The Blues boss said: "If we could switch it a bit and draw two at home, and then win away it would be good. After the draw with Liverpool, one of the big four, our confidence is very high."
Magpies owner Mike Ashley is said to have no plans to axe Allardyce, but it is widely believed the former Bolton boss would not survive if a Premier League defeat to City at St James' Park was followed by a weekend FA Cup reverse at Stoke.
Despite spending only half a season at Newcastle, Allardyce has failed to win over the Geordie faithful, with either his signings or style of football, which is a mile away from the free-flowing stuff for which Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson were noted.
Yet Eriksson, who was nearly replaced as England boss by Allardyce in 2006, feels Newcastle would do well to stick with their current manager.
And he has no doubt Allardyce will not allow himself to be distracted by the flak that has been flying in his direction recently.
"Every time you have a team or a club which is not doing exactly what the fans and media expect, the pressure is there," said Eriksson. "I think we have to live with that.
"I don't know how much pressure Sam Allardyce is under but I do know he has a very thick skin and I don't think anyone will break him down.
"Everyone knows he is a very good manager and if they give him time, I know he will change things for Newcastle.
"I am quite sure he is the right man for that big job."
Benefit
One area Eriksson is sure Allardyce might benefit from would be having Michael Owen fit on a regular basis.
The England striker has been restricted to just 29 appearances for Newcastle since his arrival from Real Madrid three years ago.
After recovering from cruciate ligament surgery and a hernia operation, Owen spent seven weeks on the sidelines with a thigh strain before making his latest comeback as a substitute at Chelsea on Saturday.
As someone who lost Owen during England's last World Cup finals campaign, Eriksson knows just how big a loss the former Liverpool man is and what a huge difference he can make.
"Michael Owen is one of the best English goalscorers of all time, which tells you everything you need to know about him," said the Swede.
"A fit Michael Owen is a danger for everyone. He is very clever and in the box he is outstanding.
"No matter what team you manage, if you have a fit Michael Owen, you know you are gifted.
"Your team can play averagely for a half, or an hour, or even for 90 minutes, but you know the first chance he gets, he will probably score. If you have three chances in one game, he will score two goals. He is ice-cool."
Eriksson's comments are bound to raise speculation over a possible bid for 28-year-old Owen, although it is much more likely he will go for Liverpool's Peter Crouch or even challenge Chelsea for ex-Blue Nicolas Anelka at Bolton.
However, Eriksson's most immediate task is to stop Owen - and his team-mates - from scoring, heightening City's chances of registering their first away win since the opening day of the campaign at West Ham.
An improvement in City's away form is required if the Blues are to maintain any hope of grabbing a prized Champions League spot.
Not that Eriksson is getting too concerned about his side's inability to transfer their excellent performances on home soil when they go on their travels.
Overall, he is delighted with the way things have gone.
"It has been a long time since we won away from home, so we are looking forward to the day when we get another," he said. "But if you look back over what we have done so far, we should be happy.
"We have 36 points after 20 games, which is a good return.
"If we can keep up the work in the second half of the season, it would be perfect."
After containing Liverpool in front of an Eastlands record crowd, Eriksson will again be tempted to pack his midfield and rely on counter attacks. That could earn a reprieve for Elano, with Geovanni pressing for a starting place. Tweet

Comments
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We now see ourselves out of the top 6 for the first time this season sitting 7th, an away win is long overdue and I don`t see any reaason that we can`t beat Newsastle today.
If I'm not mistaken Barcodes last few managers have been sacked after City gave them a tonking. Lets hope its another one after tonight.
I would like to see two up front but don't think it will happen. Just like Tottenham away you need to play the oppositions weekness which is their defence. Sven doesn't seem to want to do this or he doesn't believe we have the players yet.
We have recently proved against Liverpool and against rags that WE can match the top 4 in defence, however our midfield and strike force needs to be strengthened to match our defencive capabilities then we we be strong all over the pitch like the top 4.
I think we'll win tonight and fat sam will get fired tomorrow, 2-1 to City.
We have now slipped out of the European places and are currently in a vain of bad form and negative tactics.
I think we miss Johnson big time and Elano is not on the ball currently, our striking options are woeful and if Owen plays tonight you can bet your life that he'll score the winner against us! I wonder what the odds are on that!?
A win would be perfect and would put us right back in it, but I can see Sven starting with Vassell again and that means we will cause them no problems in front of goal.
Allot of Toon fans think they’ll get beat tonight, personally I see a draw or like I said if Owen plays a 1-0 or a 2-1 win to them.
If i were picking the team for tonight i would put Corluka in the Elano role he is good enough and use Vassell up front and use his pace allso Onouha at centre half richards at right back.
