Pardew pulled no punches after an entirely forgettable afternoon on the South Coast when Southampton could have won 6-0.
But Newcastle’s 2,019-strong travelling support didn’t turn on the players during or after the match.
Alan Pardew: “We’re going to have to ride this period out – there’s no doubt about that.
“I think the fans are going to be important to us – we don’t want to lose them. We’re not in that place – we wouldn’t be able to cope with us.
“It’s a long journey.
“We saw a couple of buses on the way down.
“It’s a bloody long way. It’s a bloody long way to see a performance where we got beat with a bit to spare.
“As the manager and players, we’re going to have to accept the criticism."