Pardew turns to Ireland

Ashley was on Tyneside yesterday to discuss any progress with Pardew with just ten days remaining of the transfer window and Aston Villa’s Ireland figured prominently in the discussions.

Pardew was keen to stress the importance of bringing new faces in after learning Alan Smith could be ruled out for the rest of the season and Dan Gosling had suffered a reaction to the knee injury that required surgery in the summer.

With Andy Carroll and Steven Taylor among those still unavailable for tomorrow’s visit of Tottenham, Cheik Tiote suspended and Kevin Nolan absent from training with a throat infection, numbers are short.

Ashley is reluctant to rush in to deals which do not, in his mind, make financial sense and that has already prevented the likes of Seb Larsson, David Bentley and Robbie Keane from moving to Newcastle.

Pardew, however, remains hopeful Newcastle will be able to add – even if it means going in to the match versus Spurs with a threadbare squad.

“I’m not saying it’s the end of the world but I do feel the need to bring in a player or two as soon as we can, absolutely,”

said Pardew, who has identified Ireland as a solution to his midfield concerns and has also mentioned Shaun Wright-Phillips to Ashley.

“I am going to see Mike Ashley after training [yesterday] just to reinforce the point – that’s my job. I will be very surprised if we don’t get anybody.

“It is important we try to bring someone in but it has to be right. The window is notoriously difficult for making bad deals.

“A couple have gone through that I won’t mention that don’t look like good value to me. So you have to make sure it is good value and the right player.”

Transfer activity at Newcastle has been quiet so far, while Sunderland have recouped £24m from the sale of Darren Bent to Aston Villa and Middlesbrough have raised around £2.5m from the sale of David Wheater.

Now both of the Magpies’ North-East rivals are pressing ahead with their ideas to strengthen, although Newcastle are in just as much need for new players as their regional counterparts.

Ireland, 24, is available but his extremely lucrative salary, however, means that he is likely to be more of a loan target for Newcastle.

Pardew, who is expected to give the go-ahead for Wayne Routledge to join QPR if he finds a replacement, has learned Smith will be lucky to play again inside two months and, more realistically, he thinks the midfielder will not be back again until pre-season.

Smith has suffered significant damage to his ankle ligaments and, because it is the same ankle that put his career in doubt during his time at Manchester United, there is a slower recovery rate.

“It’s a big blow for Alan – he’s not good,” said Pardew.

“Alan’s a tough boy and a real man’s man, so taking his trade away for six months after what he’s been through will be very, very difficult for him.

“Not many cope with it but Alan will. He’s down at minute but will be fine because he has that strength of will. He’s very important, not just on the playing side, but in the dressing room as a leader throughout the place. He’s one of those lieutenants who police the training ground for you and will be a big loss for me.”

Pardew does expect Nolan to face Tottenham despite missing training yesterday.

Carroll, still troubled with a thigh problem that has kept him out of the last four games, will not be so fortunate.

“Andy’s got a little tear in the main kicking muscle,”

said Pardew. “When you see him he looks fine and he can run pretty soon, but so much load goes through that kicking muscle. We have to be careful because if it tears again we could lose him for four or five weeks.

“The solution is rest really.

We are trying to accelerate the healing. We have thought about increasing his oxygen level, but that’s all you can do.

We’ve talked about a decompression tent and about whether it would be beneficial.”