Pardew blasts Gunners over Cabaye

Alan Pardew did not believe Yohan Cabaye was in the right frame of mind to face Manchester City
20 August 2013

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew accused Arsenal of a lack of respect for not waiting until after their Premier League encounter at Manchester City before making a bid for midfielder Yohan Cabaye.

Pardew sent Cabaye back to the north-east, believing he was not in the right mental state to do himself justice after news of the approach leaked into the public domain.

In his absence, Newcastle were hammered 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium and Pardew evidently was not impressed.

"I didn't see any reason why that needed to happen," said Pardew.

"When you do a pre-season like we have and been very thorough and prepared for three days with a team that includes Cabaye, it is tough for his head to be turned on the eve of a game.

"Why they couldn't do us the respect and the honour of waiting until Tuesday evening is beyond me."

Pardew could have asked Cabaye to play, but he felt the Frenchman, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United this summer, would have found it impossible to concentrate.

"It is a very difficult situation and hard to get your head round to play a game of this magnitude," he said.

"It is pretty obvious I am upset about it."

The bid was dismissed out of hand, with Pardew insisting it falls well below Newcastle's valuation.

"I am not sure of the exact terms of it (the bid) but it is below our valuation for sure," said Pardew.

"This is a terrific player."

Pardew now feels Newcastle are in the same situation as Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham, who have both had to fend off unwanted interest in Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale respectively.

And he believes it warrants the whole transfer window regulations being looked at again.

"You put him in the Suarez and Bale situation which he has found himself in," he said.

"There is a question about the window being closed before we kick off the Premier League season.

"I know the Premier League asked the European leagues to do it and they wouldn't fall in line.

"But after the summer we have had, the situations we have had, with Rooney as well, it is definitely something they need to put under the microscope again."

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