Alan Pardew: “The overall picture is that we were close to the level we need to be before Christmas, but we lost a creative force and didn’t replace it.
“That is something we can’t do and need to protect ourselves from going forward.
“I hope we can get the results that we need to finish in the top ten.
“Maybe three, maybe four points will probably secure it, and we need to get those in three tough games.
“They have all got something on them.
“We can be a real hindrance to Arsenal and Liverpool, and Cardiff as well, so that’s what we have to focus on, ourselves really.
“What I do know is for us, our recent run has not been good enough for our fans - they have made that very, very clear - and it certainly hasn’t been good enough for me and my staff, and I include the players in that.
“They are desperate to get a win, and I think a little bit of desperation last week cost us the game because what we did towards the end of the game was a sign of a team that hasn’t won for a while.
“We just need to get it all right and if we can get it all right, we can get a result, even at Arsenal.”