Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has insisted he is still the boss after a turbulent close season.

The 51-year-old returned to work last week having seen Joe Kinnear installed over his head as director of football in his absence following last season’s difficulties.

Owner Mike Ashley’s decision to appoint Kinnear did not go down well with fans, and while Pardew has indicated he is ready to work with the 66-year-old Irishman, he has left little room for doubt as to how he sees their respective duties.

He told the club’s official website, www.nufc.co.uk: “As the manager of the football club – which I am – I think it’s very, very important that the fans and the players know that I am managing this football team.

“That’s my contract and that’s what I’m going to do.”

The announcement which confirmed Kinnear’s arrival described him as “the senior executive in charge of all football-related matters”, although Pardew has very definite ideas about his role.

He and chief scout Graham Carr have already held a series of discussions with the former Wimbledon boss, who is currently away on a pre-arranged holiday, over the club’s summer recruitment plan, and the manager is hoping he will now set about the task of bringing in the players he wants.

Pardew said: “Obviously there has been a change above me in that [managing director] Derek [Llambias] has now left the football club, and I want to thank him for the job he did here.

“He was terrific for me and the team, and now we have Joe Kinnear in that role, and I hope Joe can influence Mike to a degree and we can bring in some great players here.

“Me and Graham will put them there and hopefully Joe can get them over the line and if that’s the case, then hopefully we will have a good scenario out of all this bad publicity that we have had.”

Pardew will be happy to get back to football after the events of recent weeks, and is already focussing on a significant improvement following last season’s unexpected and at times unseemly fight against relegation.

He said: “The most important thing is we have a successful season because last year, we didn’t.

“The huge jump we made the year before impacted on that a little bit in the Europa League.

“But we have got a full programme of Premier League football and two cups, and I think we have the squad to have a really good season – and hopefully we can improve on that squad too.

“I have had a really nice break, managed to get some quality time with my family, and I can’t tell you how motivated I am for the new year.”

Pardew’s squad has already changed somewhat with Steve Harper and Danny Simpson having left, to be quickly followed by utility man James Perch, whose move to Wigan last week disappointed many supporters.

Pardew said: “James Perch has been an absolutely brilliant servant for us. I am very say, in a way, to see him go because I would probably have liked him to be in and around the squad.

“But there comes a time when players need to play regularly and Perchy made that clear. He wanted to play every week and I couldn’t really guarantee that, and it’s probably best for him.

“He’s got a great move and good luck to him.”

Pardew had earlier revealed Kinnear had apologised for errors he made in a series of interviews at the time of his appointment, in one of which he mispronounced the names of several of the club’s star players.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle: “Some of the things Joe said, he has apologised for, especially getting the names wrong of our players.

“That needs to be corrected because there is a certain respect needed there.

“I spoke to one or two players this morning [Saturday] and my staff here and made it them very aware of where the position lies.”