NEWCASTLE UNITED still have a worrying relegation fight on their hands and midfielder Cheik Tiote thinks the players have a huge responsibility to ensure the "biggest club" in the country stays in the Premier League.

The Magpies head for Upton Park today knowing they can ill-afford another defeat or the chances of dropping in to the Championship could significantly increase with just two matches remaining.

Much has been made this week about the atmosphere within the Newcastle dressing room because of the high level of foreign imports at the club, although Tiote insists every member of the group is well aware of the importance of safeguarding a Premier League future.

"For me, I think, because everyone knows about Newcastle, it's the biggest club in England, so I cant imagine Newcastle going into the Championship," said the Ivorian.

"When you look at the city, when you look at the fans, the stadium, it's all the time full. I can't imagine it. That's why we have to fight to stay in the Premier League."

Tiote readily accepts his own performances have hardly helped Newcastles cause. After a stunning first two years in Tyneside after his switch from Twente, the 26-year-old has been unable to hit such heights on a regular basis in the last nine months.

As such an integral and central part of the system Pardew plays with, Tiotes below-par displays have in their own way impacted on Newcastles struggle to climb away from the relegation zone.

"This season has been difficult, it's been different to last season because sometimes I was injured, not fit, I was up and down, up and down, maybe that's why we didn't perform well," he said.

"When you look at the squad there were too many injuries. Yohan Cabaye sometimes was injured, me or some other player. We didn't play maybe ten games all together. That's the problem. Now we've got three more games we need to stay together and play well."

Tiote was non-existent in last weekends 6-0 drubbing at home to Liverpool when he was given the runaround by the exceptional Phillipe Coutinho.

In the immediate aftermath of such a harrowing display, Shola Ameobi and Pardew both described the anger inside the dressing room and work has been put in during the last week to address the situation.

Tiote said: "After the game everyone was angry because we didn't expect to lose the game. But on Monday everyone was fine. It's finished. We cannot go back and play against Liverpool again. We have to forget it and focus on the next game. Everyone has forgotten about that and we're focused on Saturdays trip to West Ham.

"At the moment I think we are in a difficult situation. I think everyone has to stay together and fight. Everyone knows we're in a difficult situation, everyone is ready to fight because when you look at the league table we're not in a good position. The best thing at the moment is to stay together and fight and win some games.

"I still think we have more quality than last season but some times it's like that. I can't blame the manager or the players, it's everyone. Everyone has been affected, the best thing at the moment is to stick together and focus on the games."