Pardew on Saturday night insisted that he still believes he can save Newcastle from relegation, but admitted this was an “awful” performance. Furious home fans turned on both him and his team following a result which leaves them hovering alarmingly just two places above the Premier League relegation zone. It was the club’s worst home defeat since 1925.
“We need a win from one of our two remaining away games,” said Pardew. “You can’t come off a defeat like that and the manner of it and not be worried. I’m not going to criticise the players individually. Collectively we fell short.”
Asked about the way his team capitulated he continued: “When you’re not playing well and 3-0 down, it was a lot for some of the inexperienced players to cope with. I believe I can get enough out of this team to keep them up and that process starts on Monday. I will carry on and fight through this. We haven’t suddenly became a bad coaching staff.”
Pardew is unlikely to leave Tyneside before the end of the season but even if he succeeds in leading Newcastle to safety – they currently hold a five-point cushion over Wigan – the impact of the losses against Sunderland and Liverpool is likely to see Newcastle’s owners review his position in the summer.
For Liverpool, the victory was an emphatic end to a turbulent week. Daniel Sturridge started in place of Suárez and scored twice, as did former Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson; Daniel Agger and Fabio Borini scored the other goals while Newcastle had Mathieu Debuchy sent off for two yellow cards.
It could have been worse for Newcastle but for Wigan being held to a 2-2 draw by Tottenham .
Elsewhere, a mob of Wolves fans invaded the Molineux pitch and attacked club stewards and the home dugout after defeat by Burnley left them on the brink of relegation to League One .
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