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"I'm very disappointed. We'd got ourselves into a great position with four wins, and this week has knocked us back," Pardew said. "They are two heavy defeats on paper, and in many ways they were similar games. We've gifted them goals in both games, and you can't gift goals to teams at this level.
"I think our concentration levels have gone off, and that resilience that you have to show away from home, we've not shown at home, particularly in the first half when we conceded two soft goals after quite a bright opening.
"That knocked us right back, especially after the defeat in midweek. It made it very difficult for us, and we had a real edgy period there.
"Once Reidy scored, we started looking ourselves again and in the second half, we really forced the game in a disciplined way and I thought we were going to get something out of it - until a strange moment from Danny Mills made the mountain too big to climb.
"He said it was an instinctive reaction. I can't hang him or torture him over it, it's done, but unfortunately, it's been important. Where we are now is that we have to improve. We have dug ourselves a hole, and we go to Cardiff on Tuesday night, which is not an ideal situation.
"I still think in the dressing room there are enough good players and enough experience to deal with the situation, and get us into a situation where we can get promoted. I think a couple of elements worked against us. Jerome Thomas was injured and Lloyd Sam had a knock and wasn't 100 per cent, so we lost two wingers, which isn't ideal at home.
"In terms of the defensive bodies we've got, we are looking a little low, so that's something we have got to look at. It was Chris Powell's first game in six weeks or so today, because Grant Basey was out, while Nicky Weaver was a doubt before the game. He's frustrated because he hardly had to make a save today, and didn't really have any saves to make in midweek, yet he's conceded six goals.
"I didn't really think he had any chance with the goals, to be honest. So we have a couple of problems, but it's nothing we can't overcome.
"When I analyse us, I have to say we have this ability to gift situations to teams, and we've got to stop that. We did stop that, and we're going to have to go back to what we were doing. We're going to have to go back to the videos, and watch our away performances, and make sure we do that at home. Perhaps we've got to be a bit more dogged, and not be as ambitious as we are at home at times."
It's been a hell of a first full week for our new manager. Owen Coyle presided over the 0-0 home draw against Stoke a week ago and has now seen his new team record wins at both Watford and Charlton and they were two games he always realised were going to be tough ones.
"When I came in and looked at the first set of fixtures I have to say I thought they were difficult games. Having said that I thought we started the week well and should have won the game against Stoke. But to get two wins and show the level of performance we did was terrific."If you had offered me six points at Watford and Charlton I would have taken that, but when I look back, both wins were merited on the back of good performances and belief. The players had to be brave and they were.
"We knew Charlton had good footballers and proud footballers and on the back of a bad result midweek we knew they would come out all guns blazing. I thought we stood up to that and then started to pass the ball the way we want to. They showed that belief, culminating in two well worked goals. We always knew we would have to stand up to intense pressure and so it proved.
There were some terrific individual performances, but I thought the group performance was more important. The sense of spirit and camaraderie was evident for everyone to see and that augers well.
"Every player responds to encouragement and we want them to go and try and be creative in the last third. Sometimes it won't come off, but let's try and look like we have a bit of style about us."
Andy Gray scored another two goals and Coyle said of him: "Andy leads the line so well. He is a player that can contribute without scoring, but it is even better when he adds goals to his play. His work rate probably summed up the team performance and he will sleep tonight, that's for sure.
The target now is for us to chalk up some home wins now. We have done well on our travels, which is all well and good, but we have some big games coming up at home now and with a game in half we are looking to capitalise."
Coyle also had words for the travelling Burnley fans at the Valley. "The fans today were magnificent. They were vocal; they were behind the team and giving them encouragement."
