West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce feels Alan Pardew is leaving Newcastle United for Crystal Palace due to Toon fans.

Big Sam lasted just half a season at St James' Park in 2007/08 after fans opposed his appointment and he claims Pardew, also unpopular on Tyneside, was a victim of rising expectations after he guided the Geordies to fifth place in 2012.

He said: "The fans of today are fuelled by how life has evolved and how they react.

"All the social media has made people less patient, because there is less patience there is more anger quicker than ever before, there's more people showing their dislike with a few results.

"You have to face the facts that football clubs start the season financially where they are and generally in the past five years or so, all the economists have said, teams finish in the division where they are financially.

"There is the odd occasion where you over-achieve and that over-achievement becomes very dangerous. If you don't continue that over achievement then you fall into the criticism level with the fans because they expect even better result than you got the season before.

"You have to stand the heat more than ever before. We can't change it, we just have to continue to know what our job is and our job is driven by results.

"If you win matches and entertain better then ultimately you keep your job. Has this been in Alan's decision to leave? I would say most definitely yes."