Newcastle United director Joe Kinnear rejects talk of bust ups with Alan Pardew

Joe Kinnear has played down talk of behind-the-scenes turmoil at Newcastle, claiming he and manager Alan Pardew are "working together - not plotting against each other".

Kinnear's controversial summer appointment as the club's director of football was seen by some as an undermining of Pardew's position, which itself came under scrutiny as United battled relegation last season.

A large number of the Newcastle fans have dissented against Kinnear owing to a previous spell in charge during the club's relegation season of 2008/09 and comments made since his return, including claiming he had more intelligence than them and pronouncing several of the club's players names wrong.

A 4-0 opening-weekend loss at Manchester City and a 0-0 draw with West Ham have failed to silence the critics too, but Kinnear insists all is well at St James' Park.

"We are working together - not plotting against each other," Kinnear told the Daily Mirror.

Fans have also grown upset at a perceived lack of action in the transfer market - all while midfielder Yohan Cabaye is coveted by Arsenal.

They unfurled a banner during the West Ham game which read 'Joe Kinnear, the clown of the Premier League', but the 66-year-old is standing his ground.