Pardew found it hard to look Newcastle fans in the eye

The club finally got its first Premier League win of the campaign on Saturday.

A goal from Gabriel Obertan gave United a 1-0 victory over newly-promoted Leicester City at St James’s Park.

Frustrated fans have regularly chanted for Pardew’s dismissal this season.

And supporters spelled out their “frustration and complaints” when they met the 53-year-old in the street during a troubled two months.

But Pardew – whose team travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday – is hopeful that the Leicester win will ease the pressure which had built up around him.

“I’m not going to pretend it hasn’t been tough,” said Pardew.

“It has been very, very tough to look our fans in the eye when I’ve met them in the street and listened to their frustration and complaints.

“It’s fair, and I can’t say it’s not. We should be winning more games than we are.”

Newcastle remain in the Premier League’s relegation zone – the team is 18th after eight games, and a point adrift of Sunderland – and Pardew is aware many supporters still want a managerial change.

But Pardew is hopeful that the victory will buy him time at St James’s Park as he attempts to knit his new-look team together.

“I’ll hopefully have a smoother run now in terms of being able to manage the football club without all the additional pressures that defeats bring,” said Pardew, who has been vociferously criticised on social media.

“The social media and everything else – I saw (former Manchester United manager) David Moyes’s comments – heaps more pressure on us managers.

“And we have to be tough in this game. We got a win, and that helps.”