A player's mentality is very important. The five or 10 per cent where they're not focused because of wanting to go somewhere is enough for them to haul off their quality. It impacts on everything. So, as a board and manager, you have to make a decision.
More Quotes by Alan Pardew
The only gambling I do is on a Saturday afternoon when I might put on two wingers or two strikers.
At Newcastle, I had a team at the bottom of the table with a crowd that was very angry at what had gone on at the club for a period of time.
Success can be a legacy.
I remember the chief executive at Southampton after Nicola Cortese thanking me for the platform I left them. That recognition is always nice. That's like winning a trophy for me.
But what's wrong with asking players to use their imagination, their game intelligence, as well as oomph and spirit? I don't just want them to do basic things. I'm asking them to do complicated things.
Americans are analytical in their sports, which are very stop-start, so the numbers tend to add up. That's why Moneyball works for baseball. It doesn't work so well for football because it's a fluid game.