Under-pressure Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has received the backing of Sven-Goran Eriksson as he attempts to prevent his side's season spiralling out of control.

The 53-year-old was plunged deeper into trouble by the Swede's Manchester City after they left St James' Park with all three points to condemn the Magpies to a third successive Premier League defeat.

Newcastle have now taken just one point from a possible 12 over the holiday period and nine from the last 36 they have contested, and with Allardyce due to lose Abdoulaye Faye, Habib Beye, Geremi and Obafemi Martins on African Nations Cup duty, there is little light at the end of the tunnel.

They head to Stoke for a tricky FA Cup third-round clash on Sunday with the manager's critics sharpening their knives once again, although he has an ally in Eriksson.

Asked if he had sympathy with his opposite number, the City boss said: "Yes, of course. I said it before the game.

"The longer you are in this job, you know sooner or later, it will happen.

"It has happened to me many times in my career, and that's football.

"You cannot expect to always play good football and win. Sometimes there are hard times - and it can be for weeks, it can be for months.

"But Sam Allardyce is a very good manager - you saw that in the past with Bolton.

"Give him time and he will sort it out, I am sure."

Ironically, Newcastle turned in one of their better performances, at least before the break, as they attempted to deny City a first away win in the league since the opening day of the campaign, and even after it, had chances to cancel out Elano's clinical 38th-minute finish.

Michael Owen, on as a half-time substitute, could have levelled within 35 seconds, but could not beat keeper Joe Hart, and the game was ultimately settled by City's own replacement Gelson Fernandes 14 minutes from time.

Allardyce said: "When we started the second half, it would have lifted us all had Michael's chance gone in, but even that hit Hart on the toe - he knew nothing about it - and it flew wide.

"From there on, it got more and more difficult as time went on because we had to start over-extending ourselves and Manchester City sat deeper and deeper and just waited and waited and waited.

"Unfortunately, they scored the second, which was a big shame and killed us off."

Allardyce's mood was not improved by referee Martin Atkinson's decision to caution, rather than dismiss, Elano for a 41st-minute challenge on Faye.

He said: "He went completely over the ball - there was no attempt to play the ball whatsoever.

"You can't tell me Elano is a tackling player anyway, so he just went to do him."

However, Eriksson launched a stout defence of his player.

He said: "It was not the so-called two-footed tackle which has been debated so much.

"It was a tackle and a yellow card, but I don't think he should have been sent off for that."