Former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey has said that he would be "disappointed" to see Alan Pardew lose his job as manager.

The Magpies boss has come under fire from the club's supporters following a poor start to the season, which continued with a 1-0 defeat at Stoke City on Monday evening.

Howey believes that the 53-year-old deserves the backing of the fans while he is still in charge.

"I'm one of these that think it is wrong to be asking for people to lose their jobs. At the moment Alan Pardew is the manager and we have to try and back him as best we can," Howey told talkSPORT.

"I can totally understand the fans' frustrations but, at the same time, if there is no news that comes out of Newcastle and Alan Pardew is still the manager, I feel as though, as fans, you should support the team.

"The results for a long time haven't been fantastic and it is a results-based business, but I would be disappointed to see him leave because I think, overall, he has done quite well."

Pardew was appointed Newcastle boss in 2010.