Could this be the saviour Newcastle’s boss needs?
Sixty nine minutes in and things were looking bleak for Newcastle United and Alan Pardew. Two nil down against Hull City at home, the Magpies manager knew that unless his side could display some quality that had been lacking throughout the beginning of the Premier League season, they would end the weekend in the same position as where they started it – moored to the bottom of the table.
More urgently, however, the final 20 minutes of the game presented Pardew with possibly his final chance to prove his worth as a Newcastle manager; ridiculed, lambasted and embattled since the start of the year which has seen the Magpies win only five league games, the Londoner has for a long time been a strong favourite for the sack, and another anaemic defeat may just have been enough to placate the placard-wielding ‘Sack Pardew’ brigade, whose presence at St James’ Park – though less visible than expected – was nonetheless prominent.
Yet a crucial, if somewhat desperate substitution saw Newcastle’s knight in black and white armour return from the wilderness and save the Magpies, as well as Pardew’s job for another week at least. Papiss Cissé’s introduction in the 69th minute – his first appearance for the club since April due to injury – rejuvenated a Newcastle side on the brink, and after pulling a goal back within four minutes of entering the fray, Cissé doubled his tally and completed a brilliant Newcastle fightback with three minutes remaining.
With his superb cameo appearance, Cissé rescued his manager from almost certain defeat and doom, and it may very well be the case that Pardew will have to call upon the Senegalese to help him out again in the future. Though the 2-2 draw must have felt like a victory to many Newcastle fans, there is still a strongly hostile, mutinous air around St James’ Park. Pardew remains in the last chance saloon, with most members of the Toon Army furious that Mike Ashley, the resident landlord, hasn’t thrown him out already.
Cissé’s return to full fitness could not have come at a better time for Pardew. Despite being unusually busy in the transfer window, the Magpies failed to address a glaring lack of quality in attack, and Siem de Jong’s recent injury served only to further weaken Newcastle’s already toothless strikeforce.
The Senegalese will feel like a new signing for Pardew. Although his record over the past two seasons has been poor, scoring just ten league goals in 60 appearances, Cissé is known to have the quality to succeed in the Premier League. His first 14 games for the club since his arrival in January 2012 saw a highly impressive return of 13 goals, with two stunning strikes against Chelsea – the second of which was awarded the BBC Goal of the Season – being the highlight of a memorable half-season on Tyneside. This suggests that Cissé is very much a confidence player who thrives on quick success, yet struggles if he cannot find the net early on in the season.
Cissé’s brace in his first appearance of the new campaign is therefore promising, and the striker may have the opportunity to add to his tally when Newcastle face Crystal Palace in the League Cup on Wednesday. The London club may field a weaker side given that Premier League survival is the priority, so Cissé – if selected to play by Pardew, of course – will be hoping that a goalscoring cameo against Hull City can turn into the beginnings of a streak against Palace.
The paucity of effective attacking options available to Pardew means that Papiss Cissé has suddenly become one of Newcastle’s most important senior players in their bid to climb up the Premier League table. If the Senegalese can stay fit – and most importantly score goals with regularity, which he has proved that he can do at this level – then Alan Pardew may yet steer the Magpies to stability, which seemed unthinkable just a week ago.
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