Pardew buoyed up for United trip

NEWCASTLE, England (AFP) –

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew looks on before the English Premier League match between Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers at St James’ Park in Newcastle, north-east England on December 22, 2012. Pardew said on Tuesday the away trip to English Premier League leaders Manchester United on Wednesday was less daunting now the Magpies had ended a poor run of results.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said on Tuesday the away trip to English Premier League leaders Manchester United on Wednesday was less daunting now the Magpies had ended a poor run of results.

Newcastle’s 1-0 win over QPR last Saturday was only their second win in their last eight Premier League games which had dragged them close to the relegation zone – a far cry from last season when they did well enough to qualify for the Europa League.

However, Pardew said regardless of only scoring one goal against QPR the fact they had won was far more significant especially as they are now entering a sequence of tough games starting at Old Trafford where they have not won since February 1972.

Newcastle have another away game at unpredictable Arsenal and then are at home to highflying Everton on January 1 and lying 14th in the table and just five points above the relegation places they are in desperate need of taking something from those games.

“When you looked at the programme at the start, you could see that this was a tough run for us, and it’s even tougher now with the results we have had and the injuries we have sustained,” said Pardew, who has been at Newcastle since 2010.

“But I am actually going into it more buoyed than I have been at probably any other period of the season.

“We have definitely picked up, we look a little bit more resilient. We got a very important clean sheet on Saturday and I think we will be in good heart for what is one of the toughest games of the programme, Manchester United away,” added the 51-year-old.