... suddenly the pressure moves from Tyneside to Wearside.
Blackburn's Steve Kean continues to hang on by the hairs on his knackers, defying the bookies odds ... but Mackem boss Steve Bruce is now second favourite for the axe.
Kean is odds-on, with Bruce dropping to 11/4, and David Moyes is an outside bet at 9/1.
Pardew is 18/1, in a safer position than Arsenal's Arsene Wenger at 10/1.
West Brom boss Roy Hodgson believes the Sunderland board will stay calm and continue to back manager Steve Bruce despite the Black Cats' poor start to the campaign.
Roy Hodgson: "Steve is a good manager and has done a remarkable job wherever he has been.
"I think he and the club are more than strong enough to withstand whispers and rumours.
"I think it would surprise me if a club like Sunderland had any knee-jerk reaction.
"It is still early days in the season and Steve is in the throes of putting together a new team because, in the transfer market, he was very active this year.
"We all know it takes time to gel together.
"I think the itchy-finger syndrome is with us all the time in football.
"We are used to that but only hope the people in football who make decisions make good ones."