BACK TO HAUNT ... Andy Carroll could push his boyhood club close to the relegation edge
Double trouble
ANDY CARROLL can push boyhood club Newcastle closer to relegation today.
The Toon trousered £35million when they sold the Geordie striker to Liverpool in January 2011.
But on-loan West Ham star Carroll could end up costing Newcastle £70MILLION if he helps the Hammers win at Upton Park this afternoon.
That is how much Alan Pardew’s side will lose if they drop down to the Championship.
Newcastle are 17th, just five points above the final relegation spot after last weekend’s 6-0 thumping by Liverpool at St James’ Park. That defeat means Toon have taken just four league points from the last 18.
And with 18th-placed Wigan having a game in hand, Pards’ side are in real danger of being relegated.
Carroll’s West Ham team-mate and mentor Kevin Nolan admitted the 24-year-old Geordie hero will feel bad if his old club do go down.
Skipper Nolan, 30, said: “He’s a hometown boy and everyone wanted a piece of him in Newcastle, it’s amazing.
“He was a massive player in a small fish-bowl.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Newcastle is a small fish bowl, but anyone who has been there knows everyone just loves their football and the whole city is about football.
“Andy couldn’t get away with doing anything. Even if he went to a restaurant for a meal everyone was on him.
“Now he is in London he can go out and have a cup of tea without 70 people moaning.
“I’m not saying it’s disrespectful but I just think he has matured and learned from his mistakes.
“London and Liverpool have been good for him.
“Hopefully, it will make him better — I think he is.”
Nolan has been like an older brother to Carroll after the pair were Toon team-mates.
When Carroll was arrested and bailed over an alleged assault in Tyneside in October 2009, pal Nolan put him after the striker was told he could not live in a hotel and needed a permanent address.
WEST HAM No2 Neil McDonald on match with Newcastle which sees £35m striker head back to Magpies
Nolan said: “He’s never going to be a man, he’s always going to be a little boy to me.
“We have got that brotherly love and he’s like that to me.
“But we have respect for each other and we get on so well off the pitch that it makes things so much easier.
“He has definitely grown up and is enjoying his time down here in London.”
England boss Roy Hodgson is sending his No 2 Ray Lewington to watch Carroll today ahead of a possible recall for the summer friendlies.
The 6ft 4in hitman has 24 caps but not played for his country since coming on as a sub in the World Cup qualifier against San Marino last October.
But Nolan believes Carroll should have never have been dropped from the Three Lions set-up.
The Liverpudlian added: “I don’t know why Andy hasn’t been in that England team.
“He should be in every squad — there is no other England player quite like Andy Carroll.
“If he is fit, you should have him there. He can give you something different. If you are 1-0 down, you can fly balls into him. Carroll is an option no other English player can give you.
“In my eyes he is good enough to lead the line for England at World Cups and European Championships.
“He proved that with his performances in the Euros against Sweden.
“He should be in the squad every time, they shouldn’t be keeping an eye on him.
“I hope his West Ham deal is extended to next season and the club can do something to make sure he is.
“I think that will be good for Andy and will put him back in the frame for England and he will get better playing every week.
“We need him and want him — hopefully we can sort the deal to get him.”
Meanwhile, Hammers manager Sam Allardyce has been BRIBING his squad in a bid to keep them focused until the end of the season.
Big Sam has dangled the carrot of days off in return for wins to keep their minds and bodies fresh.
Assistant boss Neil McDonald said: “Sam has done that this season and we’ve had a fantastic response from a physical point.
“They’ve been working hard for nine months so to have a break, as long as they’re not abusing their bodies and they come back fresh, is a good thing.
“It gets a fantastic response from the players. It’s good for them to go home and share some time with the family.”
It’s deja vu for Pardew
By KARREN BRADY
ALAN PARDEW has been this way before — at West Ham where his team had a great start, peaked and went into startling decline.
That is so far paralleled at Newcastle, especially after home defeats to Sunderland and Liverpool and the sudden, very real, threat of relegation.
Pardew is better than that and has a chance to start proving it when Newcastle visit us on Saturday.
We lose at Manchester City today and it puzzles many, including I suspect Sir Alex, as to why they have not chased United to the very line.
SUN APRIL 28
VIA Twitter I learn of Reginald D Hunter’s “comedy” performance at the PFA Awards dinner while it’s still taking place.
