Pardew pleased by 'spirit & character'

Alan Pardew has admitted the "tension in the stands" is not going to ease anytime soon, but says his Newcastle players are giving everything for him.

The under-pressure manager said the way his side twice fought back to draw 2-2 at Swansea showed his squad backed him.

"The players gave me everything and I don't think my worst critic would say they didn't," said Pardew, whose side are in the Premier League bottom three.

"We're a better team than we're showing at the moment."

Alan Shearer on Match of the Day: "One win in their last 15 games, that is why he is under pressure. I still think the players are playing or him. You don't go behind and twice come back if you are not fighting for your manager."

Newcastle have won only five games in 2014, leading to calls for Pardew to be sacked.

The manager has also had to cope with reports that owner Mike Ashley told a journalist that Pardew was "finished" if the club lost to Stoke external-link last Monday - which they did.

But Pardew has remained in charge and on Saturday took heart from a battling draw at Swansea, when Senegal striker Papiss Cisse twice equalised.

"The confidence will get better and this will give us belief," Pardew told BBC Sport.

"The players have been good in training. You can see on the pitch that they are under a little bit of stress but they responded really well."

Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said on BBC Match of the Day: "Keeper Tim Krul played a huge part, and at vital times in the game.

"If he hadn't pulled off the saves he did early on it could have gone to 2-0, and at 2-0 it could have been a very different story.

"It will be a better two weeks now than if Newcastle hadn't got anything. Serious questions would have had to be asked.

"They are not playing well. They are conceding too many goals. Krul will have to be at his very best."

Newcastle's fixtures in October and November October: 18 - Leicester (H, PL); 26 - Tottenham (A, PL); 29 - Man City (A, LC) November: 1 - Liverpool (H, PL); 9 - West Brom (A, PL); 22 - QPR (H, PL); 29 - West Ham (A, PL) *PL - Premier League, LC - League Cup

Newcastle's next game is at home to Leicester on 18 October.

Pardew, who had to endure more calls for his sacking at Swansea, added: "We know that the tension in the stands and in the stadium is not going to go away in the short-term.

"But what we must focus on is performance and I think we've got a bit to lean on.

"I don't think I'll ever get a boring fortnight. But what I would say is that I've had lots of messages of support from within the game and I would like to publicly thank people for them."