Source: Team_Talk
Pardew explains Nolan exit
Alan Pardew has said Newcastle decided to sell Kevin Nolan because they didn't believe he had another five years in him at the top level.[LNB] The 29-year-old left for relegated West Ham in a £4million move last month after failing to win the long-term contract he was looking for, much to the horror of Magpies fans who saw their team's inspirational captain contribute 12 goals to the cause last season.[LNB]Pardew was disappointed to lose Nolan, who had two years remaining on his existing deal, but insisted there would have been little point in keeping a disgruntled player.[LNB]He told BBC Radio Newcastle: "Kevin didn't want to stay, that's the end of the debate. Kevin couldn't get a contract for four or five years.[LNB]"My opinion is that we couldn't give Kevin a five-year contract because if Kevin isn't playing first-team football, he isn't going to be the leader that we want, I am convinced of that.[LNB]"Kevin is so full-on as the captain of a football club and at the level he has gone to now, he will easily cope with that and he will come back to the Premier League.[LNB]"But in four or five years' time, Kevin needs to be doing the business in the first team, and we couldn't and I couldn't see that possibly happening here at Newcastle, and we had to make a decision on that."[LNB]Pardew also has a decision to make with his goalkeepers with veteran Steve Harper, Holland international Tim Krul and Fraser Forster, who enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Celtic last season, all vying for the number one spot.[LNB]Indeed, one of the three is likely to be playing his football elsewhere during the next campaign rather than operating as number three at St James' Park.[LNB]Asked if he would keep all three, the manager said: "Probably not, actually, and that's a situation we have to be very careful of.[LNB]"They have all got a genuine, genuine chance to be number one, so when you suddenly become number three, that's a major issue and that will be a major issue for one of them.[LNB]"That's something we will have to deal with. In my mind - and hand on heart, I can say this - I haven't really got focused on one particularly goalie.[LNB]"Harps was great for me [last season]. He is brilliant in the changing room, he is brilliant in and around it, he knows Newcastle inside-out, he knows how it ticks.[LNB]"He will be important to us this year and he wants the number one shirt; Tim wants it - he has just had a brilliant game against Brazil in a full international; and Fraser is coming off a great season.[LNB]"It's a great situation for me, but I do need to make a call and I will genuinely, genuinely take all into account - Harps' history, Harps' experience against Tim's inexperience, but natural God-given talent, as with Fraser."
