Newcastle United

In modern football, few players show enough loyalty to stay with a club for six years. Fewer still come from the other side of the world and watch their employers go down to the second-tier, before opting to stay put and fight for promotion the coming year. 

Newcastle United centre-back Fabricio Coloccini meets those requisites. Allowing for the odd rumour that the Argentinian is keen to head back to first club San Lorenzo, a story that has never really turned into anything concrete, the former Albiceleste international has given the St. James Park faithful sterling service. 

In six years, the Magpies captain has represented the club 221 times and is well-respected as an icon at the troubled north-east institution. 

But at 32, could Coloccini be in line for a challenge far greater than any he has faced so far in his career; that of combining his playing duties with a first shot at management? 

It is no secret that Alan Pardew is under pressure in the Newcastle hot seat. After seven games, his charges have yet to record a single win in the Premier League. Four draws and three defeats, including a humiliating 4-0 reverse at the hands of Southampton, leaves the club inside the relegation zone. 

A supposed joke by owner Mike Ashley stating that he would sack Pardew if Newcastle went down to Stoke City, as reported by The Telegraph's Luke Edwards, ultimately proved to be just that, as the manager kept his position following a 1-0 reverse. Without a doubt, the international break was well-timed to ease the pressure, although a home defeat at the weekend against Leicester City would surely be the final straw. 

As far-fetched as it sounds, Coloccini could be a candidate to step in and revitalise the flagging Magpies as player-manager. At least, The Telegraph's Matt Law maintains in an article penned back in September that Ashley would consider the defender as a serious alternative to Pardew should his time at Newcastle come to an end. 

The increasing weight the Argentinian holds in the dressing room, where it is said that he gave half-time pep talks while the current manager served a lengthy ban last season, would allow him to command instant respect with the players around him. Assistant manager John Carver's disastrous caretaker period in the absence of Pardew, where the Magpies lost six out of seven, also gives Coloccini the advantage over the boss' right-hand man. 

However, it would be a monumental risk to throw the defender in at the deep end. Coloccini has never managed or coached, and at 32 he could continue playing for at least four more years; certainly, there is no rush to take a managerial job at this point in his career. 

The Chronicle's Lee Ryder points at the signing of Facundo Ferreyra from Shakhtar Donetsk, apparently on his compatriot's direct recommendation, as evidence that he may not quite be ready for the bench.

"If that is an early indication of Coloccini’s eye for a player then his pal needs to get his shooting boots on if the defender really feels he can do the job as Toon boss," the writer opines, referring to the ex-Velez man's less than auspicious start to life in the north-east. 

Ashley would also have to consider the implications of placing a novice in charge of the underachieving side. Already resisted by a significant portion of the Toon Army, placing Coloccini in the hot seat would attract suggestions that economy was prioritised over quality. More bad results would make his position almost untenable, as well as seriously jeopardising Newcastle's place in the top-flight. 

There is a chance that Newcastle fans may see their captain in the dugout, if only for a brief period. Should results not pick up, removing Pardew and Carver from their posts and installing the Argentinian as a caretaker, charged with improving morale and demanding an instant reaction from team-mates, could be an interesting tactic. 

But on a permanent basis, Ashley would be better served hiring an established managerial talent, leaving Coloccini to marshal the Newcastle defence as he has done with distinction for the last six years. 

Updates from Thursday, Oct. 16

Tim Krul will be available for Newcastle's weekend clash with Leicester despite the elbow damage detected on international duty.

Alan Pardew reported the news, via Newcastle's official Twitter:

Original Text

Tim Krul has sustained ligament damage in his elbow, scan results revealed on Wednesday. The Newcastle United goalkeeper sustained the original injury while on international duty with the Netherlands.

The 26-year-old Dutch stopper is likely to miss the Magpies' trip to take on newly promoted Leicester City. That's a blow considering Krul is one of the more capable keepers in the Premier League.

Anthony Marshall confirmed Krul underwent a scan on Monday, per the team's official website:

Newcastle United have received the results of goalkeeper Tim Krul's scan on Monday.

It showed ligament damage to his left elbow and Krul will be assessed further by the Magpies' medical staff ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture against Leicester City.

While Marshall appears to have left the door ajar for Krul to possibly be available for the Leicester trip, fans shouldn't get their hopes up. It's standard practice for a club to defer to its own medical experts whenever one of its players is injured on international duty.

