Steve Bruce was delighted to see Newcastle "shut a few people up" with a surprise 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
After losing 3-1 to Norwich City, the Magpies bounced back to upset the Champions League finalists.
"We needed a bit of courage and thankfully the players had that from the first whistle," the 58-year-old told BBC Sport.
"We have tried to quieten the storm. Hopefully that will shut a few people up a little bit. After two games, it's been hard to get that criticism. We have had to ride it.
"I hope that gives us a little bit of time. It is only the first win, but we have seen some big performances today.
"The only thing you can do is show that it means something to play for the club. All week we have been working on it."
