"It was very difficult when the ball kept coming to me and they were jeering me, but other than that, I managed to do that.

"I have to say thank you to them for that because big sections of our fans more or less took a neutral position today.

"I don’t expect them to have been supporting me or in any way wanting to cheer for me personally, but I think they just took a view of loving their football club and just seeing what happened today, and I think we did enough on the pitch to win a few friends today.

"I think our fans are realistic – they know the top six is beyond us. We can’t compete with those clubs at the moment.

"But we should be competing for seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, we have proven that we can do that in the past.

"We are well short of it at the moment and I am not going to jump up and down here for a 2-2 draw at home to Hull, but it’s a stepping stone to that area where this club needs to be.

"I have to say 80 percent of the crowd today were terrific for me. They took a view of 'let's see what happens' and that's how fair they can be.

"We do have some fans who are a little bit more radical than that, and they wanted to make their noise and presence felt, and you have to accept that as a manager.

"It’s not lost on me that I get accused of being arrogant, but I’m also a proud man to be manager of this football club and I’m going to fight to keep it. My team need to reflect that and I think they did today.

"We’ve had to climb a mountain. The players were magnificent for me, I have to thank them. It just goes to show, with Papiss Cisse’s celebration, football can bring you together.

"I’m conscious of not making excuses because I’ve been accused of making excuses - I just want to do defend the team - but we were really good at times today and hopefully the fans can digest that.

"Ironically, one or two people clapped me as I walked out! and I thanked those couple of fans – it was only two.

"We need to win every game that we can at the moment to release some pressure. I want to thank the players because I wouldn’t have liked to have played in that game.

"Football is a horrible game at times - I thought we deserved to actually be leading the game at the time.  Jack Colback should have cleared it, and a great hit from Jelavic and we are 1-0 down.

"But I have talked to the players this week about the Southampton game, and the biggest disappointment from the Southampton game was our reaction to goals, the fact that we looked like we lost our spirit - you get that from time to time in a season.

"But it was really bad timing for us after not winning a game and it was important that our senior players stood up today.

"Cheick Tiote and Colo in particular, I thought, really drove us on at 2-0 down and they were big, big key players in that turn-around.

He (Cisse) shouldn’t have played today, really.

"My medical staff didn’t agree that he should be included today – I think he has trained five days. But when you are experienced – myself and John (Carver) looked at each other on Thursday, I think it was, and your eye tells you sometimes that the player is fresh, he’s bright.

"Of course he’s not ready for 90 minutes, but he knows how to carry the jersey. That’s why I feel some sympathy today for Manu Riviere, because Riviere has had to carry the shirt and he’s not ready to carry that shirt yet full-time.

"It’s a shirt that is heavy, that number nine shirt and I think he has seen an example from Papiss to take that chance, to make that little movement in the box.

"Manu will learn from that, and it gives me the opportunity with Papiss coming back to fitness to rest Manu and for him to understand what it is to play at a big club like this.

"He’s only 24, Riviere, and really and truly, we have had too much responsibility on him.

"Sometimes in desperate situations, which Jonas’ Gutierrez illness is, in a way for a professional footballer, it can bond you together.

"We all felt for Jonas this week announcing it – me and Colo obviously have known for a long time, and it was great that Papiss honoured that.

"It’s something that in a strange way can bring players together.

"I felt that for all the reporting we had to put up with this week, and in the week before the Southampton game, some of it was really, really unfair and I said to the players, ‘You can’t moan about it because we have brought it on ourselves, We set ourselves up at Southampton for this sort of criticism and you are going to have to learn to take it.

"Now, there are two things: you either can’t handle it – then don’t play for this football club; or you handle it, and I think they proved that today in very, very difficult circumstances. 

"Trust me, I have played as a footballer and not at a stadium as full as this, but with that same negativity level at Crystal Palace and at other clubs, at Charlton at times, and it’s very, very difficult.

"The players came through that today. They came through all the criticism of how bad they were at Southampton plus the negativity of today, and that will stand them in good stead to be Newcastle players."

The poisonous atmosphere that had been predicted by many began to ramp up at that point, Cisse ready to make his entrance when Mohamed Diame worked an opening to smash home from distance via a post.
    
Less than five minutes later though, Cheick Tiote had the presence of mind (finally) not to try a ludicrous shot and instead slipped a pass through for Cisse to fire between McGregor and his near post at the Gallowgate End.

That moment of relief seemed to dispel thoughts of protest and the home crowd were urging their side to greater efforts, Fabricio Coloccini attempting a volley after a corner that was reminiscent of something from Terry McDermott's repertoire. Maybe it was the curly hair. 

And then came Cisse's late leveller after Sissoko's cross had found Gouffran who picked out his marginally onside colleague to gleefully crash home, much to the relief of the majority of the 49,199 present.

Five minutes of added time from referee Neil Swarbrick left time for a dramatic winner and both sides had half chances, but neither could claim a memorable victory - Cabella missing a cross from the left late very on.

