Mariappa Missed The Boat - Better Players To Arrive

Published: 02 Feb 2012 - 11:42:04

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It was deadline-day disappointment for Newcastle as Watford's Adrian Mariappa failed to make the switch to Tyneside, but Alan Pardew wasn't too disappointed.

The Watford defender was allegedly "keen to join Newcastle" ... but it looks as though he is destined for a future in the Championship.

Pardew puts his faith in utility man James Perch as back-up for Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson, and said "I'm sure we will bring in a better defender in the summer."

Newcastle are set to wait until the summer, with Ajax’s Jan Vertonghen high on Pardew’s list.

Alan Pardew: “We can hold fire now for the centre-half and we can probably get a better deal when we do.

“I would like to have had a defender, but Perch did well at Brighton.

“You have to say that when he has come in he has done OK.

"He has boosted me a little bit on that front.

"But we kept our big names, and that is most important.

“By midnight last night I was hoping I would have nothing to worry about when it came to the big players. There were no bids.”

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