Alan Pardew wants to bolster Newcastle United squad

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is aiming to add new players to his squad following the 2-1 defeat at home by Reading.

Yohan Cabaye's goal put the hosts ahead but Adam Le Fondre's double extended Newcastle's winless run to six games.

Pardew said he wanted to recruit before his team's next game against Aston Villa on 29 January.

"We definitely need two or three more players in this group, and hopefully we can get them over the line before we go to Villa," Pardew told BBC Sport.

"I would like to go to Villa stronger than I was today."

Newcastle have won just three of their 18 Premier League matches since Pardew signed a new eight-year contract and he admitted the loss of key players had affected his team.

"It's obvious that we need fresh impetus and that's probably what we've lost," Pardew said. "We've lost Demba Ba [to Chelsea], we've lost Cheick Tiote [to the Africa Cup of Nations], we've lost games and it takes it away from players. In the second half we were nervous and tentative and it cost us the game."

Newcastle's plight has not been helped by uncertainty surrounding skipper Fabricio Coloccini.

Asked about the defender's future, Pardew added: "That is something we have got to sort out this week and I think we will."

Midfielder Cabaye, who made his first start in over two months, was the bright spark for Pardew's side as they tested Reading keeper Adam Federici on several occasions.

But Le Fondre's goals came either side of Cabaye's substitution and despite boos from the home supporters Pardew explained that the France international was injured.

"Yohan was struggling at half-time, we can't risk him. He got the goal and he gives us that quality and unfortunately five minutes before he came off he said he was injured, so there was nothing really for me to do," Pardew said.

"The players and fans don't want to see a great player go off and they didn't know he was injured so that was a difficult call for me because that negativity spread around the stadium and to the players. That's what happens when you are down the bottom.

"It was a negative stadium in the second half and there were a lot of boos when the players were trying to do their best."