Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew admits some "egos" have been knocked by their sudden form slide.

Toon are struggling to match the heights of last season.

And Pardew said: "A few egos have been knocked and I think that is understandable and not a bad thing. It's about how you react to it. There are a few players hurting from their performances but great players fight that and are able to answer the criticism. `We are well aware that the fans are restless for a performance let alone a win but so are we and we need them to help us now."