Alan Pardew: “My reaction is one of disappointment in terms of the result and performance .
“The first goal was very important. After they got it we lacked composure. In terms of attitude and application it was pretty even, but in terms of possession we lost our heads. We didn’t make the right decisions.
“It’s been a tough week for us. It baffles me that a guy like Johnson can cheat and get off with his red card.
“We have lost Cabaye and no transfers came in, so it’s been a tough week. We’ve had a few blows this week, but having said that, if we’d got the first goal, it might have been different.
“You ask if we can turn it around, but we’ve lost one game and have got 37 points.
“The most important thing is that we’ve got a way of playing, and it’s back to basics to make sure everyone knows their roles. We didn’t show the professionalism needed after going behind.
“When you lose a player of Cabaye ’s class you want a replacement, but he didn’t arrive and I have to accept what I’ve got and get the best out of them going forward.
“Loic was a big miss. There was a lack of conviction in our finishing, and that’s one that thing that Loic doesn’t lack. We could have done with the boost of a new player, but I’ve answered that question and I don’t want to answer it again.
“We gave a soft goal for the first goal and I’ve no complaints over the penalty.
“I can understand the frustration of fans. It’s the third defeat in a row in the derby and the second at home. It mirrored last year’s game and you have to accept the criticism that comes our way and look to get a reaction next week.
“I don’t think it was an issue that the players didn’t understand this fixture. Some of the performances bemused me, though. Maybe the pressure of losing the last two got to us a bit and we rushed things a bit in possession.
“In terms of the league position we’re okay, but this is a blow and it’s hard to take. It will scar the season, as a defeat in this fixture always does. The only thing I can do is to prepare the team as best I can for the next game.”