10 Most Laughable Excuses Alan Pardew Has Made At Newcastle
7. The One Where It Was The Europa League's Fault
The season after he had led his side to an unlikely (and some will forever say unjustified) fifth place finish in the Premier League to qualify for the Europa League, Newcastle fans were treated to the most concrete indication that the club might not be as bothered about them about Europe at all costs as they are ever likely to receive. With the team progressing nicely - but not exactly beautifully - through the rounds of the Europa, with some impressive results against daunting opposition, the league form took an almighty nose-dive into the mud, and Newcastle scraped safety at almost the last breath. So what changed from the season before? Well Europe, apparently.
"It has had an impact with the injuries weve sustained. This competition is not great for a Premier League team. Its too many games in addition to a tough, competitive league. It takes a toll."
That nugget came before Newcastle brought in six players, having bought just one first team player in the summer. It was no surprise that the extra competition included more games, so quite why Newcastle didn't strengthen to pro-actively deal with squad strain remains a mystery. And it's not like the side progressed far in the domestic cups, so you have to wonder how Pardew would ever deal with success.
