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Pardew puts focus on Newcastle players

Alan Pardew: Concerned by his side's form © PA Photos

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Alan Pardew has said only the players can turn around Newcastle United's recent poor form.

A 2-0 defeat at Southampton on Sunday was Newcastle's third Premier League loss in a row and it is a run of form that has the manager concerned.

"We're worried, of course we're worried," Pardew said of his side's form. "We're Newcastle United, we've got that dressing room to take to Stoke on Wednesday, we can't add anything to that. That's our group.

"We were soundly beaten and we've got three days to lift the team. The intensity and energy Southampton put on the pitch caused problems for us."

With Newcastle currently missing several players through injury - the club confirmed on Monday that Yohan Cabaye had undergone groin surgery in Paris - Pardew highlighted the spate of absentees, along with an arduous Europa League schedule, as reasons for his side's struggles at present.

And Pardew said the Newcastle players will need the support of the fans, who he described as "the greatest in the country".

"The main problem for us is the Europa League thrown in there," Pardew said. "Then we've got a run of injuries that is unprecedented for us. We really didn't have any problems last season - one of the reasons we've finished fifth.

"But this season we've had nothing but setbacks and we've probably got another in Steven Taylor, who has a hamstring injury. That's another to add to the 11 already out.

"They're the greatest fans in the country in my opinion, we'll need them now, we need them more than we did last season."

Meanwhile, midfielder Jonas Gutierrez believes his team-mates received exactly what they deserved from Sunday's defeat - with the Argentina international feeling the club must focus on the present not the past as they look to get back to winning ways.

"We had a few chances that the keeper made a good save from. It's finished, I think we deserved 2-0 because we didn't play good enough," Gutierrez told the club's official website.

"When you don't win the confidence is not the same. We learned we do not have a big squad, we know in December we play six games and it's going to be tough. It's not easy to do what we did last year but we have to stay focused and try to do our best."

"Football is not about the past it is about the present, we have to get back to winning ways."

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