Cup Success At Newcastle? Don't Make Me Laugh!

Last updated : 06 February 2014 By Footy Mad - Editor

He trotted on for just 19 minutes of the 2-1 win at Stade de la Beajoure, this in a season in which he had earlier been told the cups weren't a priority.

Cabaye's last taste of "cup fever" was telling Alan Pardew he didn't want to play for Newcastle United in the FA Cup tie with Cardiff City, because he didn't want to be cup-tied because Man Utd and Arsenal were after him.

Of course, Cabaye was never going to turn around the PSG boss Laurent Blanc and refuse to take a place on the bench after only arriving last week.

He saved his one man "strike" for soft-touch Pardew, in the summer and in January.

It still probably leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Newcastle fans, but who who do you blame - Cabaye for refusing to play, or Pardew for letting him get away with it?

Pardew has ONE strategy - the Premier League. Not to win it, or (God forbid) qualify for Europe, simply to stay in it.

It was little wonder that United drew criticism from legendary former players like Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Nobby Solano for their approach to the cup.

Lee in particular said in his weekly Chronicle column that missing a big cup game like Cardiff with "a knock" wouldn't have been tolerated.

"Nobody missed important games with a knock when we played," Lee wrote. "In fact if you did miss out or were 'rested' you would be going to the manager's office to find out why."

Cabaye has since begun life at a club that has big bucks, massive ambition and drive.

There is no ambition at Newcastle; in fact there's no project other than making a profit at the end of each season.

The club is merely a vehicle for Mike Ashley to promote Sports Direct, and St James' Park is a huge advertising platform.

But what does Alan Pardew really want?

But many fans have attempted to cancel season tickets this week and the lack of punters in the ground is the ONLY thing left to stoke a fire in the boardroom.

It's the last straw, because 99% of those fans have been "supporting" the club longer than Ashley has been "following" it.

And there is a hell of a difference between those two words.