Pardew Would Be Foolish To Leave Newcastle Now

England or Spurs might come calling, but Alan Pardew says he's staying at Newcastle United. That's a good thing for Newcastle. It's also a smart career move by Pardew.

Granted, we're assuming Pardew is being honest in denying any interest in leaving Newcastle. That's always a leap of faith, even with the most trustworthy individuals in professional sports. While Pardew isn't as evasive as most managers, he's clearly not afraid to bend the truth when needed.

But he also seems like an intelligent, reflective person who I don't think would underestimate the risk associated with leaving Newcastle so soon. Sure, the England job is something he couldn't have dreamed of even six months ago. Same thing with the potential opening at Spurs, should England hire away Harry Redknapp. Both are higher-profile jobs. Those aren't sufficient reasons to make such a defining career move, though. Just ask Mark Hughes, Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce.

Pardew appears to be building something special at Newcastle, a "project" - the term he used this week - that could potentially rival Spurs' current success in a season or two. He has the ability to shape the direction of the club, all the way down to the youth setup. It's hard to imagine anyone getting comparable creative control as England manager. And the Spurs job post-Redknapp will be all about maintaining the status quo. That's a recipe for getting fired after one bad run.

The more success Pardew has at Newcastle, the more patience he'll get at his next stop. That could be England. Or Spurs. But not now.