Kinnear ‘not plotting against Pardew’

Joe Kinnear has played down talk of behind-the-scenes turmoil at Newcastle, claiming he and manager Alan Pardew are “working together — not plotting against each other”.

Kinnear’s controversial summer appointment as the club’s director of football was seen by some as an undermining of Pardew’s position, which itself came under scrutiny as United battled relegation last season.

A 4-0 opening-weekend loss at Manchester City and a 0-0 draw with West Ham have added to the sense of frustration, but Kinnear insists all is well at St James’ Park.

“I don’t understand where the negativity has come from — we are two games into a 38-game season and already the doom-and-gloom merchants are looking for a scapegoat,” Kinnear said.

“Alan Pardew has signed 16 players costing £60m in the last two years, Newcastle United’s wage bill is now comfortably in the top 10 in the country, and he will continue to get all the support the club can reasonably provide,” Kinnear added.

“There seems to be a perception, from outside the club, that we are at loggerheads, but I don’t know why people are jumping on the bandwagon because it is a false picture.”