Pardew is going nowhere (From The Northern Echo)

Pardew is going nowhere

8:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport By Steph Clark

NEWCASTLE UNITED manager Alan Pardew has cited his relationship with owner Mike Ashley as a big reason why he is happy at the club after ruling himself out of the running to become the next England boss.

Fabio Capello resigned on Wednesday and Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is the bookmakers' favourite to take over from Capello. Pardew's name has also been linked.

But while he is flattered to be considered a candidate, Pardew yesterday distanced himself from the job, insisting he is keen to continue the project he has started on Tyneside.

Having banked £35m from the sale of Andy Carroll over a year ago, Pardew has been allowed to bring in the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, Davide Santon and Papiss Cisse.

And with the Magpies sitting fifth in the Premier League, Pardew, also touted as a possible replacement for Redknapp at Spurs, admits he is not interested in leaving.

"The important thing about our jobs is that you've got to feel comfortable in the position as manager and I do feel comfortable here - comfortable in the surroundings and the fans and the board, in particular," said Pardew, ahead of meeting Tottenham tomorrow.

"That doesn't always work well with the manager, but it seems to be working well at the moment. That's the sort of environment you look for as a manager.

"When you're going to say the captain is no longer the captain, when that decision is taken, you should be consulted as manager and I'm not sure how much involvement he had.

"If Mike said to me 'Colo's not going to be captain any more' I'd want to discuss it and go through every little nook and cranny.

"The same applies to that (Spurs job).

"You can never determine, because the club has a say in that as well, but as far as I'm concerned my focus is very much here.

"I think it's important to say that because there will be speculation. That can be very damaging to the players and staff here, so I want to make it very clear to them that I'm staying."

Pardew also revealed other reasons why he is keen to stay at Newcastle and believes the likes of Redknapp, Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce are strong candidates to succeed Capello.

He said: "I look at the England role and the one thing I think the FA need to look at is what is the end game for the manager.

"Am I going to get two tournaments? Once a tournament ends there's huge speculation about the manager and it all becomes critical.

"I think that's something on a personal level that whoever the manager is, should be looked at.

"What you have to remember about our job is that we are resilient, we have rhino skin. That's because of the some stuff we have to hear on the sidelines, some of the stuff that we have to read and listen to.

"You have to have rhino skin. But it's our families. Harry will have to look at his family and make sure they're prepared and that's why a more experienced manager is more suited to that.

"Harry's family is older, his kids are older. I couldn't imagine my kids going to school if I was England manager, if I'm honest.

"Some national managers have been young - Klinnsman and Joachim Low - but that won't happen here, because of the media, you have to have a considerable amount of knowledge and I think that when you get to those senior years you're more equipped to do it.

"Therefore people like Roy Hodgson, Big Sam maybe and Harry are the three outstanding candidates. You have to have experience."

In his two years as England manager Capello failed to visit St James' Park despite making a number of trips to games in Manchester and the Midlands.

Pardew believes the new England boss should make an effort to visit St James' Park and the Stadium of Light with both clubs sitting in the top eight and says that is more likely to happen if Capello's successor is English.

"If you're an England manager from this country, you should understand the need to come to these places and that certain things need to be done,'' he said.

"He (Capello) should have been up here in my opinion. There aren't that many Premier League grounds and as England manager you don't have a workload that means you can't get to them at some stage in a season and I expect to see the new England manager here."

Newcastle go to White Hart Lane tomorrow evening without Leon Best and the striker is doubtful for the rest of the season after scans confirmed he has suffered medial knee ligament damage.

* Newcastle teenager Haris Vuckic is to join Cardiff City on an initial one-month loan. The 19-year-old midfielder has made five appearances for the Magpies this season.