Joe Kinnear appointed at Newcastle despite shambolic radio interview

*Kinnear signs three-year contract with Tyneside club
• Alan Pardew maintains silence over appointment


Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Joe Kinnear as the club's director of football almost two days after he announced his impending arrival.

The 66-year-old has signed a three-year contract and will report directly to the club's board as the senior executive in charge of all football-related matters, with the manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr working under him.

The managing director Derek Llambias said: "The board is pleased to welcome Joe back to the club.
"Joe has many years of experience working within the game, and this experience will be of great benefit to the club in achieving our objectives over the coming seasons."

On Monday evening Kinnear gave a shambolic interview in which the former Wimbledon manager claimed responsibility for signing Tim Krul [a goalkeeper recruited by Graeme Souness] as well as James Perch [bought by Chris Hughton], said Derek Llambezee [Llambias] had resigned as director of football [a position he has never held] and talked about Shola Amenobee, Yohan Kebab and Hatem Ben Afre rather than Shola Ameobi, Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa.

The confirmation came in the form of a short statement released by the club a few minutes before midday.

Significantly, it contained no comments from Pardew, the man seemingly most directly affected by the Irishman's installation.

The statement did not outline Kinnear's responsibilities and how they will dovetail with those of Pardew and Carr, the man whose eye for a player has fuelled the Magpies' much-vaunted transfer policy in recent years.

However, the newcomer has insisted he is no threat to the current manager despite speculation that his arrival could mean the 51-year-old's days on Tyneside could be numbered.

Kinnear has previously occupied the manager's seat at St James' Park, if briefly.
He was appointed, initially as interim manager, in September 2008 following Kevin Keegan's departure, and was in charge for 26 games –he won five of them – until health problems ended his reign.

Newcastle were relegated at the end of that season with Alan Shearer having been drafted in for what was a desperate and ultimately vain attempt to drag them out of trouble, and Kinnear has since absolved himself of any responsibility for that disaster