Newcastle United stumble across a familiar formula in their fight for Premier League survival "Last year, we had players coming into a settled team and it was a lot easier," Pardew said. This year we've had three or four coming in to an unsettled six or seven so it's a completely different scenario and something we have to deal with. Newcastle's losing streak is their worst run since their relegation season of 2008-09. In another worrying parallel, they have the same points tally, 14, as they had at the comparable stage of that wretched campaign, having so far scored fewer goals. Pardew marks his second anniversary at the club this week, but the mood is hardly a celebratory one. When pressed, the manager has so far stopped short of admitting the top six is already out of reach, but only just. With a single league victory since he signed his much-heralded but largely meaningless eight-year contract, Newcastle are nine points adrift of sixth, but only two above the bottom three. They will drop a further place should they succumb to a fifth consecutive defeat for the first time in the Premier League at home to Wigan Athletic on Monday. The hardball tactics employed by the Newcastle United hierarchy over potential signings, often lauded in the past, proved a major stumbling block to summer recruitment. In mitigation, the owners have taken on board the harsh financial lessons that often went unheeded by some of their profligate predecessors. "The word from the boardroom is concern," Pardew said. They've given me massive support this week in trying to help me get the result I want, almost asking me what can they do for me? That help could be more forthcoming in the impending transfer window, although Mathieu Debuchy, the Lille defender and a long-term target, has revealed he does not expect to move clubs midseason. There is also fresh concern that top scorer Demba Ba will agitate for a move next month unless the club agree to meet his demands for a hefty pay rise. "People are asking me about the transfer window and what I'm going to do," Pardew said. You could argue we're weak in every position through injury but January isn't something we can focus on at the minute.