I wouldn't call Pardew intelligent, but he's not quite Steven Taylor either. Kinnear is primarily here to scrutinise Pardew's performance, something Llambias wasn't really equipped to do.
4 different teams have won the league in the last 9 years and you have 3 very strong candidates for winning it next season. What more do you want?
Messi. Very poor quality of football.
Using the CL as an example? Take a look at the last 9 finals. Only 2 haven't had a PL side. The Champions League isn't relevant to depth conducive to a competitive, entertaining league anyway.