Is it manageable now? It seems to be working, although many fans still believe Mike Ashley has a lot to do with the backroom than some have us believe. Is Alan Pardew still an Ashley "Yes Man"?
Alan Pardew: "Stability of an eight year contract helps me and the club.
“I don’t know how long that’s going to last, or how many times that’s happened to a Newcastle manager before.
“A lot of it’s to do with Mike. Mike had been hurt by football. Previous managers and regimes he’d had looking after the club, I don’t think he felt comfortable that they were doing as perhaps he thought they should.
“I think, in me, he’s seen that I’m doing it in a controlled manner, in a correct businesslike manner, but also trying to perform the team beyond our expectations. That’s what I’m about.
“I think that’s what he’s about in his business. He wants to take on the big boys – Nike, Adidas or whatever – and I want to take on the big boys here.
“It is about trying to get the best you can with you’ve got.
“I haven’t got Manchester City’s hand here. I haven’t got Man United’s – I haven’t even got Tottenham’s, in my opinion – but I’ve still got a strong hand, and I’ll try to make it stronger.”