So I phone a Premier League director who I know is there to find out precisely what’s going on.
A lady football executive of my acquaintance answers and I ask to speak to my friend.
She says: “He’s in the little boys’ room.”
I ask: “Why have you got his phone?”
She replies: “I’m in here with him!”
Sounds more fun than a night of comedy with Reginald!
MON APRIL 29
SO, like me, you’ve been asked many times to name three famous Belgians.
Until a few years ago most of us knew of Eddie Merckx and were then stumped. But there will soon be an obvious No 2 in Christian Benteke, scorer tonight of a hat-trick for Aston Villa against Sunderland to make it 22 goals this season in a struggling side.
He’s a 22-year-old Congo-born giant and his going price must be upwards of £25million.
Even at that price, chequebooks are twitching across Europe.
As befits his Christian name, he issued lengthy prayers just before kick-off.
God has better things to do than to help win a football match. But he has certainly blessed Belgium with a mighty striker.
TUES APRIL 30
SO, like me, you’ve been asked many times to name three famous Belgians.
Until a few years ago most of us knew of Eddie Merckx and were then stumped. But there will soon be an obvious No 2 in Christian Benteke, scorer tonight of a hat-trick for Aston Villa against Sunderland to make it 22 goals this season in a struggling side.
He’s a 22-year-old Congo-born giant and his going price must be upwards of £25million.
Even at that price, chequebooks are twitching across Europe.
As befits his Christian name, he issued lengthy prayers just before kick-off.
God has better things to do than to help win a football match. But he has certainly blessed Belgium with a mighty striker.
WED MAY 1
PEP GUARDIOLA cannot know whether to laugh or cry.
When he retired last year Barcelona were unquestionably the finest footballing team in Europe.
Tonight they are vaporised 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-finals by the club he has has chosen to recommence his career as coach — Bayern Munich.
Guardiola’s foresight has again proved to be excellent.
Who needed a zillionaire’s toy at Chelsea when he was offered complete control of the playing side in Germany?
Bayern showed again tonight that they are already a long way towards stealing Barca’s reputation as the top honchos.
Caution though — there is an outstanding team emerging at Old Trafford.
THURS MAY 2
WHEN I spotted a multi-bedroom villa for hire in Ibiza, I thought it would be a great place for a Brady family holiday, so I inquired.
“Sorry,” comes the reply today, “we don’t let it to footballers, especially English footballers.
“The lot we had before had a lot of girls and a lot of parties.
“And they left a lot of mess.
“Then they left diamond watches and things behind and I had to dash to the airport to return them.”
I tell her: “But I’m not a footballer, I’m vice-chairman of a football club.
“My husband is a former footballer, that’s all.”
“Oh, ex-footballers, they’re the worst,” she says and promptly rings off.
FRI MAY 3
DOES Jose Mourinho need Chelsea more than Chelsea need Jose?
Mourinho is no longer the stop-over boy genius of management and has to build something more permanent than theatrical scenery.
There has been a strain of paranoia about his stay in Spain with Real Madrid as well.
Get this. He says: “I am loved in England, I am loved by the fans, I am loved by the Press, I am loved by the club, one club in particular.”
Most of all, I have to say, he is loved by himself!
Roman Abramovich wants the Special One only because he cannot see anyone else who is specially good, available and capable of winning more than just the Europa League.
SMART COOKIE .. Kevin Nolan
Nolan nous scares Pardew
ALAN PARDEW fears former Newcastle skipper Kevin Nolan’s nous could plunge the Toon deeper into relegation trouble.
Pards returns to old club West Ham today knowing he faces a side packed with Premier League experience.
In contrast, Pardew says his own club’s problems are due to his foreign contingent not yet being battle-hardened to the demands of the English top flight.
He admitted: “One of the problems I face with this group is not a language problem or a cultural problem.
“It’s been one of inexperience on the pitch.
“What Kevin has is a real knowledge of how to win games in the Premier League.
“West Ham’s manager, Sam Allardyce, has that too and that’s what we are up against.
“Nous is a word I used a lot about Kevin as he used to find positions on the pitch. Just through his own nous, he is sniffing chances out and he is a worry for us.
WEST HAM No2 Neil McDonald on match with Newcastle which sees £35m striker head back to Magpies
“They’ve also got the likes of James Collins, Mark Noble and Matt Jarvis. These are also players who I know very well and who are very experienced in the Prem.”
