Source: Northern_Echo
Pardew wants to tinker with squad
HIS predecessor might have ruled out any arrivals during the January, but Newcastle boss Alan Pardew last night revealed he intends to tinker with his squad next month, writes SCOTT WILSON.[LNB] Pardew has assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the squad he inherited from Chris Hughton, and while satisfied with the overall standard, has already identified a number of areas that lack depth.[LNB] Hughton claimed he would not be making any signings in January, but having discussed a transfer budget with chief executive Derek Llambias prior to his appointment, Pardew is hoping to be more active.[LNB] He will not make wholesale changes, but there could well be a heightened level of action.[LNB] It will be tinkering rather than major surgery, he said.[LNB] Pardew is expected to prioritise the purchase of a left-back to compete with Jose Enrique and a replacement centre-forward.[LNB] He added: You have to be delicate with this group.[LNB] The senior players are important because we need to stabilise and make sure we're a Premier League club next year, that's our priority. But I know the window is looming and I need to make sure no one by-passes us that becomes available in January.[LNB] It's a window where a lot of mistakes are made, where clubs pay over the odds for players and fees way beyond a player's ability.[LNB] It's important we target players who are important to us in some of the areas where we're weaker. But they're going to have to have the right character, and the finance is going to have to work for us as well, otherwise we'll go to the summer.[LNB] Despite only having been appointed last Thursday, Pardew has already seen enough to conclude that character is a key consideration when assessing a potential Newcastle signing.[LNB] The club's recent history is littered with supposedly bigname players who struggled to cope with the unique demands of playing for the Magpies Jermaine Jenas' famous life in a goldfish bowl quote provided a succinct summation of the s e e m i n g l y - r e l e n t l e s s pressures and Pardew intends to carry out some intensive research before he reaches for his cheque book next month.[LNB] Talent will clearly be a major consideration, especially if he is weighing up a permanent transfer rather than a loan move, but temperament will be every bit as important.[LNB] It's important to listen to your staff, and Steve Stone has already told me about players we've signed in the past who haven't been big enough to play for the club,[LNB] said Pardew. I understand that.[LNB] There was a similar thing at West Ham. Their fans can be a critical group at times, they can destroy players. I took Hayden Mullins from Palace and he didn't start well, but he had the character to pull through and have a good few years there.[LNB] It's the same at Newcastle, and that's the type of attitude I'll be looking for. The players have to have that resolve about them.[LNB] A number of players within the squad fit that template, and if anything, the likes of Steve Harper, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan have been accused of being too influential when it comes to the day-to-day running of the club.[LNB] Pardew's first opportunity to upset one of the trio comes when Newcastle travel to Birmingham tomorrow, as he must decide whether to restore a fit-again Harper back to the starting line-up ahead of Tim Krul.[LNB] The decision will be instructive, as it will indicate to what extent the new boss is mindful of the internal politics at work within the Newcastle dressing room, but Pardew insists he is more than happy to have influential characters at his disposal.[LNB] I've always had a good relationship with senior players as a whole, he said.[LNB] There are always going to be one or two who you leave out and who are disconcerted if they don't fit into your plan, but I try to be honest.[LNB] I think I've changed as a manager a bit in that respect.[LNB] I'm not as brash as I was at first, and that's made me a more rounded manager to deal with certain players.[LNB] All good management is a drip feed. You put the right things in place and, while they might not bear fruit immediately, you'll get there with the players in the end.[LNB]
