Pardew says Newcastle have learnt lessons

LONDON (AFP) –

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew pictured ahead of his side's FA Cup third round at Brighton on January 5, 2013

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew pictured ahead of his side’s FA Cup third round at Brighton, southern England on January 5, 2013. Pardew on Friday said his English Premier League strugglers have learnt lessons from this season after failing to strengthen the squad in the close season forced an emergency overhaul in the January transfer window.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew on Friday said his English Premier League strugglers have learnt lessons from this season after failing to strengthen the squad in the close season forced an emergency overhaul in the January transfer window.

With four games to play, the Magpies — who were relegated in 2009 before bouncing straight back up — are still not by any means safe and head into Saturday’s meeting with Liverpool just six points clear of the bottom three having finished fifth last term.

Pardew said injuries have not helped his cause but next year, assuming the club do stay up, they will come back stronger.

“You learn from those mistakes, you have to. That’s part of the process of managing a big club,” he added.

“This is only our third year back in the Premier League, so you can’t say we have been here for 10 years and we have got it all nailed down. We haven’t.

“But we will certainly next year be making sure that we have as fully fit a squad as we can, and that the squad is big enough to cope with 38 league games and the two cup competitions that we will be in.

“I have to say, a lot of my season has been ruined by injuries and whether you think that’s an excuse or not, I don’t care. It’s a fact.”

Pardew insisted skipper Fabricio Coloccini, back in training after seven games missed with two broken bones in his back, will play a big role in the end of the campaign despite having caused a furore in January by saying he wanted to return to Argentina for personal reasons.

“Some of the rubbish that has been spoken about him is so far off the mark, it’s an insult to him as a person,” said Pardew. “For me, he is and always will be a great player for this football club.”