Often times, it's merely due diligence that simply confirms the initial diagnosis. That's bad news for under-fire boss Alan Pardew.

He has likely been left fuming by the timing of this recent international break and what it has cost his team, per Louise Taylor of The Guardian:

Alan Pardew’s hopes of enhancing his job security while presiding over a revival at Newcastle United have not been improved by the news that Tim Krul has undergone a scan to assess the seriousness of an elbow injury.

The Dutch goalkeeper has been one of Pardew’s most reliable performers this season and, with Newcastle still seeking a first Premier League win of the campaign, the manager could have done without him damaging an arm with Holland.

Taylor also confirmed that Krul, who sustained the injury in a training session alongside his international teammates, will likely be replaced by Rob Elliot.

The 28-year-old former Charlton Athletic man will be entering a team desperate for a win. The Magpies haven't won a league fixture yet, losing three and drawing in four of their seven contests.

Magpies fans will be in no mood for failure at Leicester's King Power Stadium. Certain supporters have taken to protesting against Pardew and owner Mike Ashely, but ex-Chairman Sir John Hall has tried to dissuade them, per Daily Star writer Ian Murtagh.

Pardew will be desperate for Elliot to produce in Krul's absence. He has started in both of Newcastle's Capital One Cup fixtures this season. But he could have a hard time of it against Nigel Pearson's Foxes.

Krul's potential absence would hinder Pardew's defence against a Leicester team that has held Arsenal and put five goals past Manchester United at home already this season.

Alan Pardew is already resorting to desperate measures in order to save his job at Newcastle United.

On Friday, the under-fire Pardew told reporters (via the BBC):

I don't shy away from it and I'm not going to hide. I'm not holding any grievance against the media, or some of our more militant fans, or the guys who printed the posters [calling for Pardew's sacking].

I've been out and about and had a few fans telling me their opinions, quite strongly. A few cars are diving a bit too close to me.

I get it. I will go home, shine my manager of the year trophy and give myself a bit of confidence.

This is perhaps typical Pardew; a potentially valid point made in a way seemingly designed specifically to antagonise. The Englishman might have been trying to make the point that he surely could not have completely lost the skills that saw him named manager of the year in 2011/12—then again his raising of past glories seems remarkably, even belligerently, tone deaf to the current issues within the club.

Shining his individual trophies might help—who knows, it could be lucky—but it is only results and performances that can truly save him now. Club owner Mike Ashley famously told The Independent Pardew would be “finished” if the Magpies lost to Stoke City on Monday; a 1-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium means it is a wonder the axe has not already fallen.

Only Ashley knows why it has not. Perhaps he is still to line up a replacement (in the past that has certainly seemed to be his preferred approach) or perhaps, after his “finished” comments were made in a London pub, he did not want to be appearing to hold himself to comments he had made in less-than-professional surroundings.

Thirdly, perhaps he genuinely believes Pardew can turn things around if he is given more time. Firing the boss might not be expensive—despite still having six years left on his contract, it must be assumed there are plenty of break clauses within it—but this is the perfect chance to put all those old adages about managers and continuity to the test.

After all, the summer to this season started with many similarities to that award-winning campaign Pardew is so keen to recall. Like three years ago, Newcastle seemed to add astutely to their squad in the summer, addressing some of their glaring deficiencies (Remy Cabella bringing creativity, Emmanuel Riviere a robust physical presence to lead the line) while sticking to a relatively tight budget (offloading a number of big earners and expendable squad members).

On paper the squad looked comfortably good enough to finish in the top half this season. Perhaps, with a bit more time for the players to jell, Pardew can guide the team to that sort of finish (the season is just six games old, after all). That might be Ashley’s thinking.

The problem with that stance is that lightning does not always strike twice, and in the modern game when you try and enhance a squad on a budget you are invariably likely to end up disappointed.

Cabella already looks too raw right now for the Premier League, while Riviere appears anything but prolific. Newcastle’s current 19th place should be a cause for alarm, however early it may be in the scheme of things.

Not only that, Pardew may already have lost the dressing room and, once that happens, it is very hard to get it back.

Newcastle were utterly abject in the recent 4-0 defeat to Southampton, and similarly inept in the away defeat to Stoke. The home performances have been marginally better—they have drawn their last two games, against Crystal Palace and Hull City—but the team seems unwilling, or unable, to perform without the home fans roaring them on.

That is a damning indictment of the players, first and foremost, but it does not reflect well on their boss either.

