Pardew told the Northern Echo that "getting the sack was a relief for me". He insists he would have missed out on the opportunity of leading Newcastle to glory.
Alan Pardew: "If I'm honest, I was quite happy about it.
"I thought I'd done a good job but it was proving to be very very difficult to work with the owner.
"I wouldn't have jumped before I was pushed, but it was a difficult period working with Mr Cortese (pictured right).
"We just didn't see eye to eye. There was no nastiness in there, he just didn't want me as his manager and I think that was obviously coming through to me.
"I had a great relationship with the fans though and our performances were strong bearing in mind we had minus ten points and didn't really have a starting XI when I arrived.
"But the overriding factor for me was the players I left behind in League One.
"I’m talking Fontaine, Lallana, Calvin, Lambert, Puncheon, who I took to the club.
“I signed Lambert, aged 28, for £1million and told the chairman at the time he could play in the Premier League – and he’s proved me right.”
Source: Newcastle United Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
