Source: PA
Pardew confident of summer spending go-ahead
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew remains convinced he will be given the bulk of the £35million the club raked in when they sold Andy Carroll to strengthen his squad.
Pardew spent most of January telling anyone who wanted to hear it that the England striker would not be sold until Liverpool made the Magpies an offer they could not refuse.
The manager was devastated to lose a player who had made a major impact in the Barclays Premier League but comforted by the belief that he would get the proceeds this summer provided he could keep the club in the top flight.
Speaking on a BBC Radio Newcastle phone-in, Pardew said: "I'm as sure as I can be that we will. We are in plans and negotiations with a couple of players out of contract in the summer.
"I understand the frustration with what's gone in the past. If I was a fan here would I be jumping up and down about Mike Ashley? Probably not. But he doesn't want to put his investment into this club to come here and lose games and be abused.
"I know Mike Ashley this well - there's no point him paying for me and my staff to fly around Europe if he had no interest in buying players. Some of the expense is phenomenal. I genuinely feel he wants to say, 'I got it right here'. Hopefully he's going to prove that."
