Alan Pardew opens up about his 'success' at Newcastle, sales of high profile players, his stance on injuries and reveals his interesting plans for the future

In a revealing interview the former Magpies manager has talked about how he looks back on his time at United as a 'success', and that he feels because of the circumstances around the club at that time he feels he was in credit after leaving for Crystal Palace.

Speaking to the Times, Pardew, who was at United between December 2010 and January 2015, said of his black and white tenure: "It gets documented that my first year is a great success then it kind of fades away.

"That’s what people say about me. I could have arguments against that. I thought I had come back well at Newcastle with the second team I built there.

"I was unfortunate to lose that team to transfers - big players like Loic Remy, Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba.

"My win percentage in the Premier League, when you consider the clubs I’ve been at and the budgets I’ve had, I know it’s healthy.

"With buying and selling, I think I was in credit at Newcastle, not that the fans want to hear that."

In his four seasons at the club Pardew, a left-field appointment from the off, managed to muster just one top 10 finish - a remarkable run to 5th in 2011-12.

Finishes of 12th, 16th and 10th, as well as a heavy hand in the 15th place in 2014-15, in which United flirted with relegation right up until the final day, hardly make for impressive reading.

"I had to show a lot of resilience at Newcastle," Pardew explained.

"I soon realised you can’t always please people so you have to get about your job the best way you can.

"I just want to feel confident going into my job that I can have success - whether that’s trying to get promotion out of the Championship, win the African Nations Cup or, ideally, back in the Premier League.

"I want somewhere with a plan, a target.

"Wherever it is, I don’t want to hear there’s no ambition."

One of the big question marks around Pardew's time at St James's was with his injury record.

All too often large chunks of the United squad were out with what are seen by the professionals as preventable injuries.

Biting back the boss said: "When I started, the hard pre-season was a big thing, maybe too extreme among some, but I think we have come too far the other way.

"Doctors under pressure at Premier League level, sports scientists protecting themselves a little bit, sometimes worried what the chairman will think if there is any injury.

"I am not saying devalue them, don’t take their opinion. I just think we have become too protective."

Few would agree with the above but Pardew has never been shy in expressing his opinion, whether that be in supporting Mike Ashley or criticising the fans or his players.

So what next for him?

It seems like outspoken Pardew has some wide ranging ambitions.

"I have thought about going abroad," he said.

"The chances of the top six are slim when you’ve been sacked by Palace. My CV is what it is and I think I’m in a good place to go back in.

"I think some managers don’t go back in a good place.

"They are scarred by what’s happened before or worried that it’s going to happen to them again. I feel robust like that."

Pardew continued: "Sometimes you have to acknowledge some of your strengths can be your weaknesses.

"My career has stalled at the moment.

"But I think I’ll come out stronger and better. Otherwise I would go and sit in Barcelona, eat tapas."

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