Joe Kinnear does not interfere. There is no crossover

You would expect Alan Pardew to be reticent about Joe Kinnear’s return to St James’ Park as director of football. If the appointment in itself was not astounding enough, Kinnear’s mangling of the names of some of the Newcastle players turned it into a Monty Python sketch.

Pardew will not tell me if Mike Ashley warned him of Kinnear’s arrival during the close season. All he says is: “He alluded to me he was going to bring in a football director. I’m the football manager of Newcastle, which is owned by Mike Ashley. It was Mike’s decision and I abide by that.”