Pardew believes that the five-point gap to fourth-placed Tottenham is too much for his side to reel in over the remaining eight games.

"We won't get Champions League football," Pardew said.

"I just think five points is too much to make up on Tottenham and Arsenal are too far away from us.

"Tottenham are too good a team to catch with eight games left.

"The focus for us is to try get into the Europa League and that's what we will try and do."

But the 50-year-old manager is unhappy that European football could be snatched away from his players depending on what happens with the FA Cup.

"I think it's unfair that the losing cup finalist gets a European place in front of whole season's campaign," Pardew said.

"But that's the rule at the moment, we aren't going to change that before the end of the season, we have to accept it.

"I think it should change for next season.

"But we still have a great chance of finishing fifth or sixth and that's what we are going to try to do."

Newcastle host Liverpool on Sunday and are chasing their third-straight win.

If Pardew's side manage that feat it will be the first time they have done so this season.

The match will also be the first time that Andy Carroll returns to Newcastle after his 35-million-pound transfer to Liverpool in 2011.

Pardew says he holds no grudge against the big striker for leaving Newcastle.

"Carroll did want to leave in 2011," Pardew said.

"He looked me in the eye and said that he wanted to go and speak to Liverpool, so he went.

"But he is from Newcastle, he did brilliantly for us and we are looking forward to seeing him again, but we don't want to see him win."