Alan Pardew and coaching staff awarded 8 year contracts

Yes I did mean to type 8.

Tad of an overreaction to a good season there.

It's more for buying out purposes, GSC.

It solidifies Ashley's long term plan for the club by ensuring the pivotal figures in the coaching and playing staff are tied in.

It is ridiculous though, why anybody in football signs these massive long term contracts baffles me. It's totally unrealistic in this day and age to believe players/managers will be around for a decade. Guardiola had it the right way, 1 year rolling contract. I understand that it would be unpopular with players and managers as it is very insecure, but even a more realistic 2-3 year contract is better for everybody.

Clubs waste a fortune in paying off managers after giving them unnecessary, unrealistically long contracts.

Crimey -

Agreed it is madness.....however in defence of Mike Ashley it is a mere step in protecting his asset. If Pardew has another decent season ( I expect them too) then if a major club wish to take him away then they would be required to pay hefty sum of compensation to the club.

When you think that usually compensation results in about half of the term of the contract remaining....8 years means Ashley will be getting a nice little wad of cash in comparison to say a 2 yr extension.

Also there are a number of clauses built into the contract; I have that on good authority. The contract itself whilst including some 'get out' clause for Pardew if he is very successful and a big club comes knocking....is heavily lent towards protecting Ashley and the club. Alan is obviously happy as he has signed it.....I think in a show of respect given that Mike took a huge gamble bringing Pardew in when he did.

I think it's more likely that Pardew will be sacked in the next few years than a big team comes calling, unfortunately for Pardew the years of mediocrity for most of his managerial career will put off any top European side signing him I think.

The problem now is that if things start going downhill, which is certainly possible, then Ashley will be stuck unless he's inserted some clause allowing him to sack Pardew without hefty compensation.

bad move i think, anything could happen between now and the next decade! look at leeds. european semi finalists in 2001? and within only half a decade they were in league 1. and what happens if players want to leave? newcastle as well as they are doing are not an attractive club to play for unlike liverpool arsenal or man utd. and players such as cisse, ba and tiote, should they continue to succeed may want to be playng for those clubs. just examples that life in the football world can turn in a day and 8 year contracts are just too risky to offer

I can understand them tying down Graham Carr who is obviously an absolute god at what he does but Alan Pardew on an 8 year deal?

I think he's just overtaken Avram Grant and Claudio Ranieri as the luckiest manager on the planet. Good work if you can get it I suppose.