A piece from NUFC.com that sums up many fans' feelings~:
Much like his team's performances this season, Alan Pardew's latest press comments on Thursday did little to improve the prevailing mood round these parts.
Noticeably less strident than earlier in the month when it came to the subject of incoming transfers, a cynical interpretation would be that he was trying to dampen expectation post-Remy:
"It was a little strange (that Remy went to QPR) as we had obviously put a lot of work in and made the club (Marseille) an offer that was accepted, a good offer.
"We made a fantastic offer to the player and then he didn't arrive. This club is on a financial footing that is strong, but we're still not going to pay silly money.
"We're going to pay what is correct and that is what we offered. We made a fantastic offer, a fantastic Premiership offer to that player - trust me.
"I don't really want to criticise the player. The player makes the decision and he stands by it. I don't really have anything else to say on it.
"We're going to sit down next week and hopefully iron out the issues and come to the conclusion that Colo stays and obviously that's what I hope for as a manager.
"It's obvious that there is a problem there in his life - the best way of dealing with it sometimes is to be on a football pitch and play your best football and he certainly did that last week.
"Players play through unbelievable situations. I can think of a player at Southampton who got a man of the match award whose cousin had died two days previously in a stabbing. I had a player at West Ham who had gambling problems and another with big gambling and drinking troubles, but both found sanctuary on the pitch and played well.
"I think we shouldn’t be lost to the fact that we could be relegated. Better teams than the one I manage have gone down before. We definitely need a player or two in this window to make sure of our Premier League status. We’re under a little bit of pressure.
"I think it’s important the club goes forward in the right manner and we don’t make any knee jerk decisions, but we’ve also got to be conscious of where we are in the division and we are in a precarious position that we hope to strengthen on Saturday with a positive result.
"Our full accompaniment of players hasn’t been enough for a club of this size and we have been tested by injuries and suspensions, as well as the loss of Demba Ba.
"Some of the teams I’ve put out, in my opinion, haven’t been strong enough for Newcastle. We’re such a well-run club, financially. But we know that we’re going to need to invest in our team. We know that other clubs will.
"I don’t say think we have one of the weakest squads, but our squad is too weak. I’m being realistic. I’m not trying to say we’re a great team, that we’re going to cruise through the second half of the season because in my experience that won’t happen.
"We’re going to have to battle down there and it’s about time we realised we’re going to have to battle. The job for us is to make sure we're strong enough in the second half of the season."
The manager also contributed some patronising waffle for the official site, but refrained from repeating his earlier ludicrous comments about the SJP crowd having a part to play in convincing Colo to stay at the club and honour his contract. That didn't work with Demba Ba did it?
"I think our fans have been particularly faithful and loyal to us because we've had a tough spell with things going against us.
"I think now we've just got to find a way, that's what we're going to have to do. Our game plan that we had last year and the way we played a little bit might need to change to just make sure that we continue being a stable Premiership side and then look to next year to start going back to attacking the top of the league.
"I think that's really where we're at and I think our fans recognise that. For us, it's now about getting the right complement of players and making sure we're strong and put some excitement on that football pitch between now and the end of the year.
"Because in the first half of the season I don't think it's been good enough - and I'm the manager saying that.
"This weekend we've got some horrendous weather coming in and I think it's an important game for the fans to turn up and be strong for us. They've been brilliant all year.
"The snow's coming but we've got probably the best workforce at the ground to clear it and a good relationship with the council and we're doing everything to make sure it's definitely going to be on.
"I think some games will get called off this weekend but I think ours will definitely be on and I'm hoping we go and make our fans happy which will be a nice change."
That's despite ticket prices, ridiculous kickoffs, reduced away allocations, rotten performances, transfer market misadventures and broken promises. Still faithful and loyal, yes but starting to openly question just what is happening on Barrack Road - and not getting answers.
Despite presiding over what is statistically our worse league campaign at this point since 1988/89, the manager remains free from public criticism - despite attempts of numerous national newspapers to suggest otherwise.
That's a reflection of what he achieved personally last season, sympathy with his current plight and a certain belief that we shouldn't repeat previous misadventures of the Owen, Viduka, Luque, Boumsong and Xisco variety.
Pardew can count himself remarkably fortunate that his team's dreadful run has yet to provoke fans into abusing either him, his players or his employers. Far from being fickle and impatient as routinely portrayed by others, the stoicism of our following is both a benefit and a curse.
However that patience and goodwill will evaporate should the inactivity of last summer be repeated in the remaining days of January. As the man said, we're keeping our side of the bargain - 100,000 people watching successive home defeats at the hands of West Ham and Swansea.
Don't mistake an absence of bedsheet protests and abuse for a lack of concern as to our current plight. The jury is out until this window closes and then he'll be judged on whatever team he's able to field. Bemoaning his lot in February as he's done since August will no longer be acceptable - failing to get deals "over the line" becomes Pardew's failure, regardless of the context and detail.
Bland platitudes about great support will count for nowt if results don't pick up in the next few games, as will trying to pass off the return of injured players with that old chestnut about being like a new signing.
At the risk of repeating ourselves, when our first-choice XI took the field earlier this season, their performances were still under-par, but obscured by the goal grabbing ability of the now-departed Demba Ba. That particular get out of gaol card is now longer in the manager's deck.
And similarly to blame the young players for not stepping up is a simplistic approach - yes, we continue to lack quality at youth and reserve level, but unless a club has a golden generation of prospects, then expecting to prosper with more than one in the side is unrealistic.
A further influx of Abeids, Amalfitanos and Bigirimanas would be evidence that we're prepared to reduce the wage bill to a level that would render the side not only incapable of reproducing last season's finishing position, but even remaining in this division.
We seem intent on proving the old adage that if you stand still you go backwards. For Nile Ranger to be in an NE postcode, never mind on the bench is symbolic of the drift we've suffered and if the most infamous comment of Pardew's reign is the one about not selling Andy Carroll, then his "no way back for Nile" line is on the podium.
If we go to Spurs with the same holes in the same areas that 52,000 of the "faithful and loyal" can see now, then fans are entitled to consider their position - and Pardew should similarly take a long hard look at himself.
FWIW i do still support Pardew and as he is likely to be here the rest of the season at least i pray he turns things round.
