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Joe Kinnear has been brought to Newcastle United to bang heads together and end a feud between manager Alan Pardew and his chief scout, Graham Carr.

Pardew and Carr have been at odds for months, and there have been disagreements over the Magpies' past and future signings.

Now Kinnear, a man ironically renowned for his confrontational style and ability to divide opinion, has been parachuted into the internal battle as all-powerful referee and peace-maker.

The Geordies' owner, sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley, wanted to introduce a trusted outside figure in a bid to snuff out the damaging power struggle.

Pardew has complained that some of the players landed by Carr have not been good enough - a view the latter hotly disputes.

For example, midfielder Vurnon Anita was signed for £5.6million from Ajax last summer, but has not been trusted with a long run in the side.

(Image: Newcastle Utd via Getty)

There has also been doubt about the best position for France international Moussa Sissoko.

He has been played as an attacking midfielder or on the right wing, but could be more influential as a holding midfielder.

Carr has championed the policy of buying up young, foreign talent, but Pardew now wants to balance that with a couple of experienced new stars.

Success stories from Carr's approach include bargain signings Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye, who were bought for a combined £11m.

But with 10 players in his squad for whom French is the first language, Pardew has argued he wants more English speakers with top flight experience to balance the dressing room dynamic and end communication issues.

The stand-off between manager and chief scout led to a breakdown in relations towards the end of last season, with the pair said by an insider who had observed the dynamics to be “stabbing each other in the back.”

(Image: Ian Horrocks)

The rift put Ashley in a difficult position as both Pardew and Carr are in the first 12 months of eight-year contracts.

Ashley’s disgust at the way Newcastle plunged from fifth-place finishers in 2012 to relegation contenders resulted in his decision to bring in trusted drinking-buddy Kinnear as his eyes and ears at the training ground.

The 66-year-old is tasked with reporting directly to Ashley and providing his own take on events.

A Toon insider explained: “Carr and Pardew are at daggers drawn. Carr says that the players he has brought in are good enough, Pardew says they are not.

“Kinnear has been brought in as a trouble-shooter, as Ashley does not know what to do - he doesn’t know who is right or who is wrong.

“Kinnear has been brought in to do Ashley’s dirty work.

(Image: Michael Regan)

“There is a stand-off between Carr and Pardew. There was hardly any communication between them towards the end of last season and there is little now.

“Both are on massive contracts. Carr is stabbing Pardew in the back, and vice versa.

“It is a horrible situation. The internal wranglings and politics at the club is frightening. I’ve never seen or known a situation as intense or as bad as this.”

Newcastle’s next signing will be yet another Frenchman - 17-year-old Metz striker Olivier Kemen.