Pardew looking to the long-term

Alan Pardew will not allow Newcastle to stand still no matter what they eventually achieve this season.

The Magpies head into Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with leaders Manchester City with third place still a possibility as the season draws to a close, something which would have been beyond the manager's wildest dreams in August. At worst, the club will finish in sixth with the added bonus of Europa League football next season; at best they could qualify for the Champions League and the riches that would bring. Either way, it will have been a remarkable season for Newcastle in just their second season back in the top flight. However, asked about how owner Mike Ashley is enjoying the thrill of seeing the club battling it out with the big boys, Pardew insisted it is more about how they move forward and sustain that success. He said: "You would be surprised, we don't really have those discussions. It's more about protecting ourselves as a club, making sure that the stadium has the right atmosphere, the players who are coming in and going out are right decisions, more so than what's happening in terms of where we are in the league. "We will reflect on it at the end of the year, like you should as a football club, what went right, what went wrong. Obviously a lot of things have gone right, and we need to make sure next year it happens again and the few things we did get wrong, we try to correct."