Under-fire Newcastle boss Alan Pardew insists he will not be weakened by the tide of criticism heading in his direction.

The 52-year-old for Saints boss has found himself firmly in the firing line in the wake of a run of three heavy defeats by Everton, Southampton and Manchester United, the first and third of them at St James' Park, which have seen his side concede 11 goals without reply.

As a result, a club which was looking upwards towards the battle for Champions League qualification on Boxing Day, is now glancing anxiously over its shoulder and clinging on to a place in the top half of the Barclays Premier League, the minimum requirement set by owner Mike Ashley back in August.

Pardew has borne the brunt of the most recent criticism and as he prepares his team for Saturday's tricky trip to Stoke, he has no qualms about having to do so.

He said: "I accept the criticism that's coming my way, of course, but that doesn't weaken me in any manner.

"I am a person who looks to the next game and looks forward. I am desperate to get the fans a result and they need to know that.

"I understand their feelings at the minute."

The backlash reached a crescendo last weekend when a Magpies team missing goalkeeper Tim Krul, full-back Mathieu Debuchy, midfielder Moussa Sissoko and striker Loic Remy through injury was beaten 4-0 at home by a much-changed Manchester United outfit.

Newcastle head into the current round of matches ninth in the table but now two points adrift of Southampton in eighth and six better off than the Potters in 10th.

Their fortunes have altered alarmingly since they last met Mark Hughes' men on December 26, when they ran out 5-1 winners as the visitors had two men sent off.

Of the 15 league games they have played since, they have won only four and collected 13 of the 45 points they have contested in the process, and while there are mitigating circumstances - the January sale and non-replacement of playmaker Yohan Cabaye is the most relevant - that has done little to quell the chorus of disapproval.

A defiant Pardew said: "Pressure on any squad has to be channelled in the right way and we have got to channel that pressure that's on us into a performance.

"That's something we have done well at this football club in the past.

"We have had a lot of pressure on us in different circumstances and we have dealt well with it, particularly since I have been here, so I am very confident that these players can deal with that pressure."

The season has echoed Pardew's roller-coaster reign to date on Tyneside. He guided the club into fifth place at the end of the 2011-12 campaign, only to flirt with relegation 12 months later.

He said: "It's been a strange sort of season. I had a great season for the first half and the second one, not so good. But it's difficult.

"I have not really experienced this before in my managerial career - at West Ham, we had the cup final, although we finished mid-table - so it's been difficult and injuries have compounded that."

In the longer term, Pardew will focus on the extensive rebuilding work he plans to do this summer, a process which he believes will be enhanced by the appointment of former football secretary Lee Charnley as manager director earlier this week.

The manager said: "I have a good relationship with him [Charnley], [chief scout] Graham Carr has a good relationship with him.

"We have got a good group of scouts and information to make sure that the recruitment side is really a good job in the summer.

"I am really pleased about that, that's a real positive to come out of this week."