Not liked as in personable, warmth, listening to others, changing for the better etc. You don't have to like your own employees/direct reports but if they are effective and achieve. If they are non effective - you get rid. Like is emotional and emotions rarely figure in ruthless business.
Pulis was effective for a time and then became non effective because many put up with the style of football because the thing that mattered most was achieved - points!!! People then quite rightly turned on him when the points did not come in.
Everyone is different. Some would now say they are happy with a better style of football even though it means we could drop into the championship. Others like me, would say they would be happy to see awful football ( remaining games ), if it meant staying in this league! You don't get far for being nice!!!
Rodriguez is a classic example - had he fallen on the floor at Arsenal we would have been awarded a stone wall penalty and probably would have won as we controlled the game. Had Rodriguez dived last night, for sure we would have got a penalty, and had we scored first, it would have changed the match.
Rightly or wrongly in both these two penalty scenarios a class player like Hazard would have dived and got both penalties. Sometimes for being honest or liked you get nothing.
Get the drift Whicka or should, I draw you a picture!
PS - Pardew is not achieving as 8 points out of 13 is pathetic so some will say stick but others will say twist and bring in a top name as a last throw of the dice. I would say twist as something is clearly not right - did not see our players like crazed animals as Jose said Newcastle were - regardless of the result! Some of our players don't seem bothered/committed - why?