Sunday 2 November 2014 09:05, UK
Alan Pardew insists he always had faith in the "talent" of his Newcastle squad after they beat Liverpool 1-0 on Saturday.
The Magpies boss, who has come under intense pressure from disaffected fans in recent weeks, saw striker Ayoze Perez come off the bench to fire the hosts to a narrow win over the Reds at St James' Park, their third on the trot in the Premier League inside a morale-boosting fortnight.
I always knew, and I kept saying it, that we have good spirit and good talent. I am not saying I saw the wins coming, but I knew there was talent.
Pardew wore a broad smile at the final whistle as one fan dressed as a skeleton paraded around the stand behind him holding a placard which said, 'Pardew, back from the dead'.
Pardew said: "It is Halloween! Bobby Robson had some dark days here, don't worry about that. If you are Newcastle manager, it is not all gin and tonics and aperitifs. There will be rough days.
"I always knew, and I kept saying it, that we have good spirit and good talent. I am not saying I saw the wins coming, but I knew there was talent."
Pardew, who celebrates four years in the job next month, sent out his team brimming with confidence after victories over Leicester and Tottenham and also Manchester City in the Capital One Cup.
And while it was a commendable defensive solidity which frustrated the visitors, for whom Mario Balotelli and Raheem Sterling were largely anonymous, it was Newcastle who found the cutting edge.
There were 17 minutes remaining when the once again impressive Moussa Sissoko played a one-two with full-back Paul Dummett before sending in a low cross which was cut out by Alberto Moreno, but swiftly dispatched into the back of the net by Perez.
It would have been 2-0 four minutes later had Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet not managed to keep out Remy Cabella's goal-bound effort with his foot and Newcastle emerged as deserved winners.
"Our fans are brilliant," added Pardew, who takes his players to West Brom next weekend for a live Super Sunday encounter. "It will be fantastic in the town tonight - I might even go in myself, the first time for a while.
"That is what this city is about. It breathes and loves football. When it does not go well, they let you know, and when it is going well, they let you know. You take the good with the bad."
