Alan Pardew's newspaper press conference as reported by the Chronicle:

National journalist: Are things harder when you are beaten by a goal like that?

AP: "Heh, yeah. It was a bit of a fluke goal and the wind I thought caught hold of it which made it almost impossible for Tim to save. 

But you know it was, there was a call before that when we should have had a penalty. It was a turning point for us, because we need a goal - That would have been a nice opportunity.”

National journalist: You thought it was a penalty?

AP: “Yeah.”

National journalist: The fans seem to be turning against you Alan is it something you noticed from where you were sitting?

AP: "Well of course four defeats as Newcastle manager...we have 10 senior players missing." 

(Anyone able to justify that stat? The only way we can do so is by including a) players who have been sold b) players we haven't yet bought c) players out on loan d) players in the current XI but "missing" in terms of form...)

"It is a difficult hold to try to fill at the moment - their frustration has boiled over a little bit. We need to settle it down, the way to settle it down is to get a win. Unfortunately it hasn’t come today."

Lee Ryder: Do you think you will be able to win the fans back round?

Lee Marshall, club’s PR manager: “We won’t take questions from you today I’m afraid.”

National journalist: Alan, how will you win the fans back round, do you think you can do that?

AP: "The only thing you can do is try and get a performance on the pitch which gives us a chance of winning. I thought it was close today - I thought we had good character in the group.

“I thought it was an honest performance but we lack creative flair and we lack a little bit of ability in and around the box. Loic’s return, which I think will happen next week, will be important to us.”

National journalist: In a way are you the victim of what you did in the first half of the season?

AP: "Possibly. In terms of the Cabaye and Loic losses, it has made it difficult for us to create and dictate games prior to them both being in the team, but I can’t fault the players today - they gave the maximum as they could.”

Pardew: “Thank you.”

(Leaves rooms after 129 seconds)

SCFC tea lady: “What was all that about?”

Mark Hughes:

"Invariably, the supposedly more difficult characters (Arnautovic) give you that spark that can change games, so you have to understand their issues, if they have issues, work around them and get the best out of them - that's what I try to do and my staff try to do.

"It's fair to say he came with a little bit of baggage, but we were probably exactly what he needed to get out of the environment he found himself in. German football, maybe because of a few episodes there, hadn't taken too kindly to him. 

"He's come into an environment that appreciates him, appreciates what he can do for the team, and his personality is different and players enjoy being around him.

"It's not easy to come in and have an impact, certainly as a creative player. It's easier for defensive-minded players. When you are a creative player the onus is on you to win games and that's more difficult, but once he's got to grips with it, the second half of the season has been good for the team and good for him. In terms of his ability to cross on the run, he's one of the best I've seen.

"We haven't done anything yet - people were trying to pat us on the back for getting to 40 points, but that was never the aim. There's four games to go and who knows where we will get to?

"Newcastle are in our sights now and I would suggest our momentum is better than theirs, so who knows, we might catch them?"

"We had the vast majority of chances, any of them could have been converted. Newcastle put good balls into good areas, but defensively we were nice and sound and any pressure we came under we dealt with."

Situated adjacent to the players tunnel, Toon fans made their discontent with the poor first half display apparent, accompanying criticism of the manager ("everybody's right, Pardew's shite") waving bed sheets on which a variety of messages were scrawled: "no more lies or excuses Pardew out", "Pardew is a muppet" and the unequivocal "Pardew Out". 

At this point the criticism - and support for Ben Arfa - remained mixed and noticeably less audible from one section of the away end, with the older lot seemingly retaining some patience. Again though, the sight of Newcastle followers arguing among themselves was further evidence of this increasingly divisive season. 

Again resisting the temptation to alter the side at half time, the second period was little different and Crouch missed a couple of headers before Taylor appeared to pull a calf muscle and was replaced by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

Williamson then had the chance to break his Newcastle duck, only for Ryan Shawcross to blocked after Cisse's cross to the far post and the ball fell to the defender.

With no further prospect of an equaliser, Gosling and Cisse made way for Ben Arfa and Adam Armstrong. But despite our line-up looking even more random, United began to make some inroads into a Stoke side for whom ex-Magpie flop Stephen Ireland had gone off after completing an hour of half-paced posturing - but was still superior to our lot.

Ben Arfa almost instantly suffered a dead leg and looked intent on departing before a touchline conflab resulted in his magically recovering.*

(*our original match report went on to note that "the lack of any Newcastle substitutes warming up from that point was significant" - thanks for those who have correctly pointed out that we had by then used all three permitted replacements, Steven Taylor having previously been forced off). 

Anita had the chance to head in at the far post but the smallest player on the field couldn't direct his header downward and the ball cleared the bar.

Williamson stayed forward and had another shot blocked and Yanga-Mbiwa sliced horribly wide as our final efforts to salvage a point came and went and four minutes of added time ebbed away in typical aimless fashion.

By then though a more concerted and united away support had turned their fire on the manager, "Pardew Out" shouts increasing in volume and boos and catcalls greeting the away bench occupants and players as they retreated to the sanctuary of the dressing room.

Pardew sought later to blame the local media for inciting those supporters into that negative response, a situation that whether true or not is of course entirely due to the club banning said titles. That gives them free rein to slag them off, rather than throw a lifebelt to the beleaguered manager in the form of supportive press coverage. 

The Sunday Sun responded with this back page

Remaining in ninth spot with only a three point cushion above Stoke, even achieving our "incentivised" tenth place finish is now less certain, West Ham sitting nine points behind us with a game in hand.

The need for a positive home display - and result - next Saturday is now imperative to try and prevent this rift  from becoming a chasm. Like our other home opponents Cardiff though, Swansea will travel to Tyneside in dire need of points and knowing that they are there for the taking by the simple expedient of finding the net first. 

And for all the understandable bluster about the wheels coming off the Gus Bus, the reality of the situation is that we're no better and on course to suffer a similar fate in twelve months without drastic surgery to this team.

In terms of tactics and motivation though, the mood of the support is hardening against the manager - and his players look to be offering a similar no confidence vote, both on the field and in the treatment room. 

While dumping Pardew would be a short-term remedy, the constraints any manager here has to work under would mean that like Hughton, his replacement would be of a similar level, with similar underwhelming and limiting aspirations imposed on his shoulders. 

That continues to be the greater issue.  

Niall/Biffa

Dedicated to Graham Helling aka "Big Issue" from all your pals. RIP.