NORMALLY, when a side is rooted to the foot of the table with their manager under pressure, it is decreed that the boss in question has ‘lost the dressing room’.

On the evidence of the last two matches, however, it’s impossible to claim that Newcastle United’s players have turned on Alan Pardew.

Having clawed back a two-goal deficit to claim a point against Hull City last weekend, Newcastle’s players shrugged off the disappointment of conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to Crystal Palace on Wednesday to score an extra-time winner and book a place in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.

Even the extra-time dismissal of Mehdi Abeid failed to unsettle them, and while you could definitely question the application and commitment of the Newcastle squad during this month’s 4-0 capitulation at Southampton, it’s been impossible to quibble with their spirit and resolve since.

Does any of that matter? Well it does if Pardew is going to remain in charge for the foreseeable future, and that certainly seems to be Mike Ashley’s mindset at the present time.

While a large number of supporters have lost faith in Pardew, the club’s players remain united behind their boss and they’re clearly going to have to stick together if they are to force their way up the Premier League table.

Pardew has always been a popular figure within the St James’ Park dressing room, and aside from Hatem Ben Arfa and Sylvain Marveaux, who had their own reasons to criticise their manager, it’s been notable that there’s been very little internal dissent despite the poor form since the turn of the year.

There are normally whispers of discontent when a team is losing, but both on and off the record, Newcastle’s players have praised Pardew’s efforts and spoken positively of his man management and coaching.

While Ashley takes no notice of what supporters are saying, he pays close attention to the mood and mutterings of his players, as evidenced by his personal meetings with skipper Fabricio Coloccini.

If he was hearing tales of a potential player mutiny, he would be much more likely to remove Pardew from his position. At it is though, Newcastle’s embattled boss can at least continue to rely on the support of his squad.