Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye says his side's performances this season have 'not been good enough' but concedes they have been hampered by injuries.
The Magpies lost 1-0 at home to West Ham on Sunday, a third league defeat of the season that leaves them in 10th place in the Premier League.
Their inconsistent results can partly be explained away by inconsistency of selection, with the Toon suffering from injuries to key players.
The likes of Tim Krul, Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote have all been missing for long periods, something Cabaye admits has not helped.
However, the France international insists they cannot feel sorry for themselves and they need to keep working hard in order to improve results and lift themselves back up the table.
"It has not been bad, but it has not been good enough either," he told the club's official website. "We have played well but we can play better than we have done.
"Every game has been tough and we have had a lot of injuries and suspensions. It seems like every game we are missing a big player for one reason or another.
"That has made things difficult but we need to keep our confidence and keep working hard, because if we stop working then it will be very difficult to get up towards the top of the league again."
The former Watford man's chances in the first team had been restricted to cup appearances until he got the nod over Jake Cole against Gillingham, and manager Carl Fletcher will give him a fair chance in the coming weeks.
Fletcher told the Plymouth Herald: "You are fair to one, you have got to be fair to the other as well.
"There might have been times in the past where we could have left Jake out, but you make the decision to stick by them and you keep going.
"He (Gilmartin) has had a few injuries he has had to deal with and it has been frustrating for him. I think the more games he plays he will only get better and better.
"I have got two good goalies here. They both work their socks off in training and are very professional, and I'm really lucky I have got both of them."
