Newcastle: 6 Signs Pardew Actually HAS Changed Philosophy

2. Surrendering Possession

For the first six or seven matches of the season, just as Newcastle weren't losing, Pardew came out with his best defence, that the stats were proving that the Magpies were in a false position and that they were not a bad team. In fact, he went as far as to say they'd deserved more from most of the games - aside from Southampton. He said that because Newcastle had had a lot of the ball, they would inevitably come good - the stats were suggesting that good things were on the way and it was only a matter of time before that possession meant prizes. Even after the Spurs and Liverpool victories he said the side needed to win more possession, but it seems the team are consciously allowing their opponents to have the ball. As Pardew has just said, sometimes he thinks the team are more dangerous when they haven't got the ball - which implies a conscious decision to give the ball up. Or in other words, another change of system.