HARRY REDKNAPP has defended Mike Ashley, and claimed the controversial Newcastle United owner gets an unfairly rough ride from the Magpies support.

Redknapp takes his QPR side to St James’ Park tomorrow looking to claim a first away point of the season, and prevent Newcastle from recording a sixth successive victory.

The Londoner was offered the chance to succeed Sam Allardyce as Newcastle’s manager in 2008, but rejected Ashley’s offer in order to remain in his previous position at Portsmouth.

He insists he has no regrets about passing up the chance to take charge of the Magpies, although he admits he cannot understand why Ashley is so unpopular amongst his own club’s support.

“The chairman has been fantastic,” said Redknapp. “He gets a lot of stick, Mike Ashley, but he’s always at the games in the crowd.

“He follows the team, loves it, and has stuck by Alan because he knows he’s got a good manager. It’s easy to make a knee-jerk reaction and bomb him out. But they finished fifth the other year and were very unlucky not to finish in the Champions League places – he’s done a good job.”

Pardew’s position was in jeopardy when Newcastle slipped into the relegation places last month, but Ashley held firm and his faith has been rewarded by a marked improvement that has taken the Magpies into the top half of the table.

With Pardew having signed an eight-year contract in December 2012, some have claimed that financial motives were the key to Ashley’s refusal to change his manager.

Redknapp refutes such suggestions, and instead cites the sportswear magnate’s background as an explanation for his refusal to bow to populist pressure.

“It doesn’t really matter if you’ve got a contract,” said the QPR boss. “There will be a clause in it, and 99 times out of 100, if they sack you, that will probably pay you a year’s money.

“The difference is probably because he’s a British owner. Lots of the foreign owners would look at bringing a foreign manager in because maybe he’s been a better player than Alan Pardew was, and they played in Italy or Spain.

“But Ashley has stuck by him, and no matter what abuse he gets, he doesn’t care, does he? That’s why he’s such a clever man – you don’t become that wealthy if you’re not a clever man.”