Full time: Southampton 4 Newcastle 0

ANOTHER game, another humiliation, another watershed moment for Newcastle United.

There’s a chance this won’t be Alan Pardew’s final game in charge at St James’ Park, but it certainly felt like it could be.

For the second time in six months the Magpies shipped four goals at Southampton in an utterly shambolic performance on the south coast.

The general consensus prior to Saturday’s game was that it couldn’t get any worse than their last visit to St Mary’s. It could – and it did.

For the ninth time this calendar year, Newcastle shipped three or more goals in a game, but during and after their leader was nowhere to be seen.

Instead of barking orders from the touchline or rallying his troops, the Magpies boss chose to remain seated for almost the entire 90 minutes, leaving assistant John Carver to give instructions.

It wasn’t until after goals from Graziano Pelle and Jack Cork had given the Saints a deserved and rather easy three goal lead that a member of the coaching staff emerged into the technical area.

Pardew was perhaps avoiding the inevitable boos his presence on the touchline would have prompted from an away end containing banners saying ‘Pardew Out’ and ‘Pardew is a muppet’, but his decision to shirk post-match press duties is almost unforgiveable.

Not so much for the reporters at St Mary’s, more so for almost 2,500 travelling supporters – most of which had set off at 4am to attend the game – who deserved a proper explanation for this latest annihilation.

Throughout proceedings, Newcastle’s supporters voiced their disdain at Pardew and owner Mike Ashley – who was in the stands alongside managing director Lee Charnley - with chants including “we want Pardew out”, “you’re getting sacked in the morning” and “Alan Pardew – it’s never your fault” getting regular airings.

At the end one fan ran even onto the pitch and tried to confront Pardew, but he disappeared down the tunnel at rapid pace leaving Carver to see the team off the field.

Videos have also emerged of the Magpies assistant boss confronting fans holding banners during the warm-up, and it is clear the animosity between supporters and club has reached boiling point in a week an online petition calling for the manager to be sacked was published online.

It’s also a week when Ashley sent a clear message to those calling for him to sell the club by saying he will not move on for at least another two seasons, while at least one more newspaper was banned for publishing articles the club didn’t like.

As things stand the Magpies have more newspapers banned than they have they have points on the board this season and there is a genuine feeling the club is imploding at a significant rate.

By 5pm on Saturday evening ‘sackpardew’ was a top trending Tweet and by 6pm there were reports Pardew had met with Ashley straight after the game.

At other clubs, this would almost certainly mean the end for a manager under so much pressure and facing so much anger from fans. The last time Newcastle failed to win their opening four games was in 2005 under Graeme Souness. Before that it was Sir Bobby Robson, who was sacked in 2004.

Things work differently at Newcastle these days, though, and it’s hard to fathom just what Ashley is thinking after this latest humiliation in a long line.

Maybe it was the last straw. Maybe it wasn’t. But you get the feeling the Newcastle owner will not sack the man he handed an eight year contract unless he felt relegation was a genuine possibility or that Pardew is incapable of turning it around even with so many games left.

It is still very early, but judging by the Magpies’ performance they don’t look like improving anytime soon.

The entire team looked lost at St Mary’s. They lacked leadership on and off the field, guts and togetherness, and it was telling that captain Fabricio Coloccini disappeared down the tunnel while new signing Daryl Janmaat attempted to usher whoever remained on the field towards the away end to show some appreciation.

Too many players had bad days at the office, but it’s not like it can be brushed aside as a one-off. Seeing this type of display has almost come to be expected at Newcastle. Another thrashing always seems to be just around the corner.

Disturbingly weak at the back and worryingly blunt up front, it’s ironic the two areas that need strengthening the most right now are those Newcastle failed to properly address in the transfer window.

Coloccini and Mike Williamson looked as if they’d never played together before, but their performances in particular will raise uncomfortable questions about team morale under Pardew.

They are not bad players. Coloccini is club captain and Williamson has been mentioned in the same breath as England for his performances in the past.

So it begs the question whether the discontent with the board and Pardew has filtered down to the dressing room, but the signs from Saturday point towards a camp that is no longer playing for their manager.

From the off, it was clear the way this game was going to go and alarm bells were ringing as early as the first minute when Coloccini’s awful back pass almost led to Shane Long scoring.

Moments later Tim Krul was lucky not to concede a penalty or be sent off when he recklessly clattered into Long, who was through on goal.

It was more a question of when not if Ronald Koeman’s side would take the lead, and that moment did come in the sixth minute.

Ryan Bertrand swung a dangerous ball into the box and found Pelle in space to head in past Krul.

It was one-way traffic with the hosts dominating and Pelle grabbed his second thanks to more calamitous defending.

The Italian striker attempted an audacious volley from Williamson’s weak header that deflected into Dusan Tadic’s path and while Coloccini and Williamson were busy appealing for offside, the Serbian midfielder slipped the ball back across goal to Pelle, who was waiting to slot home.

Two became three nine minutes after the restart when Steven Davis’ deflected through ball played in Jack Cork, who ghosted past Williamson and rounded Krul to score his second in three games.

By that stage Southampton had taken their foot of the gas and Newcastle did have opportunities to get the ball forward.

In the 78th minute, Moussa Sissoko pulled back to Emmanuel Riviere who painfully dragged his shot wide, but waiting at the back post Jack Colback missed from three yards out.

Pardew has talked of the wealth of creative options and goals in his side, but the harsh reality is Newcastle have failed to find the net in eight of their last ten games.

The Saints made it four in stoppage time when Morgan Schneiderlin cut inside and curled a stunning shot into the top corner to inflict a feeling of déjà vu on the Magpies.