Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew says Mike Ashley now feels far more comfortable in charge of the club.

Ashley is now presiding over a far healthier club, and after seeing the Magpies fight back to snatch a derby draw with Sunderland at the weekend, he is clearly enjoying his tenure more than he has at times in the recent past.

Pardew said: "He thoroughly enjoyed Sunday - he thought it was 'good theatre', those were his words, and it probably was.

"But for us as a club, it's important he has a good hold of the football club and a good psychology towards it, which I think he has at the moment.

"We are just going to try to grow with the financial discipline that we have."