Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has blasted football agents for distracting his players during the transfer window.

The Magpies were held 1-1 at home by Aston Villa on Sunday in a game where several of the Toon Army's star performers were far from their best.

Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse were all linked with moves away from Newcastle during the summer, and Pardew believes that this explains their poor early season form.

"I have some sympathy for players because if people or agents – and not necessarily their own agent, a different agent – call them and offer them double their money, it's going to affect you," said Pardew.

"It's not just us, it's other clubs. There are some terrible people and agents in and around the game who do things like that, ring a player up and promise him the earth, say 'I can do the deal', and they are not even their agent. It goes on."

Newcastle sit 10th in the Premier League.