THE SIGNINGS OF JAVIER Mascherano and Carlos Tévez last month did not lead to an instant improvement in the fortunes of West Ham United and right now their supporters would probably settle for any signs of a gradual one. West Ham have managed one draw and two defeats, all at home, since the Argentinians arrived, and they were booed off at the final whistle yesterday. Tévez and Mascherano avoided the jeers because they had already been substituted.

Alan Pardew, the manager, acknowledged the possibility that the new signings have upset the balance of a squad who have suddenly lost the momentum they gathered last season. “I’ll have to analyse the three games,” he said. “I don’t want to focus on that, but in the squad and the spirit of the squad there is a change in the group, of course, and we have to be very careful that that doesn’t affect us. We will handle the transition as best we can, but I don’t think we can get away from the fact that there is a transitional period for us. But I can’t blame that for our performance today.”

The blame, or credit, goes to Newcastle United. Damien Duff and Obafemi Martins both scored their first goals since joining the club in the summer, the team’s first Barclays Premiership goals away from home and first win on the road since April 17.

It was a successful first return to Upton Park for Glenn Roeder, the Newcastle manager, who had been dismissed by West Ham in 2003 after the club’s relegation from the Premiership. However, he angered the home crowd by shaking his fist triumphantly towards the visiting supporters during a break in play late in the second half. The locals’ reaction was a loud and predictable chorus of “You’re the reason we went down”.

Rob Styles, the referee, will not mention the incident in his report to the FA, but Roeder attempted to sound contrite. “I apologise if I’ve upset the West Ham crowd this afternoon. I obviously did,” Roeder said. “I did nothing more than any other opposing manager would do when his own supporters sing his name.” But was it necessary to get up and wave again after the home fans began to react? “We have got fantastic supporters who travel everywhere and are starved of success, and when they carried on singing my name I carried on waving to them,” he said. “I am not an excitable person; in fact people have accused me of not being emotional enough. I never took my eyes off my own supporters and I think it would be wrong if you tried to spin it that way. My supporters are entitled to my acknowledgement.”

Roeder was as little known for displays of emotion in his time at Upton Park as he was for sending out iron-clad defences, but yesterday, in the absence through injury of Titus Bramble — no coincidence, perhaps — the Newcastle back four looked solid and allowed West Ham few clear chances. Tévez curled a free kick against the crossbar and Lee Bowyer was unlucky when his volleyed effort from Shay Given’s clearance dropped a foot wide.

Pardew’s answer to the lack of penetration was the introduction of Marlon Harewood in place of Tévez. Sure enough, an opening appeared within five minutes, but it was Newcastle who created and converted it. Martins ran at the defence, fed Duff on the left and the Ireland winger shot low across Roy Carroll and in.

Mascherano gave way to Yossi Benayoun, but to no effect, and Martins struck the second, dispossessing Danny Gabbidon and slipping the ball past Carroll. The only black spot for Newcastle was a late collision between Harewood and Given, who left the field on a stretcher and remained in London for hospital checks after complaining of abdominal pains.

Pardew has to decide how best to accommodate his signings. “We have been well supported for three games, but we haven’t really given a stirring West Ham performance,” he said. “If you put me on a lie detector and asked me my best team, I probably would have a problem. I don’t want to guarantee anyone a starting place, especially after that performance.”