With just two wins in the last 12 games, the pressure is on the former West Ham boss ... and he knows it!
Defeat to his old club on Saturday is unthinkable.
He came so close to taking us down last season, and he knows we cannot afford to go down the same road this campaign.
Alan Pardew: "It's not been the easiest of weeks. There's been a few agendas in my time as Newcastle manager, but this has certainly been very colourful.
"But it's my hundredth Premier League game in charge of Newcastle this week and I'm very proud of that.
"We need to get a couple of results and pretty quickly I think.
"Two home games give us a new chance after a difficult night on Monday when there were a whole manner of issues going on.
"I have to say on reflection in the first half I think we played very well but they came at us from all angles and unfortunately on the night we couldn't quite cope with it - on another night it might have been easier for us.
"More than anything I feel sorry for our fans, this whole situation of watching their team struggle and get a sending-off and one of the best midfielders in the world not playing - it's hard to take.
"Shola has been a good player at this football club and a great character and leader.
"My position is clear on all the players - if there is a situation where it's right for the player and the club then we'll move the player on. In Shola's case that isn't where he's at at the moment because we need to get results quickly."
Newcastle United Fixtures ...
Saturday August 24
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v West Ham United
Wednesday August 28
19:45 League Cup - 2nd Rnd Morecambe v Newcastle United *Sky Sports
Saturday August 31
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v Fulham
Saturday September 14
15:00 Premier League Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Saturday September 21
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v
Hull City
Monday September 30
20:00 Premier League Everton v Newcastle United *Sky Sports
Premier League fixtures ...
Wednesday August 21
19:45 Chelsea v Aston Villa
Saturday August 24
12:45 Fulham v Arsenal
15:00 Everton v West Brom
15:00 Hull City v Norwich City
15:00 Newcastle United v West Ham United
15:00 Southampton v Sunderland
15:00 Stoke City v Crystal Palace
17:30 Aston Villa v Liverpool
Sunday August 25
16:00 Cardiff City v Manchester City
16:00 Tottenham v Swansea City
Monday August 26
20:00 Man Utd v Chelsea
2012/13 NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 1
1. Tim Krul
5. Danny Simpson 79'
27. Steven Taylor
6. Mike Williamson
3. Davide Santon
10. Hatem Ben Arfa
4. Yohan Cabaye
18. Jonas Gutierrez 24'
31. Shane Ferguson
9. Papiss Cisse 45+5'
19. Demba Ba
Subs
21. Rob Elliot
8. Vurnon Anita 24'
17. Romain Amalfitano
20. Gael Bigirimana
22. Sylvain Marveaux
23. Shola Ameobi 45+5'
25. Gabriel Obertan 79'
Former skipper Kevin Nolan returned to haunt his old club as West Ham condemned Newcastle to a first defeat in six games.
Nolan's 39th-minute strike, so typical of the goals he once scored for the Magpies, was enough to edge a tight encounter in which the visitors enjoyed the better of the first half but had to survive a stern examination after the break.
Newcastle were once again far from their best, but did create more than enough chances to get something out of the game and would have done but for some poor finishing and the resilience of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who produced fine saves from Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa.
Opposite number Tim Krul prevented Andy Carroll from opening his West Ham account with a 72nd-minute save with the visitors threatening on the counter-attack.
But ultimately it was Sam Allardyce, who was sacked by Newcastle after just eight months at the helm, who was smiling as his successor Alan Pardew was left to bemoan another disjointed display and defeat at the hands of his former employers in front of a largely disappointed crowd of 51,855.
There were too many familiar faces for comfort as the two sides took to the pitch, with Nolan and Carroll key members of the Newcastle side which fought its way back from relegation back into the top flight.
But it was perhaps the Magpies who had the greater cause for concern as they went into the game without suspended duo Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote, two of the men they rely most on in a scrap.
And that is exactly what it turned out to be as the Hammers launched a series of direct balls towards Carroll and then looked to pick up the pieces.
There was little to choose between the sides and even less to recommend the game for much of the opening period, with both teams struggling to find a telling final ball.
Matt Jarvis fired high and wide at one end and Papiss Cisse was similarly wasteful at the other during the opening skirmishes, and although Frenchman Ben Arfa lit up St James' Park with a series of enterprising runs which left claret and blue shirts trailing in his wake, neither goalkeeper was called upon to make a save until 25 minutes had elapsed.
Even then, Jaaskelainen had little difficulty in collecting Yohan Cabaye's dipping long-range effort and the game looked to be heading into the break in stalemate until an explosive final few minutes.
The visitors forced their way ahead with six minutes of the half left to play when full-back Davide Santon could only head Mark Noble's left-wing cross out to full-back Joey O'Brien, who looked to have dragged his right-foot shot harmlessly across the face of goal.
However, as he had done so many times at the Gallowgate End while wearing a black and white shirt, Nolan turned up in exactly the right place to divert it past Krul.
The 30-year-old really should have doubled the lead within two minutes when he was played in by midfielder Mohamed Diame, but guided his left-foot shot wide of the post.
