Newcastle United boss Joe Kinnear is adamant players won't be sold from under him next month.

He said: "Mike [Ashley] does not have a say."

Challenged on this he replied: "He'll have a say, 'yes' or 'no', but he's guided by me. That's why I'm in charge. But he's not going to sell someone and then give me someone else who'll weaken the team. That'd be ridiculous."

When it was pointed out that this is what happened to Kevin Keegan in August regarding James Milner, Kinnear baulked: "But that was what, £12m?"