Archive
Pardew: "Everything Went Against Us"
Written by Newcastle Utd
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew bemoans some bad luck as his side drew 1-1 against Bolton
By Anthony Marshall
Alan Pardew believes luck was firmly against Newcastle as they drew 1-1 with Bolton at St. James' Park on Saturday.
Kevin Nolan and Daniel Sturridge were on target for either side in the first half of an entertaining Premier League match.
But the Magpies were dealt a couple of hefty blows - first losing midfielder Joey Barton in the warm-up to a thigh injury, and then seeing his replacement Ryan Taylor given a straight red card nine minutes into the second half.
"I just felt events worked against us today," explained Pardew after the final whistle.
"Well it started yesterday, really, because Joey just felt his thigh a little bit, but turned up this morning and all seemed well.
"We scanned him and everything was okay, but as soon as he started hitting a couple of balls in the warm-up, he just didn't feel right, so that was a setback.
"Ryan came into he team and we didn't look any different. To be fair to Ryan, he did very well in that first half.
"We created perhaps enough chances to have got a second goal, but it didn't come.
"We then gifted them a goal, which was a bit of a blow to us, and I thought in the second half, 'Okay, at least we are kicking down the hill and we can regroup'.
"But the sending-off obviously changed events again."
Taylor received his marching orders for a late lunge on Johan Elmander, and the manager had no complaints with the decision from referee Chris Foy.
"Unfortunately for Ryan, he had a bad touch and in trying to make up for that, made a second mistake by going in with a little too much venom," said Pardew.
"He has got no malicious bones in him and he is so genuinely disappointed. He just knew he had to try to make up for his bad touch, and in doing so was over-zealous and got himself sent off.
"There will be no punishment from me on that. I don't think he mean to harm the player in any shape or form.
"I have seen it again and he went in a little bit over-zealously. I didn't think it was high, if I am honest, but he was late.
"With that type of take-off, you are going to be sent off in today's age. Go back ten years and the boy isn't getting sent off - he might not even get a booking."