“I will not criticise the players,” Pardew added. “I don’t need to criticise them publicly.

“They get enough on that training ground from me, trust me. I want them better, I want them stronger and I want them playing harder. That stays where it should stay in my opinion.”

As generally dislikeable as Pardew may be—has he ever left a club on good terms?—it should be said he is not solely responsible for the current malaise at St James’ Park. Ashley deserves his share of the blame; if anything, the longer Pardew stays in the job the longer attention is deflected from the owner’s own shortcomings. For Ashley there is a certain sense in keeping Pardew around, even if he is now having a negative impact in matters on the pitch.

The club has already publicly declared its aim is simply to survive in the Premier League, to the exclusion of any cup runs, with Ashley unwilling to sanction the sort of slightly more ambitious spending that could see the club push towards the European places.

Money has been restricted for new players, even as Ashley's businesses continue to grow (along with his stake in another club, Rangers, as per the BBC).

Newcastle have perhaps the biggest and most passionate fanbase outside of the most successful clubs in the country—yet season ticket sales are down as the club’s approach distances its most valuable resource. If the club is not pursuing cup or league success, then what exactly have the fans got to get excited about?

In theory the club, which is for sale at the right price, should have plenty of suitors—after all, it is not so long ago it was a consistent Champions League side, one capable of attracting great players from around Europe.

The potential for growth—to return to that point—is huge, but the fact Ashley has entertained few genuine bids for the club speaks to how much work any new owners would need to do to freshen up the squad, redefine its style of play and bring back enthusiasm and passion to a dissatisfied collection of supporters.

Those issues would affect the pursuit of any new manager too. With so much work needed to overhaul things, and with so many limits in place in terms of transfers and budgets, a lot of candidates who would otherwise be interested in the opportunity will surely be turned away.

Perhaps Ashley is already experiencing that issue, as he plots a post-Pardew landscape.

If and when Pardew leaves Newcastle, there will not be the raft of strong candidates queuing up for the job that one might anticipate. That is not the result of anything Pardew has done, that is the influence of the owner.

Replacing Pardew might improve matters—how could they get much worse?—but it is a change at the top, of attitude or personnel, that is really needed for the good times to return on Tyneside.

When it comes to Newcastle, almost nothing is ever straightforward.   

According to The Independent's Vivek Chaudhary, club owner Mike Ashley said that defeat to Stoke City on Monday will cost manager Alan Pardew his job.

"He's got one more game," Ashley said. "If we lose against Stoke on Monday night then he's gone. I have had enough."

Chaudhary also wrote:

Making a throat-cutting gesture, Ashley added: "Dead. Finished. Over. One more game then that’s it. What would you do? I have spent a lot of money on that club, it's cost me a lot. I won't put up with it any more. Honestly, answer me, what would you do? One more loss and he's gone, he's over, finished."

However, Ashley's lawyers later stated that the comments were made in jest and that Pardew's job isn't actually on the line over the coming days.

Unrest has been brewing among Newcastle supporters for a few years now, but things are coming to a head this season. They're upset with what they believe to be the stagnation of the club and have made Pardew one of their biggest targets as a result.

Through five games, the Magpies are last in the Premier League table with three points. They've yet to pick up a win. Last Saturday, they needed two late goals just to salvage a home draw against Hull City.

The Telegraph's Paul Hayward understands why Pardew is receiving the blame but feels the larger problem at Newcastle is Ashley:

Ashley has invested quite a bit of money during his time as owner, but he seems content for Newcastle to just remain in the Premier League rather than push on for a top-four spot.

Whether Pardew stays or not, things are bound to pick up for the club sooner or later as summer additions Emmanuel Riviere, Remy Cabella and Daryl Janmaat become more acquainted with the team's style and the Premier League in general.

Newcastle also have the most injuries of any club in the league, according to PhysioRoom.com. One of the players currently out is Siem de Jong, and once he comes back, he will bring some much-needed creativity and attacking verve.

His return might come too late to save Pardew's job, however.

Faustino Asprilla is launching an odd post-footballing career endeavour: condoms. 

Yes, the former Newcastle forward is making his foray into the safe-sex world by venturing into the condom business, hoping to prevent unplanned pregnancies in his native Colombia. 

The 44-year-old dubbed his condom line "Tino," and he has said they've already started production in China. 

Better yet, they'll even have a flavoured line. His recommended variety? Guava. 

