The most high-profile blunder was one he actually got away with last season when officials failed to spot a shot from Tottenham’s Pedro Mendes had actually crossed the line before the Northern Ireland keeper hooked it back.

But Pardew has backed the 28-year-old goalkeeper to rise to the challenge when United arrive at Upton Park on Sunday.

Pardew said: “I didn’t just sign him blindly. Last year, for shots saved, he had the best in the division.

“I don’t think he has anything to prove. He is a class goalie who performed well for United. I know he had a very high-profile incident but whenever I saw him at United he didn’t do much wrong.

“Incidents get played over and over again and that was certainly a strange one but I thought he should have been applauded for the way he recovered from the initial mistake. He made it look like it was okay and carried on.”

Carroll is fit again following a knee injury picked up in a training ground accident last month and although Shaka Hislop has deputised impressively for the five games that followed, the Trinidad & Tobago international is now expected to make way.

Pardew would not confirm this, however.

“I haven’t spoken to Shaka or Roy about who is playing,” he insisted. “We are blessed really and I will have to have a look at that decision.”

But it is fair to say the manager regards Carroll as his number-one choice and he had gone to great lengths to make him his first signing once promotion to the Premiership was clinched a few months ago.

Indeed, Pardew even went as far as hiring a holiday home from ex-Crystal Palace team-mate Gareth Southgate to seal the deal.

He said: “The message got to me that he wasn’t going to sign for United and I made it known I was desperate for him if we made it through the play-offs.

“As soon as we got through, two or three days later I flew out to see him. I saw him at Gareth Southgate’s villa. I knew he was out there on his holidays so I acquired Gareth’s villa for a small fee.”

Pardew has expressed an interest in signing Roy Keane now he is no longer a Manchester United player and has also been linked with Stoke’s John Halls, who is looking to move in the transfer window.

But his more immediate focus was on stopping those who would be emerging from the away dressing room at Upton Park, with Wayne Rooney inevitably top of the list.

He said: “I saw United at Charlton last week and I thought they were terrific and particularly Rooney, who was outstanding.

“For them it is a big game to come to us. They need to keep their momentum going as Chelsea are putting the pressure on them to keep getting results.

“United are a fantastic side and the only way we are going to win is by being positive and have a go. There is no tacical super-plan that will stop United scoring against us. The bottom line is that if we want to win the game we will have to score some goals so we will attack them in our own way.”