“Alan Pardew, it’s six in a row” was the reminder from the 2,000 strong Toon Army on Monday night that he is very much a man under pressure.

Pardew’s time at Newcastle United has divided fans opinion more than any other manager in their history.

From 5th placed finishes to relegation scraps and mid table mediocrity, Pardew has always had his critics: negative tactics, excuse after excuse, not being able to handle big players and ‘Pardewing’ a number of players, amongst some of the criticisms thrown at the ex-Charlton and West Ham manager.

Despite these critics, he has always had a large number of supporters. Fans who believed under the circumstances, he was doing all any manager could do. Fans who liked his fight, and looked back with fondness to United’s Champions League qualification push two seasons back.

This support is diminishing by the day. A small minority has become a large majority. Bullish chants from the crowd calling for the manager’s head have become widespread. More and more banners slamming the Londoner have begun to appear.

Yet, there seems to be a common opinion that there is more chance of Newcastle winning the league than Pardew being shown the door by his ‘chum’ Mike Ashley.

Is this the case though? After all, Mike Ashley has shown previously business and pleasure are kept very much apart in his world. Derek Llambias, a long time friend of the Sports Direct tycoon, was given the chop just the previous summer in favor of Joe Kinnear.

Ashley’s ‘favorite player,’ Yohan Cabaye was sold in January to French giants PSG, while he has overseen a number of his managers come and go in his years at the club.

With an end of season meeting in place to discuss the clubs performance — as is usual with all of Ashley’s companies — Pardew will be pressed to explain recent performances. With Crystal Palace breathing down United’s necks in 11th place, a top 10 place is no longer the certainty it was just six games ago.

What mustn’t be forgotten is Mike Ashley is a businessman. If he feels his club’s Premier League status is in jeopardy, he will not hesitate to relieve his ‘pal’ from his duties.

With a reported transfer kitty available this summer to rebuild an ailing squad, the question is will he trust his under fire manager to spend and deliver the Premier League security he craves. With the vultures circling above St James’ Park, an interesting summer lies ahead either way.

January 25th, 2013. A date that perhaps doesn’t mean much to most Newcastle United fans. It most definitely does though. It was the date when Moussa Sissoko signed for Newcastle United for just over £2 million from French side Toulouse. This was to be United’s last permanent signing to this day.

Players have departed — Yohan Cabaye and James Perch, to name a couple — but Newcastle have made just two loan signings to their name. The soon-to-be-departed Loic Remy and a striker without a goal for the club since joining in January, Luuk De Jong.

Yet Newcastle are hitting all targets set for them by their tycoon owner, Mike Ashley. A top half finish, an end of season pot of gold — with very little cash layout. Much like his hugely successful businesses, Ashley has turned the Magpies into a profit-making machine.

This scheme does not sit well with fans though. The 50,000 Geordies that fill St James’ Park week in, week out are not bothered about projection sheets, profit margins or agent fees. They want a club to be proud of. Success, ambition. This is a long way away from the current regime.

The latest capitulation away to Southampton was not unexpected but it didn’t make it any easier to watch. The stark reality is this game and the remaining games of the season do not matter to the powers that be at United. A top half finish now is almost guaranteed, with no money spent on signings and a huge payday cashing in on their prized asset Yohan Cabaye. This season has followed Ashley’s plan to a tee. However, it does matter to the traveling Toon Army,who understandably vented their fury at the end of Saturday’s game.

Lack of ambition to bring success to the club has filtered down to the pitch. The manager knows they have achieved what they need to, and now so do the players. The season may on paper look to be a good one in years to come. A top half finish after a relegation scrap the year previous. In reality, though, it has been as turgid a season ever known on Tyneside. No desire to progress in cups, lack of willingness to finish as high in the table as possible and the sale of their crown jewel, Cabaye.

The negative atmosphere at the club is swallowing it like never before. St James’ Park is as quiet as it’s ever been on match days. The players look like they are already on the sands of Barbados, and manager Alan Pardew is running out of excuses for his side’s inability to perform.

Contrast this with Saturday’s hosts, Southampton. Just two points ahead, but streets apart from their lacklustre opponents. Fresh, energetic, English talent gives the fans a team to be proud of. Beautiful and effective football, conducted on a modest transfer outlay. Southampton seem like a club going somewhere, Newcastle quite simply do not.

Apparently a ‘big’ summer awaits United. Where have we heard that before?

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This week brought about yet another nonsensical comment from Newcastle manager Alan Pardew:

“We like to think we put down the right foundations here for success.

“All the players that have come here have improved, I can’t think of one who hasn’t.

“That is the most important thing when you are looking at your coaching strategy.”

This statement is not only incorrect, it is completely the opposite of what is actually happening at Newcastle United these days.

Let’s look first at Papiss Cisse. No one could have expected him to continue his immense form of his first season at Newcastle (14 games, 13 goals). However, during the seasons that have followed, we have seen a marked decline in Cisse’s belief, talent and instincts. Cisse’s 29 goals in 65 appearances, on paper, does not look bad but his performances have been nothing short of woeful in the past 18 months. Drained of confidence, he consistently drifts offside, misses chances and lacks any real presence to survive in the Premier League. Is this down to the player? Perhaps. Is it down to the coaching setup at United? More likely. What is clearly evident in Cisse’s play is that there is no one putting their arm around him and telling him he is the best striker at the club — a £10 million fee would demand that surely? Instead he has been cast aside for a loanee from QPR who himself hasn’t been in the greatest of form recently.

With Cisse, the tip of the iceberg is his huge problem with getting caught offside all the time. This is easily fixed yet seems to happen time and time again until the fans frustration has leaked down to the player and hammered his confidence. Has Cisse improved in his time at Newcastle? No.

Another example of a footballer who has declined in form at Newcastle is Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. When he joined Newcastle just over a year ago, he was seen as one of the most talented young centre backs in Europe. Captain of his championship winning side, Montpellier, and edging his way into the French squad, he seemed to be the real deal. What has subsequently happened is that of a complete player implosion. No longer considered for the French squad, he’s now a bench warmer at St James’ behind Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor and often played out of position when eventually called upon. Much like Cisse, Mbiwa’s confidence has been shot. It would be wrong to say Mbiwa has been entirely blameless for this decline. Stupid decisions like last weekend’s when he hauled Samuel Eto’o to the ground for a penalty have littered the 24-year old’s United career thus far. However Newcastle’s coaching staff must also shoulder some of the blame.

What exactly is/was the plan for Mbiwa? Was he bought as a ready-made replacement for departing captain Coloccini? Was he supposed to be former Watford defender Williamson’s understudy? I do not think so. His decline has hastened so much that I would not be surprised to see Mbiwa pack his bags and head back over the channel in the summer. That was definitely not the plan. Has Yanga-Mbiwa improved at Newcastle? No.

We could go on forever dissecting each player’s progression at St James’, the likes of: Haris Vuckic, Hatem Ben Arfa, Moussa Sissoko, Massadio Haidara, Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux, Gael Bigirimana and Dan Gosling. A number of those names could still be huge talents. Not under this stewardship though. Has every player really improved Alan? No is the answer.

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