Alan Pardew plans to outmanoeuvre his critics by rebuilding Newcastle United along extremely pacy lines. With the project apparently proceeding to plan, the manager has become increasingly confident the skill-suffused speed of Rolando Aarons and his fellow academy graduates can help keep him in a job.
A very youthful Newcastle were far too quick for Manchester City on Wednesday when Pardew’s team not only won their Capital One Cup tie at the Etihad Stadium, but they also recorded a third successive victory.
Almost imperceptibly, the mood on Tyneside has altered. Only a couple of weeks ago Pardew’s sacking seemed a case of when rather than if, and a relegation struggle beckoned, but now a top-10 finish and, possibly, cup glory are back on the agenda.
Pardew knows a side he describes as “transitional” have not become world-beaters overnight but for the first time this year Newcastle have momentum and look forward to Liverpool’s visit on Saturday with cautious optimism.
Although Papiss Cissé is a doubt once again due to a problem with some of the screws inserted in a knee during surgery last spring, Aarons is expected to start after scoring at City. If so, parallels between Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling and the England Under‑20 left-wing may become irresistible. Aarons, newly recovered from a hamstring injury, does not celebrate his 19th birthday until mid-November but those who have watched him suspect the hype is justified.
“I always hoped this would be my breakthrough season,” said Aarons, who remains sufficiently grounded to take the compliments in his stride. “But I’m not Raheem Sterling. We’re different players and I’ve a long way to go before I can even consider myself to be anywhere near that level. He’s played for England at the World Cup and I’ve only played three or four games for Newcastle United. I don’t think there’s any reason to get carried away.
“Hopefully I’ll get the chance to play against him on Saturday and if that happens I might ask for his shirt. Why not? Whatever happens, I definitely won’t be swapping at half-time though.”
Aarons’ return has seemingly enhanced Pardew’s job security. “Rolando has a massive asset which is pace,” the Newcastle manager said. “I saw Phil Jagielka is apparently the quickest in the Premier League – well I would bet Rolando and Gabriel Obertan against him any day of the week. Rolando also has a nice temperament, I think he’s a good person. I believe he had some troubles at Bristol City but I really like him. He’s got his feet on the ground, he’s got tremendous potential. This could be a breakthrough season for him.”
Pardew senses he is hitting the right balance between the Francophone imports and a group of homegrown young players emerging from Peter Beardsley’s development squad. “There’s a lot of pace in the squad and it’s a nice transitional period for us,” the manager said. “We’ve had a couple of very good teams here in my time but last year it kind of fell away and we’re trying to build a new side. It takes time to bed in but we’re starting to find our feet.
“We’ve got a really good group of young players. Four out of the academy – Aarons, Sammy Ameobi, Paul Dummett and Adam Armstrong – played at City and you could see how much it meant to them. We made a conscious decision about 24 months ago to stop buying young players from abroad and focus on boys in this area. That’s beginning to pay dividends. If our academy boys aren’t from this region we try to ingrain them in this area and get a love for the city.”
Such positivity seems to be infecting Newcastle’s overseas contingent. “Some players, particularly the French players, take a bit longer to settle than others,” Pardew said. “But now we’re beginning to get some rewards from our new batch. Rémy Cabella, particularly, has picked up and is doing very well. I love this club and the players are showing they love it, too. There’s nothing to fear.”