Hammers captain Nolan, 30, has a reputation as a penalty box predator and returned to haunt his old side by bagging the winner for Allardyce’s men last November.
Now Pardew would love to get his own back at his former club, with Newcastle just five points above the relegation zone after last week’s 6-0 home hammering at the hands of Liverpool.
Pards added: “I would have liked to be going back under different circumstances.
“I certainly didn’t expect to be in this position at the start of the year, going there. But that’s where we are and we have to accept that.
“We are where we are so the most important thing is the performance — and a reaction to last Saturday’s game.”
Watch the birdie: Nolan still holds affection for his old club
On song: Carroll should be England reckoning, says Nolan
Lost in translation: West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan fears Newcastle foreign legion is dividing the dressing room
Kevin Nolan fears the Toon Army’s foreign legion is splitting the Newcastle dressing room.
Newcastle’s recent form has seen them spiralling towards the relegation zone amid allegations of cliques and dressing room fall-outs.
Their problems could mount today when they come face-to-face with former terrace favourites Nolan and striker Andy Carroll as well as one-time manager Sam Allardyce.
Newcastle have 10 French players in their squad and although current boss Alan Pardew has furiously denied any dressing room splits, Nolan says there is a real danger of players turning against each other when there is a lack of strong characters in the camp.
Nolan, who was a member of the Newcastle team that was relegated in 2009, but bounced back the following season with a squad made up mainly of British players, believes cliques are the biggest threat to any team’s prospects.
“I’ve been in relegation battles for a lot of my career and that’s always the massive worry because people start going: ‘it’s his fault, not mine. I’ve done alright.’
“You don’t want that. You want to be able to look the other lads in the eye and be able to say that no matter what happens today, this is us, this is what we’re about and we’re going to give it a good go.
“It’s about time now for them all to stand up and stick together and not point the finger. When the chips are down, the lucks not going your way, it’s going to be tough.
“But it’s about them now sticking together. They have got to make sure that when the little cliques come then they have to stick together as a team, as a whole, as a group.”
Nolan still has a deep affection for his former club but it is clear he feels their current predicament is all about the balance of the dressing room.
Pardew has put his faith in French players - even being christened Alain Pardieu - and raided that market again in January.
Their recent slump has set off the alarm bells and they come down to West Ham on the back of a six goal hammering by Liverpool which has left them in serious danger.
Nolan, who played under Pardew before leaving for the Hammers two years ago, insists that he wants his old club to get out of danger but says now is the time for their characters to step forward.
“You can’t get away from the fact they had a scouting system there (in France), it got praised so much last year and now people are starting to (question it) because it’s the other side,” said Nolan.
“When we first came up (with Newcastle) we had 12 British lads in our squad. You only have to look at our squad now at West Ham, we’ve got a lot of British-based lads.
“It certainly helps in that respect because we know what it’s all about. We’ve lived the Premier League all our lives and those lads have always wanted to be in the Premier League. “
And Nolan believes that after all the praise heaped on Pardew and many of his French players last season when they challenged for the Champions League, this is now a different test of character.
“We know how much it means to the city. I’m not saying that foreigners don’t, that’s so far from the truth, all I’m saying is that they’ve had all their good press, it’s about time they’ve got to stand up now and make sure they do right for Newcastle.
“I’m certainly hoping that they do that. I’ve got a lot of friends, a good relationship with the club, I’m hoping they don’t go down.
“It’s about them standing up, being counted because they’ve had the praise over the past year or so and now it’s about stepping up to the mark and making sure that they keep the club up.
“The core group at any club have got to be strong - with ethics. That’s one thing Sam Allardyce does. He’s very good in that respect. He has his core group and when he brings people in if they don’t buy into it then they’re not here for long.
“You only have to look at the best, and the best are Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson. He has his characters and his main men in the squad, we know who they all are and we don’t have to say.”
Nolan admits he will have no worries about piling even more pressure on Newcastle: “It is my old club coming to my new club so I am looking forward to it. I wish the circumstances for them could be a bit better but that is not my concern any more.
“My concern is this club. I love being here. I enjoy it and I am looking forward, hopefully, to West Ham winning on Saturday.