"When I was growing up, we had a guava tree in our garden and that's a flavour and aroma that's very good for romancing," he told Colombian radio station La FM, according to Liam Prenderville of the Daily Mirror. 

He's no stranger to the sex business. Asprilla was once offered £7,000 to star in an adult film where his nickname "The Octopus" would take on new meaning.

He scored 18 goals for Newcastle between 1996 and 1998 before moving to Seria A side Parma. 

[Daily Mirror] 

With Newcastle United on the verge of defeat, forward Papiss Demba Cisse came off the bench and delivered a transcendent performance to salvage a draw on Saturday.

The Magpies trailed Hull City 2-0 at home when embattled manager Alan Pardew made the decision to insert Cisse into the match in the 69th minute. It was a big moment for Cisse as he had been out of action since April with a knee injury.

Much to the surprise of many Newcastle supporters, Lee Ryder of The Chronicle reported prior to Saturday's Matchday 5 encounter that Pardew was considering making Cisse part of the squad:

Cisse was ultimately included as a substitute, and the decision paid absolutely massive dividends.

While Pardew's move turned out to be a great one, the Newcastle fans weren't particularly thrilled about it at first, per Mark Douglas of The Chronicle:

After replacing Emmanuel Riviere, it didn't take long for Cisse to make his presence felt. Just four minutes later, the Senegalese star put Newcastle on the board off a feed from Cheick Tiote, according to Newcastle's official Twitter account:

It was a dramatic, feel-good goal for Cisse after so much time on the shelf, but he had even more magic left in his legs. With just a few minutes remaining in the match, the 29-year-old striker came through once again as he deposited a Yoan Gouffran pass in the back of the Hull City net, per The Premier League's Twitter account:

Ryder provided comments from Cisse after the match:

The 2-2 draw allowed Newcastle to move from last place in the EPL to 18th, and it took some of the pressure off the squad and Pardew specifically. While the Magpies have a lot of work left to do, Cisse's heroic performance could be a catalyst.

Cisse drew a great deal of praise for the performance, including some from former MLS star Jimmy Conrad:

Also, Gary Lineker of NBC Sports Network suggested that Cisse may not be done despite many writing him off prior to the match:

Pardew and Newcastle fans had better hope that there is more where that came from regarding Cisse. The Magpies were struggling mightily to score consistently prior to Saturday's match, but Senegal's favorite son added another dimension to the attack.

It will be interesting to see if the adrenaline and excitement attached to his return fueled Cisse, or if his dominant form is sustainable.

If it is, then Newcastle have an opportunity to make a move up the table in the coming weeks.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

Young Argentina forward Facundo Ferreyra has proved on more than one occasion that he is a top prospect. But so far in his fledgling career "Chucky" has failed to settle; a loan move to the Premier League with Newcastle United after leaving Shakhtar Donetsk in the wake of the Malaysia Airlines disaster is just the latest new start for the wandering striker. 

Anyone who has seen Ferreyra since his first steps in professional football, representing Banfield, marked him out for big things. A subsequent move to local heavyweights Velez Sarsfield showed for the first time what would become a hallmark of the youngster: the stuttering start. 

Injury and poor form interrupted the player's integration in Liniers, but once he got going he was a force to be reckoned with. As The Guardian's Jonathan Wilson pointed out, a brilliant hat-trick away to 2012's defending Clausura champions Arsenal de Sarandi was all Ferreyra needed to subsequently break loose and finish joint top-scorer in the Apertura competition. 

The key to making him tick, then, does exist. But what do Newcastle have to do in order to unlock the 23-year-old striker's full potential? 

To start with, they could try actually putting him on the pitch. Ferreyra has yet to play a single minute of Newcastle's Premier League campaign, overlooked by manager Alan Pardew in favour of burly ex-Monaco man Emmanuel Riviere and, off the bench, Ayoze Perez. The Argentine has not even made it into Pardew's 18-man matchday squad, and results would suggest something is going wrong at St. James' Park. 

Newcastle currently lie rock-bottom of the Premier League, with just two points out of a possible 12 and having finished without a goal in three of their four outings this season. It is frankly a pathetic return. Riviere and Perez have failed to hit the net once between them, and while it is far from solely the strikers' fault it would appear clear that an injection of fresh blood up front could hardly fare worse for the Magpies. 

