Pardew quiet as Kinnear’s Newcastle job confirmed

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was keeping his own counsel after the club finally confirmed Joe Kinnear’s arrival as director of football.

Despite the 66-year-old claiming Pardew was “delighted” by his appointment, there was no ringing endorsement – or indeed, any endorsement – from him when the Irishman’s return to the club was formalised by an official statement. However, he and chief scout Graham Carr will find themselves working under Kinnear, who will report directly to the club’s board and owner Mike Ashley.

Managing director Derek Llambias said: “The board is pleased to welcome Joe back to the club. Joe has many years of experience working within the game and this experience will be of great benefit to the club in achieving our objectives over the coming seasons.”

The confirmation arrived two days after Kinnear himself announced his impending return to the club he managed for a little more than six months during the ill-fated 2008-09 season.

He has since conducted a series of outspoken interviews, one of which included a claim that Pardew had nothing to fear from him and that he had been recruited to provide the manager with the best possible team.

However, how that relationship will work remains to be seen, with many onlookers predicting Pardew’s chances of seeing out much more of the eight-year contract he signed in September have decreased markedly in the past 48 hours.

Kinnear won only five of the 26 games Newcastle contested under his charge before ill-health forced his departure. He at times appears to enjoy a tenuous relationship with facts – he claimed to have signed goalkeeper Tim Krul, who made his senior debut for the club in November 2006 – and suggested Llambias had resigned – he has not and remains managing director.

He will have done little to endear himself to the current playing staff, having last night mispronounced many of their names during a radio interview, referring to France international Yohan Cabaye as “Yohan Kebab”.