Cope with the pressure from the fans or leave, Allardyce tells his Newcastle players

The former Bolton boss has admitted he does know if his new signings can handle the pressure of playing for Newcastle, who face Blackburn tomorrow aiming to end a four-match run without a win.

Fans turned on Allardyce and his players during Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, mocking Alan Smith when he was named the sponsors' man of the match and jeering the Newcastle boss as he made his three substitutions.

The players met Allardyce this week and were asked to declare any personal grievances with him as he strives to put a miserable month behind him.

He was greeted with silence in the dressing room and full support from his players, which has at least reassured him.

He added: 'I'm satisfied with the conversations we've had this week to try and resolve the problems but the biggest way to resolve the problem is obviously to bounce back with a result.'

Goalkeeper Shay Given admitted that the abuse players had to endure was as bad as he has heard in his 10 years at the club and he worries that some may not be able to handle it.

Allardyce admitted: 'Winning football matches wins fans over, nothing else. It doesn't matter what you might say. If we're winning they're happy, if we're losing they're not. I think every player has got to decide whether he can handle it or not and if he can't handle the heat then get out of the kitchen, because that is what will happen eventually.'

The Newcastle boss claims other Toon managers have been through the same difficulties with the club's faithful but the fans have turned against Allardyce sooner than he or chairman Chris Mort could have anticipated.

Allardyce said: 'Nobody likes to be shouted at, but it's part of the job and you have to accept that.

'Nobody wants to hear your own fans giving you abuse or telling you what you're not doing and what they expect you to do but you have to strive to make sure it doesn't happen again.

'You've got to accept it when you play here, it's a special place when things are going well and it's a tough place when they are not. We will find out if we have the players who can cope with it.

'I think a few players have come here before and not been able to perform because of the pressure of playing for a big club like this. I don't know at this moment whether our players are good enough or big enough to handle that pressure because they haven't had that much of it. We will find out.

'It'll make me more resilient, more determined. S*** will happen at times and it's come our way. You've got to accept it because it deserved to come our way.'

Allardyce hopes to have defenders Steven Taylor and Abdoulaye Faye back for the trip to Blackburn but Michael Owen, Damien Duff and Claudio Cacapa are out.