And he says Geordie striker Carroll should be a must for the England squad. Nolan added: “Andy Carroll should be in every England squad. There is no other England player quite like Andy Carroll. If he is fit, you should have him there. He can give you something different. If you are 1-0 down you can fly balls into him.
“Carroll is an option that no other English player can give you. In my eyes he is good enough to lead the line for England at World Cups and European Championships and I think he proved that with his performances in the Euros against Sweden.”
*The Hammer of the Year 2013 will be announced at the West Ham United Player Awards, at the Grosvenor House on Wednesday May 8. For more information email playerawards2013@westhamunited.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
No sympathies: Kevin Nolan (left) wantsto pile the misery on Newcastle, where he played for two years (below)
Dynamic duo: Nolan has rekindled his playing partnership with striker Andy Carroll at West Ham
West Ham skipper Nolan: I'm ready to add to former club Newcastle's relegation pain
Kevin Nolan knows the pain of relegation with Newcastle. Defeat by a team in claret four years ago was the Premier League kiss of death for a side of stars managed by Alan Shearer as they slid into the second tier. Now Nolan is the one wearing claret, and he smells blood.
Newcastle visit West Ham today precariously close to the relegation zone after embarrassing losses to Sunderland and Liverpool.
Nolan still has friends at the club he once captained and wants them to stay up but, now West Ham’s leader, he craves a victory that would make that task even more difficult. Having experienced the drop after that 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on the final day of the 2009 season, Nolan has some advice to Newcastle’s current crop: stop any finger-pointing and stand united.
‘It’s been a shock to see where they are. But they’ve got enough talent to stay up. It’s now about them sticking together. They have got to make sure that when the little cliques come then they stick together as a team.
‘I’ve been in relegation battles for a lot of my career and that’s always the massive worry because people start going, “It’s his fault, not mine. I’ve done all right”. You don’t want that. You want to be able to look the other lads in the eye and say that no matter what happens today, this is us, this is what we’re about and we’re going to give it a good go.
‘That’s what they need right now. Having worked under Alan (Pardew), that’s what he’ll be vying for this weekend and for the rest of the season. This is where the men have really got to stand up and say, “This is about me playing for Newcastle”.
‘They’ve had the praise over the past year and now it’s about making sure they keep the club up. I wish them luck . . . but obviously after our match.’
Such rousing sentiment indicates why Nolan has been appointed captain at each of his three clubs, twice by Sam Allardyce, once by Chris Hughton. He was named the Championship’s best player during Newcastle’s stay in that division in 2009-10, when promotion was secured by Easter thanks in large part to his partnership with Andy Carroll. The pair plundered 17 league goals each.
Nolan’s form continued into the Premier League, scoring a hat-trick in the Tyne-Wear derby, but left at the end of the season after a falling out with the board.
‘A lot of things went wrong in the space of a couple of months,’ he has previously told Sportsmail. ‘I was speaking to the chairman, we’d shaken hands on an agreement, and then we get to the end of the season and they’ve taken the deal off the table. West Ham came calling and they put their faith in me. I thought, “I’ll go and prove those people wrong”.’
It was a bold decision to drop into the Championship again but one that now appears vindicated. West Ham are 10th, seven places above Newcastle. His relationship with Carroll has been reprised and, he says, the move to the capital has done the England striker a world of good.
‘Andy has had a lot of negative press in the past,’ says Nolan. ‘He’s a home-town boy and everyone wanted a piece of him in Newcastle. Now he is in London he can go out and have a cup of tea without 70 people moaning. He has definitely grown up and is enjoying his time down here.’
Much has been made of Newcastle’s squad being so heavily influenced by France. Gary Neville suggested the ‘heart had been ripped out’ during analysis of the club’s failure this season on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football this week.
Nolan agrees a British contingent should form the core of any side.
‘When we came up, Newcastle had 12 British lads in our squad,’ he explains. ‘It certainly helps. We’ve lived the Premier League all our lives. We know how much it means to the city. It is a shame to see where they are.’
Progress: Joe Cole is working his way back to match fitness
WEST HAM v Newcastle: Noble and Cole close to match fitness but Tomkins and McCartney out
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has no fresh injury concerns as he welcomes former club Newcastle to Upton Park on Saturday.
Defensive duo James Tomkins (calf) and George McCartney (knee) are again likely to miss out for the Hammers, who could climb to ninth in the Barclays Premier League with a win.
