SPENDING nearly four years alongside Alan Pardew at St James’ Park has left Newcastle United’s backroom team certain that he will have a surprise in store when he takes on Newcastle United for the first time as Crystal Palace boss tonight.

But Pardew might not be the only one. If he thinks Newcastle will be in the same shape, sticking to the same tactics as he left behind after the victory over Everton in late December, then the players are expecting a difference.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding John Carver’s position up until two matches ago, the recently appointed head coach – who had acted in a caretaker capacity initially – has still, according to those working for him, tinkered with the way Newcastle approach matches. It is no longer, purely, the Pardew way.

“It's going well,” said goalkeeper Tim Krul. “We've got very clear plans, which are good. If you don't do your job you won't play under John and everyone knows that. It has been a little bit different. John’s putting a job on every single position and everyone knows what they have to do. In my opinion, it is coming off.”

After failing to win any of his four matches as caretaker boss, Carver followed up a victory over Hull City with a point against Stoke, which should really have been three had it not been for a lack of resilience.

The Newcastle camp is still in optimistic and confident mood ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park. Carver has warned his players not to expect Pardew to set up a Palace team mirroring how he used to do things on Tyneside.

“I might have a few surprises up my sleeve myself! Well, I have at the moment because I don't know the team,” said Carver. “Both Alan and Ben Stevens, the analyst, know us inside out. He does have a bit of an advantage. We can look at how they play but I know how he thinks. I think I know him inside out.

“He'll have a surprise up his sleeve. There'll be something out of the ordinary that he'll throw in during the game. It could be a set-play, it could be anything because he's a bit like that.

“But in the four or five games I've seen of Palace I can see his stamp being put on the team, definitely. They've got a good team - they've got a good group of players and because he's a good coach he's getting the best out of them.”

In the final ten months of his time in the North-East there were regular calls for Pardew to go, but he always appeared to have the players playing for him, which was highlighted by the six-match winning run in October when the ‘Sack Pardew’ campaign was at its strongest.

“His time at Newcastle was massively up and down,” said Krul. “There were a lot of negatives and a lot of positives. It would be nice to get one over on him on Wednesday night. I liked playing for him - he gave me the number one spot, so on that note it was four years where I became the goalie I am now.

“It was four years under him so of course he had an impact. Everyone has moved on now in the right way. Things are sorted now, we've got John and Steve Stone and I'm pleased with the way it is going.

“It's not going to be weird. I just look at the game on its own and it's going to be difficult because they're in really good form at the moment. I look at our team; we're good at the moment. It just needs little tweaks from us.”

Two players Pardew will not have to worry about tonight are Cheik Tiote, recovering from a knee injury after Africa Cup of Nations duty, and Rolando Aarons, who is due back in full training on Monday. Summer signing Siem De Jong, a £4.5 buy from Ajax, could be involved.

Crystal Palace have a major fitness doubt surrounding former Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi, who signed last month following an unsuccessful stint at Turkish club Gazianstep. He scored 79 goals in 397 appearances for Newcastle and spent 14 years with the club he supported throughout his childhood.

Carver said: “I'll be surprised if he's available. He was coming here for a bit of treatment on his ankle - contrary to what people think we weren't going to sign him again! We were doing it as a favour.

“Shola's a young lad who is close to me. I helped to bring him through the system. I got him out of the Academy at the time and brought him into the first team with Sir Bobby (Robson). If we hadn't have done that he was leaving the football club, he wasn't happy with the way he was being treated. We have a good relationship, it'll be nice to see him but I doubt he will be available.”