Pardew eyes Ba replacement

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is confident he will find a replacement for Demba Ba after seeing his side slip deeper into relegation trouble with a 2-1 defeat to Everton.

The 27-year-old Senegal international was in London to discuss his move to Chelsea as the Magpies slipped to their ninth defeat in 11 Barclays Premier League games that left them just two points clear of the relegation zone.

However, with France full-back Mathieu Debuchy among the crowd at St James' Park ahead of a medical, Pardew said: "There is a positive because if he had gone with two days to go of the window and we hadn't got a replacement in, suddenly we are in real trouble. We have got time and hopefully that will work in our favour."

He added: "Demba has been honourable. When he came, there weren't too many people queuing up. I took the opportunity to take him and the clause that went in made a lot of sense at the time for us and for Demba, of course.

"If he hadn't worked out, maybe as well as he has, then it would have been a great deal for us. But it worked out even better for him because he has scored loads of goals and the clause has kicked in and he's moved on. We were all straight and fair with that and there has not been any problem."

Debuchy would add quality to a defence which has been ripped apart by injuries and which has now conceded 13 goals in three games.

Pardew said: "Fingers crossed that he passes the medical, that's probably the key to that because I hear the discussions have gone well on the finance side. He's a player that we really needed - he might have made a difference."

Papiss Cisse, the man who will have to fill Ba's boost in the short term at least, headed Newcastle into a second-minute lead. Disaster struck two minutes before the break when Fabricio Coloccini was harshly penalised for a challenge on Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines smashed the free-kick past Krul.

Worse was to follow after the break with Newcastle struggling to find their rhythm, and substitute Victor Anichebe took full advantage when he turned Nikica Jelavic's cross past Krul at his near post.

Everton boss David Moyes was delighted with his team's performance, and particularly the efforts of England full-back Baines. He said: "Ashley Cole is the best left-back in England and I have always thought Leighton Baines is behind him. But I said last week before we played Chelsea, I think the gap between the two of them is getting much closer."