Alan Pardew insists he has the final say at Newcastle United - not Joe Kinnear

New director of football has shaken hierarchy at St James' Park

Alan Pardew: 'I'm my own man and will manage this club to best of my ability' (AFP/Getty images)

Alan Pardew has claimed for the first time that he will have seniority over Newcastle’s new director of football Joe Kinnear in the transfer market.

Pardew, in his first detailed interview since the controversial appointment of Kinnear, threw the complicated management structure that owner Mike Ashley has put into place into further jeopardy.

Kinnear has gone on record to say he will cast his eye over Newcastle signings, will propose potential signings and will “interfere with training.” Pardew, however, yesterday spoke about how it would be himself and the club’s chief scout Graham Carr – who was ready to leave after a move for the Dutch defender Douglas was blocked – who would determine who Newcastle signed.

“I’m my own man and I will manage this football club to the best of my ability,” he said. “Graham comes up with one or two suggestions, I come up with the same, we probably have a list of four that myself and Graham think will take the team forward, we present that to Joe, and he presents it to the owner. Joe has to dress that up for the chairman in terms of the finance, in terms of how it will work and then Lee Charnley [the club’s secretary] comes in and hopefully we get the player over the line.

“Mike feels Joe probably knows the scene better than Derek Llambias [the managing director who resigned after Kinnear’s appointment]. That might be Mike’s opinion, but as far as I’m concerned the most important factor for Joe is transfers.

“You could say Joe isn’t fulfilling the role that Derek had to a degree, but Lee will fill the other part of that role, he’s got great experience. Between myself, Lee and Joe we hope to get some transfers over the line, and some out [of the club] by the way, because the squad is probably a little thick in some areas.”

Pardew, who was speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, added that Kinnear, who pronounced players’ names wrongly during an interview on Talksport, needed to show the squad more respect.

“Some of the things Joe said, he’s apologised for, especially getting the names wrong of our players,” said Pardew. “That needs to be corrected, because there’s a certain respect needed there.”