Tim Krul says Newcastle United players are at fault for their poor season, not manager Alan Pardew.

Demba Ba's double against Wigan on Monday night helped Toon stop the rot with a 3-0 win after four defeats on the bounce.

The pressure was building on boss Alan Pardew but Dutch keeper Krul insists with owner Mike Ashley handing the manager an eight-year deal in September, stability helped them through.

Krul said: "When you lose four times in a row it's unacceptable for a club like us. Everybody was more shocked than anything but, fair play to the lads, we stuck together.

"We knew we had to work hard and that's what we did. The manager told us we had to create more pressure and work a bit harder. But luck wasn't on our side. I'm just glad everyone stuck together and we got the reward on Monday.

"It was our fault - not the manager's. We had injuries but we're not allowed to blame that - we just didn't play well.

"The stability helps. When the manager signs an eight-year deal and the staff is committed, it's perfect because you need that."