Alan Pardew: “I’m going to be the third-longest serving manager at a Premier League club, which is really hard to believe. That’s how difficult the job is.
"Sometimes you need to have the faith of not just the owner but the supporters to give you the benefit of the doubt when you make mistakes, so you can put them right.
“I think I’ve proved since I’ve been here that I can reach the heights – and now I’ve got to reach them again. Next season will be very important for me and the club.
“In terms of some of the criticism I’ve received over the last few weeks, you could say, ‘Am I going to get off and run away?’ That’s a joke!
“I love the people in this area. I love the way I’ve been accepted and not just at the club. I want to do even better than I did last season.’’