LONDON (SE) - Alan Pardew has dismissed reports of unrest in the Newcastle dressing room ahead of Saturday's match against West Ham at Upton Park.
Newcastle lost 6-0 to Liverpool at St. James' Park on Saturday, and four defeats in six matches have left the Magpies perched just one spot above the Premier League relegation zone - five points clear of 18th-placed Wigan, who have played one game less.
Despite the disappointing run of results and rumours of disharmony within in his squad, Magpies boss Pardew insists his players will be fully focussed on the side's final three matches of the season.
"As far as I'm concerned, the group is very much together,"Pardew said. "We're pulling together, trying to get a result, and the fact that we have a lot of French players and some language difficulty has been kind of torn up and made to be something else. There's no problem and we go to the next game. If you think, because the players are from a foreign countries or some of our players are not bothered, it's just ridiculous.
"Of course they're bothered. Our frustrations and our professionalism are on the line but we have the destiny of ourselves in our own hands."
West Ham (11-9-15) are now safely positioned in 10th place in the table on 42 points after flirting with relegation for parts of the season.
Hammers striker Andy Carroll will be looking to extend his recent goal-scoring streak against his former club Newcastle. The 24-year-old England forward has netted four goals in his last five appearances in the Premier League, including a late consolation for the Londoners in the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.
"It will be a tough game, it is always difficult to play against them - they probably haven't had the season they wanted in terms of where they are in the league, but can still be a force and I am just looking forward to playing them," Carroll told his club's official website. "And we are playing really well at home and getting the results here, so we will definitely be looking to keep that going at the weekend as we feel confident.
"We went into Saturday's game (against Manchester City) on the back of five games unbeaten so it is always disappointing when a run like that is broken. But as I said, we are confident at home and it is all about making sure we finish the season in the strongest way possible and we will be trying to do that again with another good result at home on Saturday."
West Ham will be without defenders James Tomkins (calf) and George McCartney (knee).
Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini is fit to return against West Ham after being out since the end of February with a back injury. Mathieu Debuchy is suspended after being sent off against Liverpool.
West Ham won 1-0 at St. James' Park in November, with another Newcastle old boy - Kevin Nolan - scoring the decisive goal seven minutes before halftime.
This will be the 123rd meeting between these clubs, with the Magpies holding the edge with 49 wins to the Hammers' 38. They have drawn 35 times since first meeting in the second round of the 1908 FA Cup, a match Newcastle won 2-0 at home. The Magpies lost the final 3-1 to Wolverhampton that year.
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