Newcastle Banter Archive September 08 2011

08 Sep 2011 18:54:19
Pardew - don't blame
me for striker shortage

Comments from the manager to reporters on Thursday:
"The criticism that's going to come from not getting a striker in has some validity to it because seven months is a long time.

"But I can only say that from my point of view, we put the targets in front of the board and then it comes down to financial decisions, and that financial decision didn't take place.

"We bid for three or four players to fill one position and none of them came to fruition, and that's the disappointment that we have to face.

"I feel within the squad, there's a real camaraderie in there, a really good, strong spirit. Defensively, we have shown we are a tight unit and it's just about getting the goals now.

"It's going to be important that people step up to the plate and come out of the pack and score goals and contribute to goals with assists, and there's certainly enough talent in that squad to do that.

"Joey (Barton) is a controlled animal now on the football pitch. He's an aggressive player, but he has brought that under control.

"He's a very, very good player and somebody we need to make sure doesn't influence the game as much as he did for us.

"He hasn't got anything to prove to me or the staff here because the players all know how good he is. Obviously, there was a falling-out with the board that wasn't going to be rectified, so Joey has moved on.

"He's got himself a contract that he has earned through not just his ability, but the way he has conducted himself in the last couple of years especially, and we wish him well."