Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has moved to defuse a backlash against director of football Joe Kinnear after his failure to make a single permanent summer signing.

The 52-year-old went into the final days of the transfer window desperately hoping to land at least one attacking player, but ultimately had to be satisfied with just the arrival of loan signing Loic Remy, who had turned down Tyneside for QPR seven months earlier.

A statement released on his behalf was a masterpiece of diplomacy, acknowledging both owner Mike Ashley’s January investment in Mathieu Debuchy, Massadio Haidara, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran, and Kinnear’s ultimately unsuccessful efforts to bolster his squad further.

Pardew said: “We are delighted to have brought Loic Remy to the club in this window and we believe he will form an exciting and effective partnership with Papiss Cisse.

“Joe has worked hard on numerous targets, particularly an additional offensive player. However some of the options that were available within our financial means were not as good as the players we already had and there is no point bringing in new players unless they can improve us and take us forward.

“We did the majority of our business in the January window, signing five excellent first team players. With the strong squad we have we should all approach the season in a positive, optimistic frame of mind.”