Pardew is facing a crisis in his relationship with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley that will test his resolve to stay as manager.
Pardew is still trying to come to terms with the arrival of former Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear as director of football, whose return has echoes of 2008, when Ashley unwittingly sowed the seeds of Kevin Keegan resignation by putting Dennis Wise in charge of player recruitment.
Keegan quit with a parting shot which left Geordie fans seething about the owner's role in his departure.
"It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that a club should not impose upon any manager any player he does not want," he said.
Pardew could find himself in a similar situation, with Kinnear being given the final say about who is signed.
It was Pardew who helped to get fans off Ashley's back.
But the decision to hire Kinnear has once again got the fires of passion burning on Tyneside, with Ashley the fan's target.
The difference now is that he is without the support of Derek Llambias, who quit as chief executive last week, allegedly because he was not consulted about the appointment of Kinnear.
Kinnear said today that Pardew will be the mouthpiece of the club ... but not at the moment.
All we have had in ten days is a simple statement: "I'm staying at the club".
Nothing more.
I bet he's written, and rewritten, his opening speech a hundred times.
What can the bloke say that will convince us he's not STILL Ashley's Puppet?
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES:
Motherwell (A) July 16Rio Ave (A) July 20Pacos Ferreira (A) July 23Blackpool (A) July 29St Mirren (A) July 31Braga (H) August 10
WE TELL IT AS IT IS - NO BULLSHIT!
Follow Newcastle Utd-Mad on Facebook:- Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Newcastleutd-mad/199695536844554
NEWCASTLE UNITED FIXTURES ...
Saturday August 17 15:00Premier League Manchester City v Newcastle United Saturday August 24 15:00Premier League Newcastle United v West Ham United Saturday August 31 15:00Premier League Newcastle United v Fulham Saturday September 14 15:00Premier League Aston Villa v Newcastle United Saturday September 21 15:00Premier League Newcastle United v Hull City Saturday September 28 15:00Premier League Everton Newcastle v United Saturday October 5 15:00Premier League Cardiff City v Newcastle United Saturday October 19 15:00Premier League Newcastle United v Liverpool Saturday October 26 15:00Premier League Sunderland v Newcastle United Saturday November 2
Source: Newcastle United Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
