Excuse After Excuse From 'Loser' Pardew!

Last updated : 20 January 2013 By Footy Mad - Editor

Newcastle have won just three of the 18 league games they have played since the manager signed his eight-year contract in September last year ... but he remained defiant this evening.

Pardew said: "I am strong enough and have been in situations before where I can deal with where we are at.

"But I think it's obvious that the team wants a result. That would help every situation.

"We are lacking impetus. A result perhaps would have given us some impetus today, but we didn't get it, so therefore we need to look to strengthen the team.

"That's somewhere we can get some impetus and give me some options I think will work for us.

"The 10-day break will also give us a chance to get Steven Taylor up top speed. He's only had four days' training, so he wasn't really available for today, and he will add to us.

"But we definitely need two or three more players in this group, and hopefully we can get them over the line before we go to Villa.

"I would like to go to Villa stronger than I was today."

The crowd reaction as Pardew made his changes - he later admitted he would not have withdrawn Sylvain Marveaux had he known Cabaye would limp off nine minutes later - and again at the end of the game told their own story, and there is a growing acceptance on Tyneside that what was initially seen as a blip has developed into a full-blown crisis.