Heads

Newcastle United’s second consecutive win at the weekend marked a resurgent recovery from a period where the Toon army had picked up just one point from a possible 12 and failed to score since victory over West Ham in January. However the impressive 4-1 victory over Hull will be remembered for the wrong reasons. Alan Pardew’s 71^st minute head-butt on David Meyler has been, unsurprisingly, blown out of proportion by the media and he has been attacked from various circles in the footballing world. The Magpies’ manager must now, however, use this incident to nail his colours firmly to the Newcastle mast and endear himself to the Geordie faithful.

Reaction to the incident has been incredible. Some have suggested Pardew should resign whilst others have even called for a criminal case to be held against him, with accusations of assault labelled against the Londoner.

The incident itself was by no means serious enough to warrant questions over the security of his job. Even the term “headbutt” exaggerates the nature of the offence. A swift apology and a statement by the club should be the end of it. Opposition manager Steve Bruce has accepted the apology and Pardew appeared genuinely remorseful in the aftermath. So why is his job still in doubt?

Well firstly Pardew has previous. Use of offensive, abusive language towards Manuel Pellegrini has already blotted his 2014 copy book and an altercation with an official last season further damaged his reputation. Clashes with Arsène Wenger and backroom staff at Newcastle, West Ham and Southampton have tarnished his otherwise impressive managerial record to the point where BBC’s Phil McNulty claimed that “his track record suggests the apologies, contrition and promises to change merely provide a delay and a shield between this transgression and his next”.

Furthermore Pardew is still in the early stages of a financially lucrative contract that runs until 2020. If Mike Ashley did want a change of direction at St James’ Park, he would have to pay Pardew for the remainder of his contract, with some figures reaching up to £10 million. Ashley could manipulate this incident to either force Pardew to openly resign or indeed claim gross misconduct and a breach of conduct to terminate relations. The infamous egomaniac in Ashley would suggest that this is a highly possible option.

Alongside Southampton, Newcastle are perhaps the only genuine “mid table” team. They almost categorically will not get relegated and a push for European football would require a remarkable run of form. The sale of the talismanic Yohan Cabaye coupled with the form of Everton and Tottenham suggests that such an outcome is unlikely. So Ashley could realistically “get away” with relieving Pardew of his duties knowing that Newcastle will finish either in 7^th, 8^th or 9^th place come May. A caretaker manager could look after proceedings until then before signing a high profile figure to take over with a substantial transfer kitty to play with in the summer. An easy, dignified way out for all parties.

Pardew however needs to use this incident to launch an attack on the upper echelons of the Premier League table. Newcastle fans have not had a great deal to cheer about in recent years. The Tyneside outfit last tasted silverware 45 years ago and a spell in the Championship represented a bitter trough in the flight of the magpies. The anonymity of mid-table almost seems alien to a club who enjoy the roller-coaster more than most.

The head-butt could be a defining moment for Pardew. With Manchester United looking vulnerable and Southampton seemingly happy to consolidate their position, Newcastle have a real opportunity to use the passion and incandescence of the head-butt for positive means. Pardew’s all action reputation may be the platform to truly unite the Newcastle fans behind the cause and if they are able to maintain intense levels of performance until the end of the season, there will certainly be reason to believe that not only is the spirit in the squad strong enough to fight tooth and nail for every point available, but that Pardew is unequivocally the man to take them forward. He is the man who will, quite literally, fight for his people and demand the highest levels of grit, belief and determination from his players. In a world where the roots of the beautiful game are becoming more and more distant, some traditional methods could be the catalyst for unity and progression at Newcastle.

Of course nobody is condoning the behaviour. Pardew has been rightfully lambasted and will now face further discipline; his actions were not befitting of a man in such a position at such an institution. After years of relative mediocrity however and so soon after selling their prized asset Newcastle are in need of a centralizing figure. If Pardew negotiates this incident correctly and gains momentum in the remaining weeks of the season, there is reason to believe that a European push next season is a somewhat tangible dream.