Newcastle finally responded to mount a sustained assault on the West Ham goal as time ran down and Shane Ferguson was desperately unfortunate to see his goalbound shot hit George McCartney on the back and drop safe.
Ben Arfa saw an injury-time effort deflected into the side-netting and Jaaskelainen got down well to parry Cabaye's well-struck effort as the Hammers survived until the whistle.
The Finn came to his side's rescue once again within two minutes of the restart when he somehow managed to claw Ba's header away after O'Brien's attempted clearance had dropped nicely for him.
Jaaskelainen fielded another long-range effort from Cabaye four minutes later, but was grateful to see Ba's effort from similar range fly past his far post seconds later.
The home side might have fallen further behind had substitute Gary O'Neil made more of the free header with which he was presented from Nolan's 59th-minute cross.
Ben Arfa left McCartney for dead five minutes later, only to drift his cross over Ba's head as he dived in, and the Senegal international and Cabaye both forced saves from Jaaskelainen in quick succession.
Half-time substitute Shola Ameobi headed just wide from Cabaye's 69th-minute corner and Jaaskelainen pulled off a fine stop to keep out Ben Arfa's drive two minutes later.
Krul blocked bravely to deny Carroll a first goal for his latest club as the Londoners staged a breakaway with Nolan providing a tailor-made final ball.
MAGPIES v HAMMERS - THE HISTORY
2012/2013 Sat 04 May West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sun 11 Nov Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premier League
2010/2011 Wed 05 Jan Newcastle Utd. 5 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premier League
Sat 23 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2008/2009 Sat 10 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premier League
Sat 20 Sep West Ham Utd. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2007/2008 Sat 26 Apr West Ham Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sun 23 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premier League
2006/2007 Sat 20 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sun 17 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 17 Dec West Ham Utd. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 20 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 11 Jan West Ham Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 19 Aug Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
2001/2002 Sat 27 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sun 23 Sep West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2000/2001 Mon 16 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sat 28 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1999/2000 Wed 12 Apr West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 03 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1998/1999 Sat 20 Mar West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 31 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1997/1998 Sat 07 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sat 20 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1996/1997 Tue 06 May West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 16 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1995/1996 Mon 18 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Wed 21 Feb West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1994/1995 Wed 08 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Wed 31 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1993/1994 Sat 19 Mar West Ham Utd. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 25 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1992/1993 Sun 21 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. League Division One
Sat 29 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. League Division One
1990/1991 Wed 24 Apr West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 22 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1989/1990 Sat 28 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 11 Nov West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1988/1989 Wed 03 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 22 Oct West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1987/1988 Sat 07 May Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Dec West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1986/1987 Sat 02 May West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sun 30 Nov Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1985/1986 Mon 21 Apr West Ham Utd. 8 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 05 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
1984/1985 Sat 02 Feb West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 29 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
1980/1981 Sat 07 Mar West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 04 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1979/1980 Sat 15 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 06 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1978/1979 Sat 24 Mar West Ham Utd. 5 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Wed 23 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1977/1978 Sat 21 Jan West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 West Ham Utd. First Division
1976/1977 Sat 16 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Nov West Ham Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1975/1976 Sat 13 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 11 Oct West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1974/1975 Fri 28 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 31 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1973/1974 Sat 19 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 25 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1972/1973 Sat 07 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 02 Dec West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1971/1972 Sat 18 Dec West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 04 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
1970/1971 Sat 24 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1969/1970 Mon 02 Mar Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 09 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1968/1969 Sat 01 Mar West Ham Utd. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 10 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
1967/1968 Sat 06 Apr West Ham Utd. 5 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 11 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1966/1967 Wed 26 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Nov West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1965/1966 Sat 08 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 11 Dec West Ham Utd. 4 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1960/1961 Sat 01 Apr West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 10 Dec Newcastle Utd. 5 - 5 West Ham Utd. First Division
1959/1960 Sat 20 Feb West Ham Utd. 3 - 5 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1958/1959 Mon 30 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Fri 27 Mar West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1947/1948 Sat 28 Feb West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 11 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1946/1947 Mon 26 May Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 02 Nov West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1938/1939 Sat 25 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 22 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1937/1938 Sat 12 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 30 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1936/1937 Wed 09 Sep Newcastle Utd. 5 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Mon 31 Aug West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1935/1936 Sat 21 Mar West Ham Utd. 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 02 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 3 West Ham Utd. Second Division
1934/1935 Sat 23 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. Second Division
Sat 13 Oct West Ham Utd. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1931/1932 Sat 30 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Sep West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1930/1931 Mon 26 Jan West Ham Utd. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 2 West Ham Utd. First Division
1929/1930 Sat 03 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Mon 09 Sep West Ham Utd. 5 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1928/1929 Wed 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Tue 25 Dec West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1927/1928 Sat 05 May Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 24 Dec West Ham Utd. 5 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1926/1927 Sat 23 Apr West Ham Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 04 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
1925/1926 Sat 06 Feb Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Sep West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1924/1925 Wed 17 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 West Ham Utd. First Division
Mon 08 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1923/1924 Sat 13 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. First Division
Sat 06 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division