Newcastle United Confirm Departure of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football

Newcastle United have confirmed Joe Kinnear has resigned from his position as Director of Football at St James's Park.

The Tyneside club broke news of Kinnear's departure on the club's official website. A statement read: "Newcastle United can confirm that Joe Kinnear has this evening resigned from his position as Director of Football with immediate effect. The Club will be making no further comment."

Magpies owner Mike Ashley appointed the 67-year-old to manage the transfer business of the Tyneside club, but Newcastle failed miserably in the summer and January transfer windows as the club could not make any permanent signings, while allowing their star midfielder Yohan Cabaye to join Paris Saint-Germain last month.

Newcastle signed two players on loan in the two transfer windows. Loic Remy arrived at St James's Park on-loan from Queens Park Rangers as the London club faced relegation last season, while in January Alan Pardew added Luuk de Jong, another loan deal.

Pardew saw his side suffer a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby last weekend - Newcastle's second derby defeat of the season..

Pardew admitted he would have added new faces in the January window if he had been solely in charge of transfer business.

"I've got no comment to make on that one [on making permanent signings]. I'm a professional manager. If I was in charge, solely, of transfers, things might be different. I think I've made my opinions very clear this week and all the rest is confidential," Pardew explained.

After Newcastle's defeat to Sunderland, they are eight in the table with 37 points from 24 games, trailing seventh-placed Manchester United by three points.