Mark Noble and Joe Cole will be pushing for places in the starting XI after improving their match fitness from the bench in recent weeks.
Provisional Squad: Jaaskelainen, Henderson, Demel, Reid, O'Brien, Pogatetz, Collins, Potts, Spence, Nolan, O'Neil, Collison, Diame, Noble, Taylor, J Cole, Jarvis, Vaz Te, Carroll, C Cole, Wellington.
Kevin Nolan scores for West Ham on his Newcastle return
Kevin Nolan says Newcastle's French players must step up
KEVIN NOLAN has slammed Newcastle’s policy of buying French and believes it is a major contributor to the alleged dressing-room splits that appear to have led to the club’s current plight.
Furthermore, the West Ham captain has told Newcastle’s foreign legion that basked in so much praise earlier this season, that they need to show what they are made of now that the pressure is on.
Nolan, 30, was a popular member of the Newcastle side that bounced back from relegation and established themselves in mid-table in the Premier League before his £3?million move to West Ham in June 2011.
Now Newcastle travel to Upton Park today just one place above the relegation zone, seemingly in freefall with just one win in their last eight games.
That slide has come after manager Alan Pardew signed five more French players in January to take the tally in the first team squad to 11.
By comparison, Nolan was one of 13 England-qualified players in the 18-man squad for Newcastle’s final game in the Championship in May 2010. It is a turnaround that has left him amazed.
“Yes, of course I’m surprised they bought so many players from one country,” he said. “You can’t get away from the fact they had a scouting system. It got praised so much last year but now people are starting to question it.
“When we first came up we had a dozen English lads in our squad. And you only have to look at our squad at West Ham now, we’ve got a lot of British-based lads. It certainly helps in that respect because we know what it’s all about.
“British players have lived the Premier League, or the Championship before that, all our lives.
“Although the foreign lads have always wanted to be in the Premier League, we know how much it means to the city.
“All I’m saying is that they’ve had all their good press, it’s about time they stand up now and make sure they do right for Newcastle.
“I’m certainly hoping that, after today, they do that. I’ve got a lot of friends there and a good relationship with the club. I’m hoping they don’t go down.”
Nolan is experienced enough in his time with Bolton, Newcastle and now West Ham to know how wide the cracks in team spirit can become when pressurised by a run of bad results.
That is why since arriving at Upton Park he has taken care to make sure the players – and even, via the extended family he has helped set up, their wives and girlfriends – are happy.
A series of team-bonding exercises, culminating in the squad visit this week to see Beyonce in concert at the O2 arena, have helped keep the Premier League newcomers buoyant – an important part of promoting group harmony.
Nolan said: “I’ve been in relegation battles for a lot of my career and it’s always a massive worry because people start going: ‘It’s his fault, not mine. I’ve done all right’.
kevin nolan, newcastle, french, dressing room, split. club, plight,Gabriel Obertan plays for Newcastle United
They need to stick together as a team
“You don’t want that. You want to be able to look the other lads in the eye and to say that no matter what happens today, this is us, this is what we’re about and we’re going to give it a good go.
“That’s what they need right now, they need to stick together as a team and coaching staff. This is where the men have really got to stand up and say: ‘Yeah, this is about me playing for Newcastle’.
“It’s about them standing up and being counted because they’ve had the praise over the past year or so and now it’s about stepping up to the mark and making sure that they keep the club up.
“Having worked under Alan, that’s what he’ll be vying for this weekend and for the rest of the season.
“When the chips are down, the luck is not going your way, it’s going to be tough. But it’s about sticking together and making sure you get through it.
“Once you get through it you can reassess in the summer. They can go away and work with the chairman to see why they went wrong this year and go on from there.”
Nolan’s personal theory is a simple one. He feels Newcastle were wrong to abandon their policy of fielding a strong English core in the first place.
“They had a good thing with all of us there,” he said. “Newcastle were in a good position and nobody would be able to say that was a lie, to be quite honest.
“It is not to do with what nationality you are or where you are from. It is just that the lads we had then were good lads. We got on well with each other. And we wanted to strive to get better.
“And I think, as a club with us all there, we would have got better. Obviously, that has gone now.”
Kevin Nolan has told Newcastle's players to stand up and be counted
KEVIN NOLAN CHALLENGES NEWCASTLE PLAYERS TO SHOW THEY ARE UNITED
FORMER Newcastle star Kevin Nolan has told the Toon players it's time to stand-up and be counted - no matter if they are French or English.
