Leeds a lesson for prudent Pardew
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has admitted the plight which befell Leeds more than a decade ago remains a salutary lesson for clubs tempted to spend beyond their means.
Magpies owner Mike Ashley, often to the fury of the Tyneside public, has spent the years since relegation from the Barclays Premier League at the end of the 2008-09 season, working to a strict financial model which has slashed expenditure and made marquee signings a thing of the past.
The penalties for not doing so have become abundantly clear in recent years with Leeds in particular having paid the price for over-reaching themselves as they marched to the brink of Champions League glory.
Currently spending its ninth successive season out side the top flight, the West Yorkshire club has had to rebuild on and off the pitch, and as manager Brian McDermott and his players prepared to head for St James' Park for Wednesday night's Capital One Cup third round clash with Newcastle, Pardew admitted the Sky Bet Championship outfit's difficulties served as a cautionary tale.
He said: "We get criticised a lot for perhaps not over-spending and not perhaps being a little bit more ambitious in terms of our signings.
"But you can look at those other situations where it hasn't gone well, and Leeds are an example of that, unfortunately.
"But they are rebuilding and I know it is a much tighter ship now and hopefully, they are putting down the foundations to return to the Premier League."
The Newcastle boss is simply delighted to have a home tie in a domestic cup competition.
He has only taken charge of one at St James' Park since his appointment in December 2010, although the FA Cup third-round tie against Blackburn in January 2012 appears to have escaped his memory.
He said: "It's my first domestic tie at home - I am absolutely delighted with that and I certainly don't want to lose it.
"I have had some really tricky away ties in domestic competitions as manager of this club.
"But we had a little taster at home last year in the Europa League of what a night fixture is like here, and they were brilliant nights.
"For us, with Leeds bringing 5,000 fans and the great club they are, it's going to be a really good occasion."
Pardew intends to field a strong team, but there will be starts for Academy graduates Paul Dummett and Sammy Ameobi, and they will be joined in the team by Ivory Coast international Cheick Tiote.
The 52-year-old said: "We are putting out a strong side.
"But I do need to look at one or two to see if they can push to be starters for this team, and in particular two young players from our academy, Sammy Ameobi and Dummett, who have done absolutely brilliantly and are really knocking on the door of the first team, so those two will definitely play."
Boss Brian McDermott has distanced Leeds from speculation linking the club with a move for David Bentley.
Free agent Bentley, 29, is still without a club having been released by Tottenham at the end of last season.
Reports over the weekend linked Leeds with the former Arsenal, Blackburn and Tottenham midfielder but McDermott insists he already has enough cover in Bentley's position and he will not be signing players just for the sake of it.
"You can't take someone just because they are an easy deal," McDermott told the club's official website.
"We've got Ross McCormack in there and we've got El-Hadji Diouf in there, and they are similar players.
"I think David Bentley is a good player, but they're here and in that mould and the last thing you want to do is stockpile players in the same position. That isn't right."
As Leeds prepare to head to Newcastle, one of their biggest problems this season has been a lack of goals.
The Whites have scored just seven in the Sky Bet Championship and are still searching for an adequate replacement for Luciano Becchio who was sold to Norwich in January.
Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Burnley was their third loss in the last four games.
Leeds will monitor Sam Byram and Lee Peltier ahead of the trip to the north east.
Byram made his first start since April against Burnley following a hip injury but was feeling sore when he was withdrawn after an hour, and Peltier missed the defeat with a groin problem.
But a third full-back, Stephen Warnock, will be available after sitting out at the weekend through suspension.
Source: PA