If today proved one thing, it's that using the phrase "mass hysteria" is as inapplicable as "hate mob".  The gratifying levels of support were a reminder that commitment and effort are appreciated by the majority - and negative responses reserved for those who fail to show similar commitment to the support.   

A managerial stay of execution may well have been earned by Cisse, but it's fair to say that the jury remains out on Pardew, regardless of placards and banners. 

Putting the Palace cup tie aside, a failure to gain points from tricky fixtures at Stoke and Swansea will leave him deservedly back in the dock when Leicester visit here.

It's a thin line between love and hate(m)....

Biffa

PS: NUFC.com pre-game comments:

"It is very, very painful. We have all had beatings before but how you recover is what makes you what you are. We can talk about tactics until we're blue in the face. 

"I have been saying all week that we must handle the occasion but from the off, we didn't and we got blown away by a far superior team on the day."

Yet more Pardew ramblings post-Southampton? Wrong. 

Those are the thoughts of one Steve Bruce, following a 1-5 defeat for his mackem side here in October 2010.

That's the same Steve Bruce who returns to SJP on Saturday, boosted in his quest to secure points for Hull City by the threat of protests. Regardless of whatever in-house disputes we have though, he must be stopped and sent away empty-handed once more.

The Tigers will come in good heart and look to make a positive start, taking advantage of what was incorrectly termed "mass hysteria" by Pardew - yet another example of him misreading a situation.

Just as the protests back in May weren't unanimous, then the anti-Pardew abuse at Southampton wasn't coming from everyone present - and we don't mean Carver.

Some travelling fans chose to leave in disgust at the performance and/or the abuse, while initial attempts at unfurling the banner that ended up on the front row resulted in supporters confronting one another.   

Moving on to Saturday and regardless of their opinion of the manager, not everyone attending will be waving a Sack Pardew placard. For those who choose not to vote with their feet and boycott though, this is the only opportunity to protest and try and effect change.

One by-product of the Ashley era is that some supporters of long standing have dropped out - altering the mix of the crowd and removing elements of our core support with a consequent negative effect on the atmosphere.  

So if nothing else, the prospect of SJP being occupied by motivated and vocal home supporters should be taken as a positive and used effectively in that manner.

Toxic though the atmosphere was against Cardiff, among the vocal protests lay the strongest backing to the team for many months - a far cry from deathly silences when the likes of Spurs, Everton and Swansea came, saw and conquered without a whimper on or off the field.

And although Cardiff contributed vastly to their own downfall that day, the record books will show that our 3-0 win is the largest margin of victory at SJP in 2014.  

Of course, actually having something to support would help immeasurably, something that the players must bear great responsibility for. Perhaps some of the bile destined for Pardew could be redirected at coasters like Moussa Sissoko, Yoan Gouffran and Cheick "Lazarus" Tiote.... 

Any debate triggered has to be about the direction of the club, even more so than what we consider to be a wholly justified mass vote of no confidence in the manager.

Without a change in the structure, his replacement - whether next week or next year- will be of similar standing to both Hughton and Pardew, compromised and emasculated from day one...and doomed to failure.

Regardless of that though, we're at such a low ebb that any boost to the dressing room gained by hoofing Pardew out NOW would be eagerly taken. If it did turn out to be Fabricio Coloccini though, that might further divide the protest movement.... 

Our own reading is that the owner has no intention of making a managerial change until midway through the season. We believe he's mistaken and that not acting now betrays a lack of knowledge, both personally and from those he surrounds himself with. It's too late.

Regardless of the protests though, Ashley doesn't care as long as he's got your money and those TV cameras focus on his SJP placards in the Premier League. A far more telling protest would be to take advantage of the brief season ticket deal opt out window next January.  

Alan Pardew has two roles - first team coach and club mouthpiece - and has been thoroughly unconvincing in both roles throughout 2014. 

Some faces have changed, but the downbeat aspect of the team and their lack of spirit remains, as do his excuses - like many, we're at the stage where we take most of his public utterances as a personal affront.

Back to Saturday and regardless of the managerial issue, what remains is the task of trying to earn three vital points against a team who are our rivals (notwithstanding the fact that we've loaned them an asset that may well help them win points in other games to finish above us). 

Setting fan against fan won't help anyone's cause, while interruptions to the game would only give our numerous critics - and the footballing authorities - ammunition. 

Protest and support, or support. The choice remains yours, but don't be guilty of doing neither. 

As an aside, some readers have questioned why we linked to the protest website - our response is public interest.  

It's the same mindset that saw us publicise the fan march that got NCJ banned and within days also provide details for anyone interested in joining the club's fan forum. We received identical criticism from radically opposed fans - which usually reassures us that we're on the right lines...

In all cases, the opportunity is given to see what is suggested and make a personal decision whether to support it, work against it, or modify your behaviour accordingly if desired. 

Alternatively, just ignore it and do nothing, it's your call and we remain nothing more than a website. Plans to found our own religion remain resolutely on hold.