The Toon boss also said the Manchester/Liverpool players have not always been in unison with the rest of the team.
Alan Pardew: "I honestly do not think England would have come back like that in the Sweden game in the recent past.
"It was a great, great result in the circumstances and what it showed was the power and spirit of this group of players.
"In the past there has often been a lack of harmony and we have not had the group together for whatever reasons – maybe the Man United-Liverpool factions for instance.
"This squad, without being as good individually, look very much as though they have a team spirit for one of the first times I can remember.
"There is a free spirit about them too, which possibly comes from having a good influx of young players there and they will now have the belief that even if they go behind they can come back and do it.
"The game against France was different because you felt all along that the French had that extra bit of quality which was going to tell eventually.
"So to come out of the first two matches with four points was a great effort.
"Of course there was a bad period in the 15 or 20 minutes after half-time against Sweden, but I do a lot of work with defenders and I would have sat mine down and said to them that the first goal was just one of those bad breaks that fell nicely for Sweden – it happens, take it on the chin.
"The second goal was a poor one and not like us.
"We also need to remember sometimes that this is top-class international football, in which you are up against quality opposition.
"England had Ashley Cole and Ashley Young down the left, which in any Premier League team would give you an awful lot of ammunition, yet on Friday we got very little penetration from them."