Pardew criticises FA for discrepancy between Suarez and McManaman

Suarez will miss Liverpool's trip to Newcastle tomorrow after he was suspended for ten matches following Sunday's biting incident with Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

With all the match officials having missed Suarez's indiscretion, an FA disciplinary panel was able to hand out a hefty retrospective punishment, something that could not be done in the case of McManaman as one of the assistants had witnessed the Wigan defender's lunge at Haidara.

While Suarez will miss the rest of the current campaign and the first six matches of next season, McManaman was allowed to escape without censure, a situation Pardew believes to be grossly unfair.

“The difference between the two was that the linesman saw the tackle in our game, but the linesman didn't see the incident with Suarez,” said the Newcastle boss. “Therefore the committee that judged on McManaman ruled that the incident had been seen and dealt with.

“I don't think that's reasonable. If a referee gives a decision that isn't correct then you can appeal and you can win the appeal. You can overturn a three-match ban. So when the officials see that McManaman tackle again, they must know he has to be sent off.

“My argument is that that is a flaw in the system. There needs to be some sort of discussion or procedure put in place with us managers to let us know where we stand with these decisions and some clarity.”

Suarez's absence will undoubtedly aid Newcastle's cause tomorrow as they look to secure the victory that would almost certainly guarantee their Premier League status for next season.

Liverpool's Uruguayan striker has scored 30 goals in all competitions this term, and claimed a memorable equaliser when the Magpies drew 1-1 at Anfield in November.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers expressed his “bitter disappointment” at the length of Suarez's ban yesterday, but Pardew concedes the FA had a difficult decision to make and is awaiting the regulatory commission's full findings before making a firm conclusion.

“The FA still need to answer why it was ten games and it'll be interesting for all managers as to why it was,” he said. “It's difficult. It's an incident that everybody was shocked by and probably Suarez was even shocked himself. You've got young kids playing in the park and you don't want to see that kind of action.

“I think all Premier League managers are looking for a few grey areas to be cleared up. It would be nice to have some transparency and consistency with the disciplinary committee.”

While the Suarez situation has overshadowed the build-up to tomorrow's game, the significance of the occasion has not been lost on Newcastle's manager and the rest of his squad.

Tomorrow's match marks the Magpies' first return to St James' Park since the derby defeat to Sunderland, and the intervening period has seen a marked increase in the level of criticism being aimed in Pardew's direction.

It would be wrong to claim that Newcastle supporters have turned against their manager, but a sizeable minority are beginning to question whether he is the right man to take them forward and those doubts would increase if United were to suffer another home defeat against Liverpool.

Pardew feels some of the last fortnight's criticism has been unwarranted, citing the effects of a lengthy injury list and packed fixture schedule, but he also accepts that his position as manager leaves him open to be shot at.

“When criticism comes at a big football club like this, you have to be big enough and bold enough to deal with it,” he said. “Whether you’re the manager, the player, the chief executive or the chairman, it comes with the territory.

“I’ve got absolutely no problem with that. There’s only one way to deal with it and that’s through performances. Me talking here means nothing.

“At least on Saturday at West Brom, I thought we got a performance that suggested we had been hurt. That’s how it should be.

“The players are big enough to cope and I think they’ve proved that. There’s a determination within the group, and the most important thing this season now is to get over the line. Anything else would be a bonus for us with the season we’ve had because it really has been one thing after another.”

Newcastle should be buoyed by the return of Cheik Tiote tomorrow, with Papiss Cisse also available despite a long-standing rib injury that continues to cause him sporadic pain.

Fabricio Coloccini will not feature, although he has participated in two full training sessions this week and could be involved against West Ham, but Hatem Ben Arfa is being lined up for his first Premier League start since December after appearing as a substitute against Sunderland and West Brom.

“Every day, Hatem is getting closer,” said Pardew. “He's worked a lot better this week and we're hoping he's going to make more of an impact, whether he starts or comes off the bench.”