Alan Pardew begs West Brom fans to forgive ‘Cab Four’ Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore, Gareth Barry and Boaz Myhill
Baggies quartet shamed club with taxi antics in Barcelona, but club faces must-win game against Huddersfield
ALAN PARDEW begged West Brom’s furious fans to follow his lead and find it in their hearts to forgive his Barcelona bad boys.
Shamed Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore, Gareth Barry and Boaz Myhill have been read the riot act and copped a combined club fine believed to be close to £500,000 for their part in Taxi-gate.
Pards said: “This weekend he needs to prove to me, the fans and the club that he’s the right man to lead us.
“Jonny will be captain subject to him coming through fitness-wise over the next couple of days.
“Of course I’m angry about the situation. But it’s tempered with the reality that this is a results business and we need to get results.
“That incident magnified our situation and the only way we can get ourselves out of the spotlight is to win games — and this is a massive one against Huddersfield.
“I sense with our fans, they’re disappointed as I am. But they want the team to win and I don’t expect that stadium to be anything but positive when we walk out.
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“We need to repay that faith and win for the fans, for ourselves, for our own pride.”
Albion’s ‘Cab Four’ allegedly nicked a taxi during a club trip to Barca.
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And Pardew knows the episode will forever haunt the club. He said: “The disciplinary side of it is finished as far as I’m concerned.
“But this will never go away. It’s a mistake we’ve had to repair.”
Albion are rock-bottom of the Premier League, seven points adrift of 17th-placed Terriers heading into tomorrow’s relegation six-pointer.
Pards added: “The words ‘must win’ are an irritant but we know how important it is.
“There are three scenarios — either we perform the Great Escape, we go down with a fight and dignity, or we go down with a whimper.
“I certainly hope it’s not the last one.”