Ferreyra may have to wait a little longer for his bow. The South Shields Gazzette reported that a back injury ruled him out of the 4-0 drubbing to Southampton that piled further pressure on Pardew's shoulders, although it should be a minor knock. But if he does get the chance, the manager must utilise his Argentine youngster efficiently. 

The centre-forward is no shrinking violet when it comes to physical play, growing up as he did among the Primera Division's bloodthirsty centre-backs who are all too happy to cut a presumptious prospect down to size. But the rough and tumble is not his strongest suit. 

Ferreyra plays most effectively on the shoulder of a target man, such as Lucas Pratto, who possessed in Velez both the strength on the ball and intelligent distribution to release his partner towards goal to brilliant effect. Up front on his own or out wide, as demonstrated with Shakhtar Donetsk, Chucky can become frustrated and isolated, drifting out of the game. 

It would be a giant leap to suggest that the striker is the answer to beleaguered Newcastle fans' prayers. But if he can be incorporated into the squad, surrounded by a team committed to short, intelligent passing and efficient use of the ball, Ferreyra at least has a chance of contributing with a handful of the goals that the Magpies sorely need even at such an early stage of the season. 

Newcastle United is a club in peril, and with manager Alan Pardew's job in the balance after a gutless display culminated in a 4-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, via The Guardian's Paul Doyle, circumstances might not improve any time soon.

News outlets are awash with the news that Pardew's tenure on the Tyne is almost at an inglorious end, with his successor allegedly lined up before the 53-year old is even out the door at St. James Park.  BBC Sport have spoken of Hull boss Steve Bruce's displeasure of being touted as Pardew's replacement—but all of that is window dressing to hide the real issues at the heart of Pardew's position.

There are several serious problems which are threatening the security of Pardew's job, and they all begin and end with the team.

One prominent issue involves the state of the squad following the transfer window.

Newcastle's performance at St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday was so utterly devoid of drive, determination and ambition that Pardew cannot possibly be blamed for all of it.  It reeked of a squad rife with a lack of understanding, both with one another and with the tactics the manager is trying to implement. 

It leaves Newcastle glued to the bottom of the Premier League table, having taken just two points from the possible 12.

A lot of this can be attributed to the transfer window, where an influx of several players has left the squad in a state of disarray.

There have been some notable arrivals in Newcastle, granted.  Thus far, the liveliest appears to be Remy Cabella, formerly of Montpellier, who has looked capable albeit being culpable for defensive errors aplenty with the rest of his new colleagues.  In contrast, Emmanuel Riviere, also formerly of Ligue 1, has yet to get off the mark after a string of indifferent performances. 

Once Loic Remy's loan period expired, Pardew knew he would be short of goals—granted, the long-term injury to Siem de Jong, via Louise Taylor of the Guardian, could not have been foreseen.  Yet his new men have failed to take chances, or show the particular hunger to do so.

But it's another area—an area notably left untouched over the summer—where Newcastle's greatest flaws were highlighted on Saturday. 

The two centre-backs, Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini, were at the epicentre of Newcastle's abject performance.  Fraught with positional errors, glaring lack of spacial awareness and with drive and determination nowhere to be seen, the pair put in an embarrassing shift on the South Coast.

With funds at his disposal over the summer, Pardew could have shored up his centre of defence, certainly.  But if his new attackers and midfielders are slow to find their best form for Newcastle, who's to say a new centre-back would fit in immediately?

The whole conundrum shapes up to suggest the players, like the fans, have no faith in their gaffer.

So what has changed for Newcastle?  Certainly, this downward spiral has been in effect for some time now: only five points snatched from the last 12 league games, per Doyle's Guardian report.  Yet only two summers ago, the Magpies were in dreamland after a fifth placed Premier League finish, something not achieved since 2004 and the days of Alan Shearer and Sir Bobby Robson.

Pardew's current squad isn't dramatically better or worse than its 2012 counterpart.  Yet the glut of English players in the side of yesteryear is absent now.

Be it the language barrier of having so many foreign players or simply the fact that many of the names from 2012 are no longer in the north-east, Pardew has a dangerous disconnect with his players.

This could well be seen as Pardew's own undoing, if it were not for the fact that Newcastle's board took an advanced role in this summer's transfer dealings (per The Journal's Stuart Rayner).

Signings taking time to adapt to new surroundings is no alien concept.  Yet this Newcastle side replete with new names was up against Southampton, who started six of their own summer signings in the 4-0 win.  Ronald Koeman's men, judging by their performance, had no trouble assimilating their new boys to the attacking football the Saints' faithful love to see.

