Newcastle News: Joe Kinnear Officially In Charge At St. James' Park
Mail Online. The appointment would seem to undermine Pardew's position at St. James' Park, especially given the fact both he and chief scout Graham Carr will have to answer to him. Kinnear, who managed the Magpies between 2008 and 2009, has been handed a great amount of power at the North East club and will answer only to owner Mike Ashley when it comes to footballing matters. He will also have the same amount of say over transfer dealings as Pardew, and is expected to travel with the first team squad on match days. He will even base himself at the club's training ground. The appointment of Kinnear as director of football is viewed by some as a cynical ploy by Ashley to force Pardew into resigning from his contract, which still has a huge seven years left to run. Following their demoralising Premier League campaign last year in which the side were nearly relegated from the top flight for the second time since 2009, it is understood patience has at last run thin with Pardew, but the club's hierarchy do not want to sack him because they would then have to fork out on a huge compensation package. If Pardew resigns however, the club would not have to pay him off. Last night Kinnear gave a bizarre interview to talkSPORT in which he mispronounced Toon midfielder Yohan Cabaye's name as "Yohan Kebab". Both he and Pardew are set to meet later today and will likely lie low from the media frenzy and refrain from giving interviews in the wake of Kinnear's appointment.