The midfielder completed a switch to QPR before last week's transfer deadline to bring a four-year spell with the Magpies to an end. Barton had been a key player for Newcastle but the club were prepared to let him leave for nothing after he voiced criticisms on social networking sites. While Pardew was not pleased to see Barton go, he has admitted that it was probably the correct move for everyone. "I don't think relief is the right word. It was perhaps the right time that we all shook hands and moved on because otherwise it was just going to hang around," said the Newcastle manager. "The board were never going to give Joey a contract after he turned down their offer in January and therefore it was probably best that we all parted company." Barton is now in line to make his QPR debut against Newcastle at Loftus Road on Monday, with Pardew fully aware of the quality he possesses. "Joey is a controlled animal now on the football pitch. He's an aggressive player, but he has brought that under control," said Pardew. "He's a very, very good player and somebody we need to make sure doesn't influence the game as much as he did for us. "He hasn't got anything to prove to me or the staff here because the players all know how good he is. "Obviously, there was a falling-out with the board that wasn't going to be rectified, so Joey has moved on. "He's got himself a contract that he has earned through not just his ability, but the way he has conducted himself in the last couple of years especially, and we wish him well."