The current West Ham skipper led the Magpies to promotion from the Championship in 2010 after slipping out of the Premier League the previous year.
And with reports of in-fighting between French and English players in Alan Pardew's squad, Nolan has told them to man up in their bid to fight relegation.
West Ham can put Newcastle even deeper in the mire with a win at Upton Park today, but Nolan said: "When Newcastle first came up, there were 12 British lads in the squad.
"You only have to look at our West Ham squad now, we've got a lot of British-based lads. It certainly helps in that respect because we know what it's all about.
"We've lived the Premier League, or the Championship before that, all our lives and those lads have always wanted to be in the Premier League.
"But we know how much it means. I'm not saying that foreigners don't, that's so far from the truth. All I'm saying is that they've had all their good press - they've got to stand up now and make sure they do right for Newcastle and I'm certainly hoping that they do that.
"It is not to do with what nationality you are or where you are from... they have got to make sure that when the little cliques come they stick together as a team, as a whole, as a group.
"It is not my concern any more and I hope after today - with my affiliation with the club and all my friends up there - that it does go well for them and they can get back to where they were three years ago.
"But at this moment my main concern is beating them."
Newcastle boss Pardew fears Nolan may return to haunt the Toon faithful.
He said: "What Kevin has is a real knowledge of how to win Premier League games.
"West Ham have players with nous and that's a word I used a lot about Kevin as he is always sniffing chances out and finding positions on the pitch from where to score."
Though captain Fabricio Coloccini returns this afternoon, Newcastle have been accused of lacking leadership. Pardew, however, insists his squad has leaders.
He said: "I wouldn't say Colo is like Kevin. I wouldn't say Cabaye is like him or Shola (Ameobi) but they are our leading group and we look to them now."
The Toon chief goes into the game with a back four who have never played together, with Mathieu Debuchy banned and recognised left-backs Davide Santon and Massadio Haidara injured.
Alan Pardew, Newcastle United's manager, is expecting a tough challenge from West Ham United.
Alan Pardew warns Newcastle United to be wary of West Ham's nous
Nous. At Newcastle United it has become a frequently used and somewhat loaded word. Alan Pardew is dismayed by his otherwise talented squad's shortage of such practical intelligence and streetwise common sense on Premier League pitches but knows it is an inevitable consequence of the club's recruitment policy.
Newcastle have transformed their financial position from bright red to matt black, largely by sticking rigidly to a blueprint involving the importation of players, aged no older than 26, from competitively priced overseas markets, most notably France. It has brought them wonderful talents, such as Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye, at bargain prices but left Pardew's relegation-threatened, primarily Francophone squad low on experience and leadership while struggling to communicate properly.
"It's about nous," said Newcastle's manager as he prepared for Saturday's important visit to his former club West Ham and a potentially uncomfortable reunion with those wily, battle-hardened St James' Park old boys Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll and Sam Allardyce. "Nous is a word I use a lot about Kevin Nolan. He really knows how to win Premier League games. That's what we're up against. Kevin finds scoring positions through nous. It's a worry for us. West Ham have a lot of nous."
In contrast, the Newcastle team that lost 6-0 at home to Liverpool last Saturday was both young – at 29 Jonás Gutiérrez was the oldest player in the starting XI – and lacking in miles on the Premier League clock. Five of the seven French nationals who began the game arrived from Ligue 1 in January, and their inevitable culture shock is compounded by the need to communicate through an interpreter.
"But the main problem I face with this group is not language or culture, it's inexperience," said Pardew, who dismisses suggestions of dressing-room splits as erroneous and xenophobic.
With Fabricio Coloccini finally fit again, he is expected to rest the gifted but shell-shocked France centre-half Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa at Upton Park. "As Coloccini found when he first arrived in England, it's not easy to adapt," said Pardew. "Colo's been a great player for us and always gives seven, eight or nine out of 10 but, when he first came here, he wasn't like that. Mapou needs time."
Coloccini remains Newcastle's captain but the personal problems that meant he was desperate to return to Argentina in January are one of a myriad of, mainly injury-related, reasons why Pardew has been unable to reprise last season's fifth place. It might have helped had he possessed a natural leader in the manner of Newastle's their former captain Nolan but the midfielder was offloaded two summers ago when the St James' Park hierarchy decided against offering a lucrative new contract to a man sometimes perceived as a barrack-room lawyer.
