t.richards

Coming from a Newcastle fan here, the simple question is - what was the opinion of David Moyes after your 17th finish in 2004? Alan Pardew has just been given the all clear to be in charge of Newcastle next season, and it seems the clear the owner is very keen on providing a stability to the club - stability that has been so revered around England after seeing what Wenger, SAF and David Moyes have done in their time. But I'm of a firm belief that stability must be earned, and cannot be handed out in a defiant act to relieve a manager of his duties. This season just finished has been nothing short of dreadful in my opinion, and thousands more fans of Newcastle United - and we were firmly of the belief that Pardew's time had run it's course and should have been sacked this summer - not just because he deserved the sack, that moving on from him was the right thing to do mainly because of the potential candidates that could have been approached to take over - Rafael Benitez, Roberto Martinez being two that I'd start with. Some may point to the 5th place finish that Pardew 'masterminded' in 2011/12 but fans that watched that side week in, week out would tell you that finishing 5th was not just an over-achievement, but was more noise than sound. Pardew relied on high spirits, great luck regarding to injuries, and a clear over reliance on individual brilliance - never have we scored so many flukes, worldies in a season, and never have we ridden our luck to such effect. The 5th place finish wasn't achieved through being technically and tactically better than 15 sides that year I don't believe. Therefore, when taking into account the season just gone I see that very early on it was simple what happens when luck runs out, and your fortune goes full circle and maybe a bit more. Yes, we've struggled with injuries, and a lack of investment in the squad before the start of the season left us lying bare to the rigors that a Europa League campaign can have on a squad, and injuries to key personal - but many fans see past these 'reasons' as more 'excuses'. Stability is something that every club must want, and I believe aims for - as the example of the club I am talking to here is no clearer; but the stability that keeping Pardew at Newcastle United will have a debilitating affect on the club, and to the direction that it's heading in. The football that Pardew has this side playing, I would say has been the single worst over the course of a 38 game season - one dimensional, direct, overly defensive whilst not actually providing a tight defensive unit, and each and every player looks to be regressing at a frightening nature. I, and many other fans struggle to name a single player in the squad that has improved under working with Pardew and his coaching set-up. He continued to sight to injuries, Europa League as to reasons why he is fielding a weakend line up, and why that side has been outplayed, outrun and beaten - but my issue is, why are there eleven players on that field that are not playing to their strengths, and to the top end of their potentials. If that weakend side are doing that, and then come off the beaten side - fair enough; but that's never been the case. These are but a handful or reasons why I fear for the stability being forced upon my club - so I'm looking for views that you would have had of David Moyes back in 2004 after your club finished a place above relegation. Hindsight is wonderful - but could you have forseen the next eight years of Moyes' time at your club back in 2004? How close was Moyes to being sacked back in 2004 after the 17th place finish?