"My last time here was probably my darkest moment in football, probably the worst result of my career, so it's nice to come back and win."
"We try to play a bit, we are a little bit bold with two strikers. We have a go because, when I was out of work, I decided I needed to change a few things.
"If you just set up defensively against the top teams, they're so used to it, they'll create chances anyway. You have to threaten at the other end."
Newcastle are doing the same dance they have being doing for years on Tyneside. One step forward with an away win at Aston Villa, followed by one step back with a home defeat against newly promoted opposition.
Newcastle are a good team with some fine players, but the suspicion is they are a fair weather one. A team with lots of ability, but which lacks the mental strength, the drive and the discipline to play when the opposition make things hard and pressure builds.
"We don't have the consistency of a top team," said Newcastle's manager Alan Pardew, who will know the defeat was potentially even more damaging to him as it came in front of owner Mike Ashley and Director of Football Joe Kinnear who were attending a home game for the first time this season.
"We weren't tight as a team like we were at Aston Villa and it was the same formation.
"I thought all three goals were down to sloppy defending. Hull played well, but we are still searching for the consistency of performance. We've had a bad day and need to move on quickly."
Hull deserved this win, digging themselves out of trouble in the first half after Loïc Rémy had scored twice for the Magpies, before capitalising on the disintegration of the home side's attacking threat in the second.
Rémy's first of the afternoon, and his first for Newcastle, was a header from a mis-hit shot by strike partner Papiss Demba Cissé and the second was a slick first time finish after James Chester had diverted Yohan Cabaye's low effort into his path.
Some of Newcastle's play in the first 15 minutes was superb, but they lost their concentration and with it the lead. Not once, but twice.
On the first occasion, Danny Graham had been denied at point blank range by goalkeeper Tim Krul, but Newcastle's defence failed to clear the danger and Aluko threaded a pass through to Robbie Brady, who beat Krul even though the angle was against him.
As good as the save had been to keep out Graham, Krul will know he should not have been beaten at his near post.
Newcastle took the lead again just a minute before the half-time and Remy's confident finish bodes well for Pardew, but having looked in control at half-time they looked increasingly flustered in the second half.
Hull equalised again when Ahmed Elmohamady sprinted to the near post to meet Brady's free-kick and put a glancing header in off the far post.
Hull looked more and more assured and the scored their third with 13 minutes remaining when Moussa Sissoko failed to stick close to Aluko.
The Nigerian was unmarked and when George Boyd picked him out on the edge of the area he somehow managed to side-foot a volley beyond Krul.
It was a wonderful finish and a fantastic victory for the Tigers.
Match details
Newcastle United (4-3-3) Krul 5; Debuchy 6 (Tiote 86), Yanga-Mbiwa 5, Coloccini 6, Santon 6; Sissoko 5, Cabaye 6 (Gouffran 61, 6), Anita 5; Ben Arfa 5, Cisse 4 (Marveaux 73, 6), Remy 8.
Subs Elliot, Williamson, Ameobi, Dummett.
Booked Sissoko.
Hull City (4-4-1-1) McGregor 6; Elmohamady 6, Chester 7, Davies 7, Rosenior 7; Quinn 7 (Boyd 64, 6), Livermore 7, Huddlestone 8, Brady 7 (Meyler 74, 6); Aluko 7; Graham 6 (Sagbo 84).
Subs Harper, Bruce, Faye Proschwitz.
Booked Huddlestone.
Referee M Atkinson (W Yorks).
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