There were suggestions that Pardew could feel undermined following the controversial arrival of Kinnear, who had a brief stint as Magpies manager during the 2008-09 season.
And it appears its KINNEAR who decides on the players the club brings in - NOT Pardew.
And that could stem from the fact that Pardew's time at West Ham and Reading were clouded when he started to introduce his own players into the frame.
Both sets of supporters have told us "he does well when he first takes over a club - the problem is when he brings in his own players - THAT's when it all goes wrong because he doesn't pick players for specific positions, he doesn't have a game plan, he just throws them in."
That seems to be the word around London, and it seems Ashley has done something about it by bringing in Kinnear.
The season has not yet started ... so let's see what happens in the coming weeks. Will Kinnear get involved with team business? Some suspect he will.
Alan Pardew: "Joe absolutely does not interfere in my management of the team.
"There can be no clouding or greying of the issue. I'm the football manager. I make all the football decisions that evolve around the game that's being played on a Saturday.
"In terms of the transfers, that's a different story. He's going to have an opinion. I don't have a problem with that."