ALAN PARDEW is focused on trying to turn Newcastle United in to a contender for a Champions League place – even if the shorter term goal is to deliver a top ten finish to stay in the job.

The Magpies head for Tottenham tomorrow knowing anything other than a victory could leave them sitting in a relegation place after nine matches ahead of next week’s visit of Liverpool to St James’ Park.

Newcastle are only four points shy of tenth spot at this stage and Pardew is well aware of the importance of achieving that target or risk facing the wrath of owner Mike Ashley.

Ashley is understood to have made it clear to the Newcastle manager that finishing in the bottom half of the table is not acceptable and chief executive Lee Charnley reiterated that this week by telling selected fans at a meeting that the club’s minimum target is to finish top ten.

Asked is Pardew feared he would be sacked if he could not achieve that this season, he said: “I think every Premier League manager fears for his job these days. You have to be on your guard and you have to get results. At the moment, our results need to improve.”

Newcastle have won just one of their opening eight Premier League fixtures, with last Saturday’s nervy 1-0 win over Leicester City finally securing a much-needed three points ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Tottenham.

But Pardew will never be satisfied with Newcastle’s form until they are competing at the right end of the division rather than looking over their shoulders.

He said: “It is always difficult to challenge Champions League teams but we try to do that. Obviously we are a long way from that at the moment and are thinking of nothing more than the next game. I know that is a cliché but that is where we are at the moment.”

Newcastle have injury concerns again ahead of travelling to London later today. The biggest worry for the manager is the fitness of in-form striker Papiss Cisse, who is struggling with a knee problem.

But Pardew has sensed a weight has been lifted off his players’ shoulders since defeating the Foxes. He said: “Of course when you haven't won, it brings great pressure. We have managed to tick that box, but there are a lot more boxes to tick for us. I genuinely feel a little bit more confidence in and around the camp.

“We have got to improve results full-stop going forward, and I will put pressure on myself and pressure on the team until we do so. Some of the games, we have played well in - probably better than we did against Leicester - but sometimes the result comes in a different way.

“What we do know is that when we go to Spurs at the weekend, we have got to be disciplined and we have got to offer a threat. That's something that at Newcastle is really important to the way we play. For us, it's about trying to attack the game and trying to get a win.”

If Newcastle are to claim back-to-back wins at White Hart Lane – where Tim Krul was in inspired form 11 months ago to earn a 1-0 victory – then they will have to stop Erik Lamela from repeating his goalscoring heroics of Thursday night.

Lamela’s staggering ‘rabona’ goal against Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League has got the world of football talking about the £30m man’s magical touch. Pardew has seen his players try it, but never from outside the penalty area like the young Argentina international.

Pardew said: “It was amazing. I haven’t really seen that on the training ground when the ball is coming across like that, at that pace. To hit it like that was amazing.

“We have one or two who can do it from a dead ball situation when they just manoeuvre it. But I don’t think I have ever seen a goal quite like that in training, let alone in a match.

“Spurs have great players. They have always had great individuals. But so do we and we have got to hope that our individual players stand up and produce a moment like that.

“Papiss’ goal at Swansea, although it did not look as technical as Lamela’s, was of a similar vein, I thought. It was a great moment. We have got to hope we have one or two of them on Sunday rather than the Spurs players. “