The Resurrection Mag 

Alan Pardew:

"It is Halloween! Bobby Robson had some dark days here, don't worry about that. If you are Newcastle manager, it is not all gin and tonics and aperitifs. There will be rough days.

"I always knew, and I kept saying it, that we have good spirit and good talent. I am not saying I saw the wins coming, but I knew there was talent.

"Our fans are brilliant - It will be fantastic in the town tonight - I might even go in myself, the first time for a while. That is what this city is about. It breathes and loves football. 

"When it does not go well, they let you know, and when it is going well, they let you know - you take the good with the bad. We have had a long four years. We have had some success and some of that has got forgotten, but I have always enjoyed it here.

"I love the city and I enjoy the job. I would like to think I am coming out of this a better manager. It has been interesting and educational. It tests you, this football club, on a number of levels.

"He (Ayoze Perez) has a knack. He has a lot to learn about the English Premier League but you know that if something falls for him he will score.

"You sometimes get a player who can do it in training but not on a matchday, but he has had a fabulous week. Two awards in Spanish football and a great week here.

"The only sour note of the day was Obertan’s injury. He has been a big part of the success in these last few weeks, and it is a bad one. We are all sad for Gabby, and we just hope it is not too bad. But he has done something to his thigh muscle.

"It was a great day for us. Liverpool are always a big target for this club and we have had some big games against them. This was not an enthralling encounter, but it was interesting. 

"Brendan (Rodgers) surprised me with his formation and that unsettled us as first. We struggled to have a foothold, but we have such pace in the team and we can defend deep. The back four were terrific.”

That was the week that was.....brilliant.

Despite getting off the mark with a nervous victory over Leicester City here last month, the future looked anything but positive with a daunting trio of fixtures lined up. At the conclusion of an amazing seven days though, The Magpies celebrated their fourth successive win with a group huddle on the pitch, while cheers and applause from home fans raised the rafters at St. James' Park.

The turnaround in our fortunes has been nothing less than miraculous and rightly brought the ground to its feet in appreciation, jeers replaced by cheers and a much missed, long overdue, full-throated, Geordie roar.

Alan Pardew spoke about treating himself to a tipple in toon post-match, but for the second game running it was a player who looks barely old enough to drink that set corks popping from Barrack Road to the Bigg Market.

Ayoze Perez had conjured up an unlikely winner at White Hart Lane and did it again here, slamming the ball home from our first clear-cut chance of the afternoon. The win lifted United into the top half of the table and just like the Capital One Cup victory on Wednesday, was secured with one unfamiliar line-up getting us underway - and another seeing us through to a successful outcome. 

Remy Cabella, Rolando Aarons and Perez ending up as a front trio after Sammy Ameobi's departure, while Mehdi Abeid kept his place in midfield for a PL bow. He performed well again alongside the industrious Jack Colback and Moussa Sissoko, whose overdue return to form has coincided with a dramatic upturn in team performances and results.

But the visitors also contributed to their own downfall with an incredibly inept display, epitomised by the sulky Mario Balotelli who never looked likely to end his barren league run for the scousers and only just sauntered his way on to the field in time for the second half. 

The Reds misfired badly but that takes nothing away from the battling performance of a Magpies side who kept their third clean sheet in four games and worked tirelessly in midfield and defence. And once again, the end result was to leave a more-expensively assembled and hyped outfit empty -handed and jeered by their own fans. The mournful, mouthful of vinegar expressions worn by messrs Pochettino, Pellegrini and Rodgers in the last week were worth the admission fee alone.      

Four stirring team performances have turned things around for Pardew and the manager must also take credit for the substitutions and tactical switches that have been an integral part of our resurgence. And if good fortune has also been a factor, it's been a by-product of trying to force a situation and take the initiative. 

This time there were key decisions to be made when  Gabriel Obertan departed on a stretcher and Papiss Cisse failed to emerge for the second half. The Frenchman suddenly went to ground after chasing a ball down the right wing and Etihad hero Rolando Aarons replaced him after 27 minutes.

And with Cisse struggling with sore knees, Perez started the second period in what had become a very youthful and lightweight-looking forward line (neither Emmanuel Riviere or Adam Armstrong were on the bench).

But once again the changes proved to be perfect for Pardew and Perez came up with the decisive strike for the second game in succession following another marauding run from Sissoko with 17 minutes remaining.

There had been very little from either side to excite the crowd before the goal, both teams looking slightly lethargic, a little cautious and creating little. United were restricted to a couple of free-kicks in promising positions but efforts from Abeid and Cisse caused ex-mackem Mignolet no danger.

Tim Krul had a quiet afternoon but produced one magnificent one-handed save to deny Philippe Coutinho although the flag had been raised for offside before the Brazilian headed Steven Gerrard's cross goalward.

Shortly after, Cabella replaced Ameobi and minutes later United went ahead thanks to Sissoko's surging run. The Frenchman charged into the box and when his pass to Cabella was miscued by Alberto Moreno, Perez lashed the loose ball into the Gallowgate goal past Mignolet.

It should have been 2-0 three minutes later when Perez and Cabella charged upfield with the latter left with just the 'keeper to beat but Mignolet stuck out a foot to deny the substitute his first Premier League goal. Thankfully that didn't prove to be a costly miss and the visitors failed to seriously test Krul, despite bringing on Rickie Lambert.

The three points took United up to ninth in the table before the afternoon kick-offs and just three points behind fourth-placed West Ham. Other results had dropped us to twelfth by Sunday night. 

Biffa

For Jack