Alan Pardew wants to finish above Manchester United

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has admitted that he celebrated Fulham's late equaliser against Manchester United on Sunday.

The 52-year-old was happy to see the Red Devils drop points because he has set the Magpies a target of finishing above them in the table.

Newcastle are currently four points behind the Premier League champions, and with European qualification looking more unlikely with every game, Pardew wants his players to use the prospect of leapfrogging United as motivation to end the season strongly.

"Manchester United's result cheered me up," he told reporters. "It gives us a chance to try and catch them and, if we finish above Manchester United that would be a hell of an achievement for this club, regardless of anything else. That's the immediate incentive for us and then we'll see where that takes us.

"I haven't picked Manchester United out because of David, who is a big pal of mine and handling that situation very well. It's because they happen to be the team directly in front of us. But of course it would be quite a scalp to finish above them.

"People are saying we have no incentive [for the rest of the season] but they are insulting our professionalism. I don't like that. As manager of Newcastle United, it irritates me. There's always an incentive in football."

Newcastle host Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park on Wednesday.