ALAN PARDEW is certain he will still be Newcastle United manager next season and hopes skipper Fabricio Coloccini will be with him at St St James' Park.

With the Magpies safe ahead of tomorrow's final game of the Premier League season against Arsenal, Pardew's scheduled debrief meeting with owner Mike Ashley will be easier than had relegation fallen the club's way again.

But with Newcastle assured of top-flight football for a further year following the away victory at relegated Queens Park Rangers on the penultimate Sunday, talks are likely to be more about finding a way to avoid a repeat.

Ashley paid a visit to the club's Benton training base yesterday to enjoy a barbecue with the players and coaching staff and the atmosphere was a relaxed one – a week after Pardew feared for his job after a season of under-achievement.

Now, though, Pardew believes he will remain at the helm. He said: "Are you saying to me, 'do I expect to be manager'? Yes, 100 per cent.”

Despite the appearance of Ashley, his end of season report will not be delivered to Pardew until they meet after Arsenal's visit.

He said: “I think, like all clubs, we will be sitting down, discussing plans for next year. The plans will include pre-season, recruitment and mistakes made this year and that's it.”

He added: "He came up to have a chat and to say 'hello' to everyone. Thanked all the players for their efforts this year. We all know it has not been our greatest season but you cannot say we have not given 100 per cent.

“I don't think that. I think we have and therefore we have to have a better scenario next year and we all have to pull together and I think that was basically his message.”

What Pardew is keen to stress to Ashley is that when they add to the squad this summer they bring in some much-needed experience to a very youthful squad; particularly with Steve Harper set to leave and Coloccini's future far from clear.

"I don't think a lot of transfer activity will happen until we all return which will be July 4,” said the Newcastle boss. “Whatever players we bring in, somewhere along the line, (we need) experience. That is something the team needs. We have got a lot of young players with potential now and we need a little bit of guidance around them to help them.

“Coloccini's position will be quite critical really. If there is a situation where he is not here next year then we must replace that. That experience that he has. Obviously, we are losing Harps as well and that's another source of experience. He's been very important this run-in. We might be losing two or three very big senior players this year.”

Coloccini returned to the team at QPR last weekend after injury but it remains unclear how long he will remain on Tyneside.

The 31-year-old – who held an end of season party for his team-mates in midweek – has expressed a desire to return to Argentina but Newcastle are unwilling to let him leave for nothing.

Pardew would prefer for him not to leave at all and wants Newcastle's supporters to provide him with a further reminder of how much he is liked around St James' Park.

“I think it is very important that the fans show him that they love him,” said Pardew. “They do genuinely love him and for me as a manager, he is a fantastic captain, very important in this last period in particular.

“When he did not play in those couple of games against Sunderland and Liverpool, I thought we really lacked a bit of leadership on the pitch. For all the other players' strengths, he has got that experience that you need.

“That's told in the games against West Ham and QPR massively. He has been a big, big difference to the team. We don't want him to go. There is a chance he will stay.”

Newcastle defender Steven Taylor is available to face Arsenal after overcoming illness, while Harper is in line to sign of his long stay with the club by facing the Gunners because of Rob Elliot's suspension.