John Carver has admitted he feared the worst for Newcastle's season the day they were trounced at Southampton and he became involved in a heated row with a protesting fan.
Carver and a travelling supporter locked horns before kickoff at the St. Mary's Stadium on Sept. 13 last year as the then assistant manager objected to anti-Alan Pardew banners being unfolded even prior to the match starting.
But what was to follow proved even more disheartening as the Magpies turned in a shambolic performance to lose 4-0 on a day when the margin of defeat could have been significantly greater, and the visiting fans made their feelings abundantly clear on the final whistle.
In the event, that afternoon on the South Coast proved to be something of a turning point as it was followed by a run of 10 games in all competitions which brought only one defeat and included six successive wins, but Carver headed back to the Northeast in contemplative mood.
He said: "It was absolutely the worst day of my time at the club, one of the darkest days of my life to be honest. I was embarrassed to be part of Newcastle United coaching staff.
"Yes we played against a good side, but we created nothing on the day and they could have won it by six or seven and that's not right.
"I've got to be honest, I feared the worst for the season that night. It stayed with me for a long time."
Carver's pre-match altercation prompted an apology, but while he admitted his actions were inappropriate, he defended the emotions which motivated them ahead of the reverse fixture on Saturday.
He said: "I didn't have the problem with the fans protesting, but when Tim Krul said to me he was a bit disappointed with the banners being raised before kickoff, that was the only thing that upset me.
"I don't have a problem with protests when things aren't right or good. But that's why I got upset. You know what I'm like, I'm not a shrinking violet, am I?"
Four months on, Pardew, much to the delight of his most vociferous critics, has gone, although of his own volition to take up the manager's job at Crystal Palace. And Carver is currently filling his shoes as Newcastle look for a new head coach.
Whoever eventually gets the job -- the caretaker has thrown his own hat into the ring -- will face the task of finally integrating summer signing Remy Cabella into the team after a slow start to his career on Tyneside.
The 24-year-old Frenchman struggled initially to come to terms with the pace and power of the Premier League, but there were signs in last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea that he has started to find his feet.
Carver said: "I'm not a bully, but I did threaten him before the game because I know he's got talent, he's got a huge amount of talent.
"But with talent, you have got to have hard work, like Cristiano Ronaldo does and Gareth Bale and [Lionel] Messi and all the top players."
Saturday's game will see Southampton's Fraser Forster return to St. James' Park and a fond reunion with the man who gave him his big chance when as Academy director, he sent his scout out to find him a goalkeeper.
Carver said: "He came back with this name Fraser Forster from the Royal Grammar School, and I thought, 'Royal Grammar School? That's a rugby school.'
"He said, 'But he's 6'7", he's a big lad. And I said, 'Let's go and get him', so we got him, we signed him. We sat down with his mum and dad and they were more bothered about his education than goalkeeping.
"I will be so proud to see him here, and his family. But hopefully he will be on the wrong end of a good result for us."
