win in that game against Wanderers would have lifted them up to seventh in the table. Bizarre? I think so.
Chelsea also comes into the bracket of ‘crisis club’ despite the table only having them three points off the pace. A worrying run of one win in seven could have been erased by Didier Drogba, had he beaten Heurelho Gomes with a 90th minute spot-kick.
Instead, the Blues sit 16th in the form table and look a shade of the side they were at the start of the season, when they’d scored 21 and conceded once – in five matches. Notably this downward turn in form has coincided with the departure of another popular character in assistant manager Ray Wilkins.
Talk of an unsettled dressing room has been around for a fair while, and current results will not help to alleviate from any of that.
Manchester City is another club in a present state of unrest. It seems that putting together a squad of players on ludicrous wages had turned the club into a team of spoilt brats and this is starting to reflect on the pitch.
Reports in the press have suggested that star player Carlos Tevez is unhappy in England, unhappy with Mancini or unhappy in general. Whatever his discontent is regarding, Manchester City need to kiss and make up with the Argentinean ace as soon as possible otherwise any aspirations of the title or Champions League football could swiftly be vanishing.
Fast forward to next week and we could be talking about West Ham.
Avram Grant (for the one hundredth time seemingly) has apparently been given two matches to save his job at the
Hammers. While West Ham are playing poorly at the moment, it does show the cut and thrust nature that’s developed in the Premier League over recent years.
Managers simply don’t get enough time for my liking to build a team their way, with their own player and leave an imprint of their own philosophy on the pitch.
Sir Alex Ferguson will break Sir Matt Busby’s record of being the longest serving club manager this weekend, when he takes his team to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. His managerial career had far from the best of starts, but over time he’s made Manchester United one of the most successful clubs ever in English football.
With the money at stake though, decisions have to be made, and I’m sure most won’t be surprised to see the back of Grant. And in my last piece of irony for the night, isn’t it fitting that this article is ending at last week’s starting point?
Yep, speculation is fuelling that Chris Hughton WILL become the next bubble blower in East London.
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