"We've leadership but in different ways," says Pardew. "I wouldn't say Colo or Cabaye or Shola [Ameobi] are like Kevin but they are kind of our leading group and we look to them now."
If Nolan's pivotal role on Newcastle's then so-called "players' committee" in negotiating a hardball deal with the board over squad bonuses possibly hastened his exit, as a footballer he polarises opinion. His knack of scoring regularly from midfield is invaluable but his link play and passing are arguably substandard for a team harbouring European ambitions.
This season's paradox is that Newcastle impressed in the Europa League, with their tactics and personnel drawing lavish praise from Anzhi Makhachkala's coach, Guus Hiddink, as the expensively assembled Russians were overcome en route to a tight quarter-final defeat by Benfica.
Pardew, very much a tracksuit manager, does much of his best work honing and polishing individuals on the training ground but Europa League involvement necessitated a dramatic reduction in the hours available to spend on the practice pitches.
This shortfall shows, particularly at set pieces, and there are plans to reinforce the backroom with an additional, high-calibre coach this summer.
The new recruit will be charged with improving players selected primarily by Graham Carr, the influential chief scout, rather than Pardew. Confident as the manager remains that recent imports including Yanga-Mbiwa and Moussa Sissoko will become Premier League stars, he would ideally prefer to augment them with the odd older, experienced head. "In the summer we'll have a discussion about where we're going to trade, where is best for the group," said Pardew. Might that be France? "That's a question I don't really want to answer."
West Ham United's Kevin Nolan (left) and Manchester City's David Silva in action
West Ham ace surprised by Newcastle’s slump
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan believes Newcastle’s key players have to stand up and be counted as they look to secure their Barclays Premier League status.
Alan Pardew’s side have gone from finishing in the top five last season to struggling to stay afloat in this campaign and travel to West Ham on Saturday still very much part of the relegation dog-fight.
With an expensively assembled squad, Newcastle were tipped to follow up last season’s success with another solid showing this year but it has not materialised.
Nolan was part of the Magpies side that gained promotion back to the Premier League in 2010 before moving to Upton Park and feels the players who have moved to St James’ Park in recent times need to show they can perform just as well when questions are being asked as they do when they are earning the plaudits.
“It’s surprised me about what’s going on,” said Nolan. “But it’s about them standing up, being counted because they’ve had the praise over the past year or so and now it’s about stepping up to the mark and making sure that they keep the club up.
“It’s amazing but that’s Premier League football but they’ve had to juggle Europe, the only time I’ve had the chance to see them was in Europe and each time they seem to have been shot down in a blaze. They lost the derby and then last week lost 6-0 [to Liverpool].”
The WHTID Hammer of the Year Is...
Winston Reid! And by a mile. More than 1,100 of you voted and here are the results
1. Winston Reid 61%
2. Jussi Jaaskelainen 12%
3. James Collins 9%
4. Mo Diame 8%
5. Kevin Nolan 5%
6. Andy Carroll 3%
I voted for Winston Reid myself. He's been a revelation. Just think back to when he joined us. He looked like a player who'd struggle to get into Accrington Stanley reserve team. He would now walk into the central defence of most Premier League sides. It's great that he has signed for us for another two years.
Ravel Morrison: Could spend another year at Birmingham City
West Ham assistant Neil McDonald says Ravel Morrison could return to Birmingham
West Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald says Ravel Morrison could return to Birmingham City on loan.
The controversial 20-year-old, who has made just one appearance for the Hammers, has had a superb season with the Championship side this term.
It has been suggested that he will now be ready to return to east London this summer and fight for a place in Sam Allardyce's Premier League side.
But another year-long loan spell away from Upton Park is not out the question either, according to McDonald.
McDonald said: "One of the reasons we sent him to Birmingham was to try and get that consistent time on the field. He would have had a battle on to get into the team here.
"He has gone to Birmingham, got in the team and played well consistently which is great.
"I saw comments from Lee Clark that he might possibly want to take him on loan again next year to give him some more experience. That would be great and it is a decision that the manager has to make.
"Do we bring him back because he's had a good a year's football in him or do we leave him there for another year to see if he will develop even more? We'll decide that in the summer."
