Newcastle must retain Premier League status says Alan Pardew

Pardew is focused on retaining Newcastle's top flight status (GETTY)

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is acutely conscious of what is at stake as he looks to guide the club to Barclays Premier League safety.

The Magpies entertain relegation-threatened Wolves on Saturday sitting seven places, but only four points, ahead of Mick McCarthy's men and knowing they desperately need a first victory in four league outings if they are not to be sucked into the fight for survival.

That is something last season's Championship winners have not had to contemplate for much of the campaign, but recent results, and this week's release of financial figures which showed that relegation led to a loss of £17.1million last time around, have served to sharpen the focus.

Pardew looked on from afar as Newcastle slipped out of the top flight at the end of the 2008-09 season, but the exodus of big-name players and some of the club's less well-known employees which followed left a lasting impression on him and illustrated just why their continued presence in the Premier League is so important.

He said: "I think it reflects that. The one thing I read from the figures is the vast difference between revenue in the Premier League and the Championship.

"For any owner and for any club, it's a massive, massive impact. We lost lots of jobs in the stadium and around the club, and you don't want to lose any job.

"I am very conscious of that as a manager. That's what relegation brings, people lose their jobs, and we certainly don't want that to happen again."

Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias implemented a long-term plan in the wake of the drop which will see the club break even if they manage to book a second successive season in the big time, and both Llambias and Pardew have over the last few days trumpeted the need for stability.

Ashley's critics remain unconvinced, particularly over his willingness to re-invest the £35million proceeds of Andy Carroll's sale to Liverpool in January.

However, Pardew insists the recruitment process is already under way despite Ashley having to pump another £42million into the club in interest-free loans.

He said: "We have made that statement pretty clear at the beginning of the week, that the investment is going in now in terms of budgets to try to scout players and make sure we try to cover all the angles and bring in the correct players for Newcastle United.

"It's a massive club and we have a certain agenda where we have got to produce results.

"Our home form this year gives an indication that we have got to improve, and that's what we are going to try to do."

To that end, Pardew took the opportunity to canvas opinion on some of his potential summer targets when former England boss Steve McClaren visited the training ground today.

The Magpies manager said: "He just came up to see what we do and came to see me, it was just a personal call.

"We will hopefully be in the market in the summer for players Steve has come across in his last two or three years in Europe.

"There were a few I asked him about and he was very informative.

"Steve has always been very open - when he was England manager too - to what's going on on the training ground at other places and giving information himself.

"He's an open-minded coach, as I am, and it was nice to see him here today."

Leon Best and Stephen Ireland remain doubts for the Wolves game with ankle and thigh injuries respectively, but both have now been disciplined, along with reserve team player Stephen Folan, for their appearance at a city nightclub ahead of the 4-0 defeat at Stoke, in which none of the three was due to figure.

Pardew said: "They have been disciplined and it's done."