On his first day in the Newcastle hot seat, back in December 2010, Pardew fatefully proclaimed that Carroll would not be sold in the forthcoming January transfer window. This wasn't just a throwaway remark designed to placate an indignant supporters in the aftermath his contentious appointment as successor to Chris Hughton. It was a promise he committed too and a dangerous one at that. But as we already know, just over a month after making this pledge, Carroll traded his beloved black and white no.9 shirt for the red of Liverpool while Mike Ashley pocketed a mind-blowing £35 million for the Geordie striker and illustrated to us where the lines of authority were drawn at St James' Park. Pardew's reputation took a damaging hit as a result and established his position as a consenting subordinate to Ashley and his regime while the ramifications of his broken promise signalled the first fracture in his relationship with Magpies fans which has since developed into a irreparable chasm. True to type, however, Pardew sought to absolve himself of blame afterwards, saying: What can I say? We didnt force anybody to leave."