Newcastle keen to avoid pay-cut clauses
8:00am Friday 10th May 2013 in Sport 
NEWCASTLE UNITED are not intending to rethink a policy to ignore provisions for relegation in new contracts despite this season's ongoing threat of dropping back out of the Premier League.
The Magpies are focused on fighting off the prospect of playing in the Championship next season and a Sunday victory at relegated Queens Park Rangers could be enough to guarantee survival.
But even if Newcastle drop in to the bottom three before the end of the campaign and end up outside the top-flight there are no clauses demanding pay-cuts in existing players' contracts.
Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias have been satisfied with the progress made financially since the club's last relegation in 2009 and have chosen against demanding such clauses in new deals.
Sunderland, who would be effectively safe if they beat Southampton on Sunday, have insisted on clauses which would see players' salaries slashed to enable them to deal with the reduced turnover life outside the Premier League brings with it. And they are not the only club.
Newcastle, however, believe that can harm chances of attracting the calibre of players they want in the transfer market, something which was highlighted in January.
The boardroom felt it strengthened the club's arm in luring Moussa Sissoko, Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Yoan Gouffran and Massadio Haidara to St James' Park during the last transfer window.
And - given how the days of Newcastle over-paying to land more experienced, bigger names such as Patrick Kluivert and Michael Owen are over - there is no real desire to have pay-cuts written in to players' contracts.
Newcastle, sitting three points above 18th-placed Wigan with a similar goal difference, know staying in the Premier League is vital after feeling the full force of relegation four years ago.
And given an increase in parachute payments to clubs dropping out of the Premier League, Newcastle are satisfied they have the stability in place to cope, at least in the short term.
Newcastle, though, are working hard on the training ground to try to ensure they do not slip out of the top-flight and continue to assess the knee injury Moussa Sissoko is nursing and the knee/foot complaint Shola Ameobi picked up at Upton Park.
Manager Alan Pardew can ill-afford to have his best players unavailable and the seriousness of the situation they find themselves in has increased the pressure to secure maximum points at QPR this Sunday.
Pardew, whose side claimed a point and a clean sheet at West Ham last weekend, has had to dismiss suggestions of a rift between different players in his squad.
And the performance against the Hammers, while lacking potency in front of goal, did suggest togetherness and a desire to see Newcastle clear of trouble.
But Frenchman David Ginola, a former St James' favourite, thinks there is reason to doubt the attitudes of his ten compatriots on Tyneside in the position the team is in.
Ginola, talking to TalkSport, said: "I spoke a few weeks ago about the fact there is ten French players in the squad and whether it would be a good thing for the club.
"At the time it seemed that it was positive because they were going to bring something different to the club, but after a few weeks it wasn't good enough and it still isn't now.
"Playing in Europe and then in a Premier League relegation fight are completely different things. You have to have the right sort of players for that task and I'm not sure that the players are concerned about it. The players are thinking, 'well if the club is relegated then we will leave in the summer'.
"Hopefully they're going to find something to help save the club because Newcastle United and the fans need to stay in the Premier League. I hope they are impressing that importance onto them."
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