Have to say, in all this, one thing makes me happier than evertything else.
The Pardew appointment was a calculated one, the outmost expression of Ashley's non-existant ambition. That "project" has failed. He'll struggle to find someone willing to champion Wonga, get behind Sports Direct and other soul-drenching measures, dedicate wins to the owner, advertise players ahead of every transfer window and carry the message of a club that refuses to be the best it can. Pardew was willing in establishing the new "truth" about our reality, about Ashley's NUFC. That's no more. This has forced Ashley into re-thinking. If he tries the same thing again, the same will happen. Anyone slightly worse than Pardew will almost certainly have us relegated, in which case Ashley will be concerned for real.
Pardew gone is a massive blow to Ashley's NUFC. That's a really good thing.