Looking back now at least performance wise Pardew did get a bounce. His first game v Palace we should have one if we had a goal scorer (was a problem for all 4 managers) and although we lost the next to Swansea we got an excellent point at Anfield that midweek. Man Utd at home was always going to be tough but how on earth we lost at Stoke I don't know, two individual errors for their goals 1st half and Rondon blazing over from 10 yards to go in 2-0 down summed up the season. Boxing day was a carbon copy of Palace should've won comfortably but couldn't score and then onto a more than deserved point at home to Arsenal. West Ham away was tough to take but beating Brighton and a pretty good performance at Everton and I was confident that we would stay up with a bit in hand.
For me the cup win at Anfield whilst picking up 3 injuries to then key players in this 4-4-2 that Pardew was playing as well as the midweek defeat to Man City straight after completely derailed us and Pardew never got it back. Playing Barry and Yacob in the middle of a genuine 4-4-2 at home to Southampton was never going to work and we lost every game until he was eventually sacked. Coupled with the Barcelona debacle the season was pretty much a right off as it seemed then. Up until the Anfield cup game I don't think Pardew did much wrong and even decisions I didn't agree with you could cut him some slack as a new man trying to come in and change how we play which for a short time looked like it was working. However, the final 9 games there were a lot of tactical and leadership decisions which simply can't be defended.
As much as he deserves a large portion of the blame for eventual relegation, for me the players still got away with a hell of a lot whilst hiding behind Pulis and Pardew. Five out of the last six games shown us what a bit of effort can do...