Pardew thrilled with Kuqi signing

Alan Pardew insists that new signing Shefki Kuqi is not a replacement for departed striker Andy Carroll.

The 34-year-old Finn, who signed on a free transfer on Thursday morning, goes straight into Newcastle’s threadbare squad for the game with Blackburn on Saturday.

Newcastle star Carroll left the club last week to join Liverpool for 35 million pounds but his late exit in the transfer window meant that the Magpies did not have enough time to react to his sale.

And this woe was compounded when striker Shola Ameobi broke his cheekbone at Fulham, leaving Pardew with just Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands and youngster Nile Ranger in his frontline.

“Shefki brings us valuable cover – what he can bring is experience and presence,” Pardew said.

“With Shola injured we lack a bit of presence. Shefki is a guy who is a real gentleman and a character and anybody who has worked with him will know that. That was important.”

“We needed to bring in somebody that might be able to handle the group that we’ve got. We have a group that are honest and if you don’t do something right you will be told.’

“Not just by the coaching staff but the players as well.”

Pardew admits he has reviewed the enthralling 4-4 draw with Arsenal and still can’t believe that his side clawed a point out of the game.

‘I think even Arsenal’s coaching team were the same as us when they looked back on it – looking back in disbelief,” he said.

“It was an amazing day and we’ve come out the right end of it.”

“We ended the game on a positive but you’d hate to be on the other end of that.”

“We didn’t start well and we documented those reasons.’

“The comeback and the character that we showed was magnificent.”

Pardew has made the headlines this week for tearing into his team so loudly that it was even heard in the Arsenal dressing room.

“I said at half-time what any Newcastle fan would have said at that time,” he revealed.

‘There was a couple of tactical things in there but not too many. It’s a day that will live long in the memory. Not just what happened in the dressing but what happened on the pitch because it doesn’t matter what’s said in the dressing room, it’s the reaction on the pitch.”

“You need to see people respond to criticism and adulation in the same way.”

“We did that and it was a joy to watch in the second half.”

Newcastle head to Blackburn and could even be unchanged from the side that drew with the Gunners.

Best has been passed fit to play but defender Steven Taylor must wait another fortnight to make his return from a hamstring injury.