Barcelona are preparing a £35m offer for Chelsea's Brazilian defender David Luiz, 25, but the Stamford Bridge club will ask for Daily Mail
Jose Mourinho wants to keep both w ank Lampard, 34, and John Terry, 32, at Chelsea next season. However, he has ruled out a move for Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, 27, and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso, 31.
The Sun
Manchester City have made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Napoli's Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, 26, with the Italian club willing to include City forward Edin Dzeko, 27, in the deal.
Daily Mirror
Agent Jorge Mendes says Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is 80% sure to rejoin Chelsea in the summer and has refused to rule out the possibility of Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 28, joining Paris Saint-Germain.
ESPN
Bayern Munich are set to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, 24.
Daily Mirror
Southampton have joined Liverpool in the pursuit of Celtic's Kenya international midfielder Victor Wanyama, 21, who has also been linked with Manchester United.
Daily Mail
Barcelona and Real Madrid both want Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez. The 21-year-old Spaniard only signed a new contract, which includes a £25.2m release clause, three months ago.
Marca (Spanish)
Israel international midfielder Yossi Benayoun, 32, has confirmed will leave Chelsea when his contract expires this summer.
London Evening Standard
Real Madrid could allow as many as eight players, including Argentina winger Angel Di Maria, 25, and striker Gonzalo Higuain, 25, to leave the Bernabeu this summer in a move that will take £25m off the club's wage bill. Only 11 players are certain of their futures at Real.
Marca (Spanish)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to undergo hip surgery in the summer and could miss the start of next season.
Daily Mirror
Manager Roberto Mancini admits he is uncertain about his future at Manchester City and has no idea why the club's sporting director Txiki Begiristain met Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini's agent in Madrid earlier this week.
Daily Telegraph
QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has revealed that manager Harold Redwanker will have to take a pay cut following QPR's relegation
The Sun
Arsene Wenger has revealed he wants to stay as Arsenal manager beyond his current contract, which expires in 2014. The Frenchman joined the club in 1996 and has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Daily Mail
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will sign a new contract this summer. Gerrard turns 33 later this month and has a year left on his current deal.
Daily Mirror
Sir Alex Ferguson is still frustrated at Manchester United's failure to sign Gareth Bale from Southampton in 2007. Ferguson repeated his claims from January that Southampton did not respond to their offer and Bale, who was named the PFA player of the year at the weekend, joined Tottenham soon after.
Daily Telegraph
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has dismissed suggestions his side's run to the FA Cup final has ruined their chances of avoiding relegation.
Daily Express
David Beckham's Paris Saint-Germain team-mates have been teasing the former England captain after Zlatan Ibrahimovic found songs by Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez on the veteran's iPod.
Metro
FULHAM are preparing to swoop for £3million-rated Basel central defender Aleksandar Dragovic.
The Austrian ace, 22, has caught the eye of top English and German clubs since his 2011 move from Austria Vienna.
But Dragovic favours the Prem and he fits the bill for Cottagers boss Martin Jol. However, he was suspended for Basel’s Europa League semi-final defeat at Chelsea on Thursday.
STEPHEN CARR has called time on his career after more than 400 league games for Spurs, Newcastle and Birmingham.
Full-back Carr, capped 44 times by the Republic of Ireland, made his debut for Tottenham in 1993.
Carr, who has a knee problem, said: “I’m going on 37 and now is the time to bow out.
“I felt OK in pre-season, but three operations in 18 months told me my knee has had enough.”
HEIDAR HELGUSON has ended his 14-year stay in Britain to return home to Iceland.
The Cardiff striker, 35, is out of contract next month and will not renew terms with the Premier League new boys.
Helguson, who also played for QPR, Fulham, Watford and Bolton, bagged nine goals this season.
Boss Malky Mackay said: “Heidar is semi- retiring back to Iceland.He’s been huge for us.”
CHARLTON have joined a four-way Championship fight to sign Alan Judge.
Judge quit Notts County this week after rejecting their final contract offer and will make the step up from League One in the summer.
Blackburn, Ipswich and Derby are also eyeing the Irish winger. Free agent Judge, 24, said: “There will be one or two people who think I’m leaving because of the money.
“But I am ambitious and want to progress.”
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cheers cockers 
Hopefully a nice easy win today would set us up for that possible 9th place finish! 
