Who could replace Alan Pardew at Newcastle?

Could David Moyes return to management on the Tyne?

Alan Pardew's tenure at Newcastle is hanging by a thread, Alex Johnson looks at some of the candidates would could replace him.

Unsurprisingly the pressure continues to intensify on Alan Pardew following Newcastle's latest defeat at Stoke on Monday night.

Mike Ashley was on hand to witness the growing discontent among the Toon Army with a manager that never quite managed to win over the fanatical support on Tyneside.

It could prove a very short stay of execution should Pardew's side suffer another loss at Swansea on Saturday.

Ashley may already be considering his options for a replacement, here are some of the contenders.

David Moyes

Having witnessed his dream job turn into a living nightmare at Manchester United, the Scot may be ready for return to the dugout.

On paper, he should be exactly what Newcastle need.

His time at Old Trafford must be forgotten where he inherited an ailing squad that clearly failed to unite behind their boss.

It is the work achieved in ten years at Everton that will cause Newcastle to turn to Moyes.

Gaining a reputation for clever recruitment and knitting a strong togetherness, the general opinion is that during his time at Goodison, Moyes' teams routinely played above the sum of their collective parts.

With a squad of decent players at St James' Park and some recent arrivals yet to truly bed in, Moyes is a perfect fit for this under achieving giant of the North East.

Tony Pulis

Pulis's departure from Crystal Palace on the eve of the new season was a major surprise given the scale of positive energy he brought to Selhurst Park after taking over last November.

Palace owed their survival to Pulis and he was duly named Premier League Manager of the Year.

The drawback for Newcastle may be the style of football regularly employed by Pulis at former club Stoke.

The Potters were known for direct football that could never be accused of being easy on the eye.

Would the St James' Park natives weigh in behind such a policy? Could Pulis change his tactics?

Despite a strong track record of moderate success in the Premier League; Pulis may not be the man for Ashley and Newcastle at this juncture.

Neil Lennon

The former Celtic boss is eager for a chance to cut his teeth in the Premier League and has been linked with several posts this summer since departing the Glasgow club.

In spite of constant links to various jobs, the Northern Irishman does not appear to have come close to securing a move.

Lennon's CV will be a cause of consternation for potential suitors.

A hat-trick of league titles at Celtic were achieved against a back-drop of a fading and latterly departed Rangers. Anything bar title success in the SPL in the absence of their Old Firm rivals would have merited a catastrophic failure.

However Lennon built a reputation for notable achievement in the Champions League, famously claiming the scalp of Barcelona en route to qualification for the knock out stages of the competition.

Lennon's achievements amongst the elite of European football make him an intriguing proposition although Ashley will be reluctant to risk appointing a manger with no experience in the Premier League.

Steve Bruce

The Hull City tactician's ties to the North East mean he is consistently linked to this post, despite his former association with rivals Sunderland.

Bruce even went as far as to speak out as rumours suggesting he could replace Pardew began to circulate in September.

Despite insisting it would be wrong to contemplate the job with Pardew still it situ, Bruce would surely be tempted with the lure of a club of Newcastle's size and stature.

Things have improved steadily at KC Stadium under Bruce, including a run to the FA Cup final last May and a short lived Europa League odyssey at the beginning of this campaign.