So why can't Pardew's new signings—or his stalwarts, like Williamson and Coloccini, for that matter—play for their manager the way Koeman's men can?

The squad, talented as it is, is aimless on the pitch.  There are areas of real strength—full-back is one, with Daryl Janmaat joining the talented Davide Santon and Massadio Haidara.  Yet these aren't translating to performances of Premier League calibre on matchday.

Generally speaking, the squad aren't enjoying their football, and they certainly aren't enjoying playing for Pardew.  For a squad of genuine quality in several areas, the lack of ambition displayed on Saturday was staggering.  The drama surrounding the club and its ownership can't help, either (via Damian Spellman, The Independent).

There are an awful lot of factors transpiring to make Newcastle United the most dramatic club in English football at the moment.  Yet, as the old adage confirms, it's a results-driven business—and if the players aren't playing up to their potential, the results won't come.

Pardew looks set to be the next managerial casualty of this young Premier League season.  Unless, of course, he can conjure up some sort of scheme to win the hearts and minds of an entire squad and an entire city.

If he can and start leading the Magpies to some respectable results in the process, it'll be the crowning glory of his career.

Newcastle United have banned the Daily Telegraph from St. James' Park after the newspaper posted "wholly inaccurate" reports stating owner Mike Ashley is ready to sell the club and launch a takeover bid for Rangers. An official club statement detailed the offending articles:

The reports by Luke Edwards on 11th September, and again today (12th September), are wholly inaccurate and written with the intention of unsettling the Club, players and its supporters.

This is disgraceful journalism for which the Club and its supporters should receive a full and unreserved apology from those concerned.

The original report was titled, "Newcastle United For Sale As Ashley Eyes Rangers," per the Daily Telegraph's website. Newcastle state this is "factually inaccurate" and that all reporters working for the publication and its sister titles, including freelancers, are no longer allowed access to the stadium or press conferences.

Luke Edwards penned the Daily Telegraph's report, saying Ashley is "poised to end" his "troubled" seven-year spell with the club. He notes the Sports Direct owner is "interested" in taking "complete control" at Rangers, where he recently attempted to increase his stake.

Edwards noted the likelihood of Rangers returning to the Champions League in the future is great, saying Ashley's desire to sell Newcastle has "increased" with this realisation.

Interestingly, Newcastle's statement took the opportunity to clear reports up, but it remained inconclusive when addressing Ashley's long-term plans: "The truth is Mike Ashley remains committed to Newcastle United. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that for the remainder of this season and AT LEAST until the end of next season, Mike Ashley will not, under any circumstances, sell Newcastle United at any price."

Rangers have been facing financial difficulties of late, according to BBC Sport, and they have a plan to sell shares to interested parties. Ashley formally denied interest in shares, according to the report: "Ashley, a current shareholder in the company, had been mooted as an underwriter for the entire issue, but said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange: 'I will not be participating in the Open Offer which closes at 11am today, Friday, September 12, 2014.'"

This isn't the first case of Newcastle banning reporters due to unfavourable coverage. Journalists from local papers the Journal, Evening Chronicle and Sunday Sun were previously written to by the club in 2013, as confirmed by Simon Bird of the Daily Mirror, the regional publications' parent group.

This saw up to 50 pages of club coverage removed per week due to the reporting "of a fan-organised protest march" against Ashley. Bird indicated 10 journalists had been banned prior to Friday's statement.

Alan Pardew's men are preparing for a tough trip to Southampton on Saturday, where they are to face Ronald Koeman's new-look Saints team. The Magpies have also started the campaign with plenty of new faces and are currently 16th after losing to Manchester City and acquiring draws with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

Newcastle have just one win in their last 15 Premier League matches, per Edwards. Pardew needs to put a run of form together quickly after spending on players such as Remy Cabella, Daryl Janmaat and Emmanuel Riviere this summer. Winnable games against Hull City, Crystal Palace and Stoke City are on the horizon for a team that is trying to jell.

The banning situation provides unwanted attention heading into the Southampton match. Newcastle are often close to the headlines but need to quickly focus if they are to rise through the Premier League rankings.

Ashley's future plans appear complex and are likely to receive plenty of coverage across the coming weeks, even after Newcastle's denial he is planning to sell. The club have provided supporters with a clear message that no immediate changes are coming, although many would have liked greater clarity when discussing the period after next season.