Pardew angered by poor Newcastle display
Alan Pardew has expressed his disappointment following Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, claiming if anyone deserved the win, it was the visitors. Speaking to the BBC, Pardew lamented the discipline and shape of his team but also expressed a frustration with the officials.
On the team he said: “I can’t say we deserved to win and you could argue Villa did. We were a bit funny, lacked discipline and our set-plays were awful. It was a nightmare from a coaching point of view. It wasn’t a great day of the sideline. It was frustrating and we were having to change the shape and formation.”
Pardew added that the officials joined his side in having a bad game but praised his opponents: “I don’t think the officials helped us. I thought they were poor for us in particular. But fair play to Villa, I take my hat off to them because they worked so hard and can be proud of their performance.”
The draw meant that the Magpies missed out on an opportunity to win their first two home games of the season for the first time since 2000.
Hatem Ben Arfa drew special praise for his role in securing the point. Following an early goal from Ciaran Clark it took a stunning effort from the French midfielder to rescue the game for Newcastle.
In the opening weeks of the season Ben Arfa has been hailed as his side’s stand out player, and Pardew echoed those words again. He said: “He’s always been a massive talent in France. His technique sets him apart and he has fantastic power in his shot. He’s dangerous and he’s a really big player for us.”
With the international break coming up, Pardew and his team will have an extra week to sort out their problems ahead of their next fixture away to Everton before a home game against Norwich City following that.
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