Pardew feels pressure growing

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew admits he is feeling the pressure after his side’s four wins from 16 Premier League games this term.

Pardew’s side host Manchester City on Saturday with the gap between themselves and the relegation zone at two points after results last weekend.

And Pardew, who signed an eight-year contract in September, has conceded the need for performances to improve immediately despite the impressive job he did in guiding Newcastle to a fifth-place finish last season.

“There has been pressure on me,” he told The Chronicle. “My view of this is that I have to look at the bigger picture at this club. But I must not take my eye off the immediate problem. And that’s immediate results.

“We find ourselves in a position in the league where we have three of the top four clubs in the next four matches. It makes it even more difficult.

“But that is a challenge that we must accept head-on and try to get across the line. By no means, don’t think I am not affected by the results, because I am.

“Nothing is hurting me more at the minute than losing games. It isn’t money, stability or happiness, it is winning.”

Pardew said he is still looking for answers as to why his side are failing to live up to the heights of last season.

“There are a lot of things that are linked together,” he said. “You have momentum, and I can honestly say that the players have probably worked harder in this period than at any time since I have been at the football club.

“What you can’t be is over-analytical and put different messages in players’ heads. When you are winning, you just roll in and everybody is in good form.

“You don’t have to find many answers. We have to find a lot of answers. Like ‘Why isn’t Jonas playing as well?’ or ‘Why isn’t Tiote producing the effectiveness of last year?'”