Do you back Alan Pardew?

It seems as though Alan Pardew is still attracting criticism, even after his admission that he too was left feeling disappointed and upset over the lack of a second striker appearing over the summer.

My own personal view is that he has demonstrated a fine balance between letting the fans know who is essentially to blame without apportioning enough blame to him in hot water with his bosses.

I'm still not happy that we didn't get that striker although I accept that the failure was nothing to do with Pardew. I view Alan Pardew as a coach and not a conventional manager. I cottoned onto that a long time ago and have accepted that his remit is purely to do with the first team. He can recommend players until he is blue in the face although he has made it abundantly clear that it's up to those above him to conclude the deal.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that football matters should be taken into consideration when it comes to Alan Pardew and should be given priority. How can he be held accountable for something that wasn't his fault?

In terms of football management I've seen this team go from having a plan a alone to potentially having something different up its sleeve. Gone are the days where we hoofed long balls up to Andy Carroll. Hopefully for good. It's a transition that will take time, but the fact is that we just don't have the players to play route one anymore.

The tactics are better for the most part and we look more organised on the whole. He can also make substitutes that can change a game and doesn't leave it too late, which was a problem Chris Hughton had in my opinion.

In terms of man management he is doing well. Even Joey Barton didn't have a bad word to say about him. Food for thought for those who insist that Joey is a rebel telling the truth.

Then I look at the likes of Leon Best and Steven Taylor. Maybe even Ryan Taylor. Steven Taylor is playing arguably the best football of his career. People scoffed at Pardew when he spoke about Taylor and "England form", but it has worked and we are now seeing a better Steven for it. It's amazing what a bit of faith and confidence can do to a player on the verge of losing his way.

As for Best and Ryan, the same applies. These are players that are still to convince me that they are Premier League class, yet I really can't knock their performances. Best has matched the goal ratio of Andy Carroll since he was handed his Premier League debut whilst Ryan Taylor has become a bit of a cult hero thanks to his free-kick heroics.

Alan Pardew seems to be able to get the most out of his players which is a great quality to have. In terms of footballing matters I have very few complaints about him and I'm right behind him. He has made us hard to beat (only 8 defeats in 27 games) and I think he "gets it" when he talks about the football he wants to play.

I think he deserves the time to show us what he is worth. Pardew was not my first choice. He probably wasn't anywhere in my list of choices in fairness, but he has the job now and I'm certain that he will want to do the best for him which is essentially what is also best for us. For his reputation to rise he must get the results at Newcastle, and I reckon he can do just that.

Are you backing Alan Pardew?