Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Alan Pardew reckons Neil Warnock is in danger of receiving another lingering “death-stare” if he steps out of line on his top-flight return.

Warnock launches his second stint as Crystal Palace boss at St James’ Park, where he will cross swords for the latest time with long-time foe and Eagles old-boy Pardew.

The Newcastle manager backed the 65-year-old to help steer his former club through the turmoil of losing Tony Pulis, and being forced to pull out of a move for the disgraced Malky Mackay.

But he promised the former Sheffield United boss no favours on his big ­comeback, and insisted: “Neil knows my death-stare is better than his.”

Pardew claims he is a much calmer figure on the sidelines in the wake of his record seven-game ban for headbutting Hull’s David Meyler last season.

He assured supporters it won’t get heated in the technical area tomorrow and added: “Neil is a manager who gets emotional but, to be honest, I’ve never really had a problem with him.

(Image: Tom Dulat)

“I think once at ­Sheffield United we might have had a bit of an issue. But it didn’t take me long to give him the death-stare and he backed off.

“We all know the impact a new manager can have on a team. We found that out to our cost last season when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came up here in his first game, with Cardiff in the cup, so that’s something we must guard against.”

Pardew played more than 150 times for Palace in a four-and-a-half-year stint at Selhurst Park, earning an FA Cup runners-up medal in 1990. His former club is still close to his heart, and he said: “With the sort of turmoil that has happened there, Neil’s a good choice.

“He has the experience to deal with the fact that they need to stay in the Premier League in order to grow as a club. They have had one year under their belt, and that doesn’t really count.

“It is such an advantage to be in the Premier League at the moment with the money. I am sure they will invest, I will be looking closely at the markets in the next couple of days because I think they could buy before the game.

“I was sad to see Tony Pulis leave, because I thought he was a good fit for Palace. It’s a shame that it broke down and now they must move on.”

(Image: Paul Gilham)

Newcastle have found the net just once in four-and-a-half hours’ football this season – an own goal from John Egan in the midweek Capital One Cup win at Gillingham.

And Emmanuel Riviere has struggled to make an impact so far following his £6million move from Monaco.

But Pardew backed the Frenchman to come good, and said: “There’s a lot of expectation on our new players.

“In our last two matches, Aston Villa and ­Gillingham were both very defensive and that makes it difficult for a No.9 like Manu to score when teams pack their defence. I think it will be the same on Saturday.

“I have no worries about Manu. There will be games where he gets more room, when teams get on the front foot, or when we are behind.

“That’s when I think we’ll see the best of him because he’s in good shape.”