ALMOST 12 months since taking over the managerial reins at Newcastle United, Alan Pardew thinks Steve Bruce’s departure from rivals Sunderland this week is a reminder to the demands of football in the North-East.

Last season saw Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Darlington all change their manager at some point, while this season Sunderland have acted to sack the man in charge.

Pardew will not allow Newcastle’s impressive start to the season to breed complacencyy, signalling an intention to maintain the high standards that have been set.

While Bruce was coming under fire from Sunderland fans in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Wigan, Pardew was revelling in the satisfaction of having the Toon Army chant his name during the 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Despite Newcastle’s fourthplace position in the Premier League, however, the manager feels Bruce’s departure from the Stadium of Light highlights how quickly things can turn around in football.

“There is pressure up here, but there is pressure all around the Premier League,” said Pardew. “There’s pressure for Steve Kean right now at Blackburn too, that’s just the Premier League.

“It will come my way at some point, but I’ve had it before and I’m big enough and ugly enough to deal with it again. You need results.”

Pardew, who knows Newcastle’s victory at the Stadium of Light in August contributed to Bruce’s downfall, was not surprised by his rival’s departure.

He would have liked Bruce to have been given a further game to try to change the situation at Wolves on Saturday.

“Steve was Crystal Palace manager and his assistant, Terry Bullivant, gave me my first start. I know Steve reasonably well,” said Pardew.

“I have great sympathy for him losing his job. It’s difficult when results aren’t what you want and they weren’t what Steve wanted. I know he was desperate to get another game but, unfortunately, he didn’t get it.”

Newcastle have also had their own unwanted distraction this week, with Joey Barton’s outbursts in an interview in London and on Twitter angering the boardroom.

Managing director Derek Llambias revealed that they have put the matter in the hands of the lawyers on Wednesday after Barton claimed he had been forced out of the club after a bonus row.

Barton further enraged Newcastle by suggesting that he went head-to-head with Llambias in a lie detector test.

Pardew said: “Why is he doing it? I just don’t know why he keeps doing it. I don’t know who is gaining from it and I don’t know what Joey is getting out of it.

“From my point of view, the only focus as a manager of this club is the team and it is a team that is doing exceptionally well and, unfortunately, Joey’s comments take away the positive nature of what we are doing here in terms of the players’ performances.

“They have been absolutely brilliant and anyone who takes that limelight away from them I’m not particularly keen on.”

Pardew is planning for tomorrow’s visit of Chelsea without Cheik Tiote – again.

The Ivorian has not played since picking up a knee injury against Wigan on October 22 and he is still not fit to face the Blues.

“Cheik is not going to be involved, that’s for sure, even though I said last week he would be,” said Pardew. “I am not going to say he will be fit for next week either.

“There is no complication, it is just a little nagging injury we just can’t get rid of at the moment. We certainly do not feel there is a need for an op or to go back to square one.”