If we win tonight Sam will go the way of Sir Bobby, Roeder and Souness all these managers went soon if not straight after defeats to us - I think the Geordies use us as the benchmark of oblivion. Haddaway and Sh**e who is this Bianchi then? Aw Bianchi Aw Bianchi he came from Italy he plays for Man City!
I can see us starting to slip down the table tonight. We just aren't good enough for a top six position. Everton and Portmouth are better than us.
We have spent +£40 million on players, and for that I at least expected us to win a trophy this season (not this 3 year plan rubbish)!
Newcastle will beat us tonight 3-1.
Keep the faith my fellow blues. CTID!
Im sick of negative blues on here. We currently have the best squad we have seen in City shirts for a long long time and the best start to a premiership season ever and all you lot can do is complain.
Sven has turned us around and even if i may not agree with his tactics all the time, Sven is the guy with one of the best records in management in world football.
Instead of moaning get behind the lads and enjoy whats Frank is doing to our club.
In Sven we trust
Sven will probably play one up front again, but I'd be tempted to go for the jugular & play two up front.
Newcastle have a dodgy defence like Spuds & if we really go at them I reckon we could get a comfotable win as the crowd will get on their backs & they could crumble. We didn't do this against Spuds & paid the price . . . 2 points from 6 at home over Xmas isn't great, so we need to go for the win tonight . . . 5 points from 9 over the holiday period would sound a lot better!
Come on Sven, lets go for the win!!
City 1-0 tonight, and big Sam out the door.
We have to wait until next week for any new transfers, I can`t wait any longer, the suspence is killing me, the new players (if we get them) will be big and expensive.
It is obvious that Petrov, Hamann, Elano, Johnson, Ireland are the most consistent players on midfield and when they get injured, suspended, tired or are not in form we are in trouble since we do not have Obi Mikel, Balack or similar like the top four teams. We need two more top - TOP!- midfielders. And one top striker.
Then we are there- champs league. But Villa, Everton, Newcastle, West Ham and the other wannabees also have the same problems and are aiming for players as well. May the best Sventhaksin win.
Why will Sven "upset the odds"? City are above Newcastle in the table!
Stifle Newcastle for 30 minutes and the fans will start getting on their backs.
A great chance for our second away win of the season.
I know it's pie in the sky but imagine where we would be if we had won at fulham, portsmouth, wigan and villa?
The three score draws, we were winning and were pegged back. If we had maintained our lead, we would be fourth tonight with the chance of third, a goal at portsmouth too would have seen us looking at being a point behind the Swamp dwellers!
Just a thought that's all.
Anyway 3 - 1 to us tonight, goodbye Big Sam, hello Shearer at St James'
Power to The People, Blackley,, Well said mate!
i think that we will get only a draw if sven uses the same team as last time. with ball and onuoha we will not get forward and that is very important in todays football. bring back corluka and garrido and we will soon be playing flowing football again...go city go!
Power to The People, Blackley
2/01/2008 at 12:02
I could not agree more mate
Bloomin' well said !
If we won the league some would question why we didn't get 100 points in doing so !
I for one am enjoying every second ..... at least we are not looking over our shoulders anymore ..people getting upset as we have dropped to 7th ha ha ...you couldn't make it up !
Drop Elano from the squad and play Corluka in the free role just behind Vassell and play Neddy at centre half with Richards at right back or Mpenza instead of VASS but then we would have no pace upfront.
Valhalla,
You sum up very nicely why so many blues are so happy to except mediocracy.....yes maybe we have exceeded everyones expectations so far but because of this the the bar has been raised twofold and if with a big IF we don't win tonight it will be very tough to stay in the top six simply because we DON'T SCORE ENOUGH GOALS.
So reverting (and i've already stated this ) back to what sven has said we have to spend big now to consolidate a european place and that does mean 30-40 million and not 10 or 20.
My team tonight would be Tommy Bates,managed by Tommy Bates and coached by Tommy Bates.As Tommy himself would say are the rest are losers.
The lads up front need to take the pressure off the back 5 in this game. A great chance of a win tonight.
Well said Power to the people - some on here sound alot like RAGS so take their comments with a pinch of salt... after all do you here moaning at matches????
Kiwi-blue, Christchurch NZ: City will upset the odds because Newcastle are the bookmakers favourites.
CTID
Much as I'd like to see Fat Sam get the shove, I just cannot see a City win tonight. We have been outplayed by each of our last four opponents (barely registering a shot against three of them), and whilst Newcastle may not be in the same league as Spurs, Villa, Blackburn and Liverpool, they do boast two of our most bogeyish strikers in Viduka and Owen. If neither of those two scores it will be a minor miracle and ultimate proof that Sven walks on water. 2-0 Newcastle, sorry.